Notice: This is my first attempt at fanfic. Comments are appreciated. Flames and destructive criticism will be puched out the airlock at my earliest convenience. This version is rated PG-13. An NC-17 version is also available. Disclaimer: If you don't know that Paramount owns everything having to do with Star Trek, then I have no idea why you are here, since you obviously don't watch the show. This story, however is mine. I have borrowed some of Paramount's toys, for fun, not profit, and they will be returned unharmed... though perhaps a little more satisfied. Note that this is a P/T story, if you don't like that relationship, read something else. You have been warned. Sentry II (VOY, P/T, PG-13) by Chris Dionne ccdionne@aol.com ****************************************************************************** B'Elanna's face jolted upward, "What did you say?" Believing she must have misunderstood, Tom came even closer, took B'Elanna's face in his hands, and whispered "I said, B'Elanna Torres, I love you." All of the color drained from B'Elanna's face. * He said it, He loves ME? There is no way he could love me. He's just saying that because he feels sorry for me or something. I am so ugly, how could anyone like Tom Paris love me? * Before she knew what she was doing, she answered him. "I love you too." * Where in the hell did that come from? Who said that? * Tom leaned forward pressing his lips to hers, ever so tentatively at first giving her time to recoil. B'Elanna didn't, in fact, she responded with passion. B'Elanna thought to herself as she kissed him * I said that didn't I? I really do love this man. I love Tom Paris. * The feel of his lips against hers reassured her of this fact. She closed her arms around him pulling him to her. As she held him, she caught his scent, different from the last time, cleaner, with a touch of citrus from the soap he used. But still definitely him, still the man she had claimed as her own in the caves… still Tom Paris. Her embrace became stronger, more needy as his scent washed over her, as the side of her she tried to deny, her Klingon side, started to take hold. A low growl escaped her as she tilted her head back, exposing her soft throat to him, tightening her grip on his shoulders, digging her nails through the cloth of his shirt, and into his flesh. Feeling her fingers tighten their hold, Tom groaned, kissing his way from her lips, along her jaw to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Hearing a low growl, Tom hesitated, kissing and licking her soft flesh, feeling her pulse race under his lips. * This is going too fast. * he thought to himself. * I have to stop this, we can't just rush into this...* As B'Elanna's fingers moved up, catching in the collar of his shirt and tearing it down off his shoulders, all thoughts were driven from his mind. All thoughts except one, his need for the feel of her, the desire to be as close to her as possible, held in check for so long, suppressed for fear of driving her away. The only thing that mattered was that she was here, now, and they were together. She loved him, she needed him, as much as he needed her. B'Elanna felt the cloth part under her fingers, heard the ripping of his shirt, but more than that, overriding it was the sound of her own heartbeat roaring in her ears. She couldn't believe the feelings rushing through her, driving all conscious thought from her as she was swept away by her emotions. Even as she bit his shoulder, tasting his blood and reclaiming him as hers, a last small part of her mind, the analytical, Chief Engineer part of her tried to make sense of what was happening. * This is impossible! I don't have these feelings for him! I can't have these feelings, not for him or anyone! It will hurt too much when they leave me, abandon me like the others… like my father.* * You don't know that!* another part of her cried. * He is different, not like anyone before! He loves me… ALL of me, not just human B'Elanna, and not Klingon B'Elanna… all of me, and it feels so right, so good, to have my mate with me. To finally take what I claimed as mine in the caves, with no Vulcan *p'etaq* to interfere. * * Is he really yours? Did you really mean to claim him in the caves, or was he just convenient? * * NO! He is mine! I want him, I WANT this! * " B'Elanna? " Tom whispered, feeling her body tremble as she argued with herself. " Are you all right? " he asked, pulling her close and caressing her back. Running his hand up and down her spine, trying to soothe her, and quell the sudden turmoil he saw in her eyes as he drew back. "I… I 'm fine Tom. I just....This is going a little fast, I wasn't ready for this." "I understand. I don't want to rush into anything, either. I think ..." "You think we shouldn't be here, we shouldn't be doing this." B'Elanna whispered, drawing back from him, arms dropping to her sides. " You shouldn't be doing this with ME. That's what you think… Maybe your right.… Maybe....." B'Elanna fell silent, dropping her gaze from his deep blue eyes, unable to continue her thought. Not wanting to see the confirmation in his eyes, the dread too much to bear, she turned from him, and started walking to the door of the holodeck, oblivious to the fact that Harry wouldn't let them out for at least another hour, oblivious to Tom and the shock and confusion registering on his face. Confusion that was rapidly changing to anger. He couldn't believe it, couldn't keep up with this mercurial change in attitude. One minute she was in his arms, literally tearing off his clothes to get at him, the next she was walking away, telling him she wasn't surprised he didn't want her. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed she was testing him, trying to see if he really meant it when he said he loved her. * Maybe that's it! Maybe she isn't sure of me. She needs more than a quick 'I love you.' and a few kisses. But how in the galaxy do I convince her?* "*tIqwIj*, don't leave me, please. Don't walk away. I love you." Tom said as he caught up to her. " I don't know how else to say it, I need you, I love you, more than anything else in my life. Don't turn away from me now." he said as he caught her arms, wrapping her in a hug from behind, careless of what she could do to him if she decided she didn't want to be held. "What did you say?" B'Elanna whispered, her breath caught in her throat at what she thought she had heard. She bit her lip as she waited for his reply, unconsciously drawing blood, not believing her ears. " I said I love you, and I need you..." " No, before that. What did you call me?" " I called you...*tIqwIj*." Tom said. " According to the translations it means 'my heart' or poetically, 'my beloved'." " I know what it means. I'm the one who speaks Klingonaase you idiot! I just couldn't believe you knew what it meant." "Well, I do. And I mean it." he replied. "Just as much as I mean this..." Taking his right hand and touching his shoulder where she had bitten him, he gathered some of his blood on his thumb. As B'Elanna watched, trembling, he brought his thumb to her lips, adding drops of her blood from where she had bitten herself to his, then bringing it to his mouth, his tongue tasting their combined blood. As he took his hand away from his mouth he threw his head back and shouted loud enough to be heard on the bridge, " *'IwwIj*!" Taking her right hand in his, Tom repeated his actions, first his blood, then hers, and brought her hand to her lips. * I don't believe this! He has started the MATING OATH!* her mind screamed to her. *He must be serious! No one could not mean this! All I have to do is respond and we will be mated for life!* * But he is not Klingon. How can he realize what he is doing? Is he really going to mate for life? Or just like Father, until it is no longer convenient?* that small part of her mind argued back. *NO! Tom is not like that! He has seen all sides of me. He loves me! I can do this! I want to do this!* B'Elanna slowly sucked her thumb into her mouth, her tongue swirling around and tasting their combined blood, causing her heart to soar in her chest. "*'Iwm-" B'Elanna started to scream. Just then the holodeck doors opened and Harry walked in. " Are you both all right? I didn't hear anything for a long time, and then when I heard Tom scream I thought you must have..." he trailed off as he saw the way his friends were staring at each other. " Did I interrupt something?" he asked sheepishly, realizing he must have, but not knowing what it could be. "Harry...GO AW-" " No, Harry," B'Elanna cut Tom off, "you just stopped us from making a mistake. Thank you." she said as she turned and ran out the door, before either of her friends could see the tears coming to her eyes. " Yeah Harry. Thanks a lot. As always your timing was perfect." Tom snapped as he started for the door. "It's a good thing you came in when you did. God knows what we might have done." Harry was left alone on the holodeck, looking at the sofa and chair, and the torn scraps of material, red and gold from Starfleet uniforms lying on the ground. " What did I do?" he whispered to the walls. " What did I say?" ***************************************************************************** B'Elanna could barely see the walls of the corridor go by as she ran for the turbolift. She was barely holding back her tears, and they were building in her eyes, blurring everything as she pelted down the hallway. Coming to an abrupt halt at the turbolift door, she wiped her hands across her eyes, trying to clear them. As the world came back into focus, she noticed the red and crimson still wetly glistening on her thumb. Their blood, which she had not entirely licked off in the holodeck. The sight of the blood sent her heart racing, as she remembered its taste. *One word, not even, one syllable that's how close I came to mating with him. Just one syllable...* *And would it have made a difference? Mother and Father took the oath and what did that accomplish? Five years, and a little lost girl later that oath meant nothing, NOTHING to a human. Just wipe the blood off and forget it happened. Don't risk hurting because some womanizing human wants to add a half Klingon to his list of conquests. He's not worth...* *But he IS worth the risk. He's not my father. He is Tom. And I love him. But things are going too fast, I need time.* With that thought B'Elanna brought her hand toward her, meaning to wipe the last of their blood onto her tattered sleeve, but as she brought her hand near her face, she once again caught their combined scent, and without thinking licked the blood from her thumb. "*'Iwmaj.* she said to herself. "*'Iwmaj, qanay loDnalwI'.* *Coward!* *I am not a coward!* *You are! You couldn't bring yourself to complete the ritual with him there, but you did it alone! What does that make you if not a coward?* Just then the lift doors opened, mercifully it was empty. *Afraid, that's what it makes me.* she thought as she stepped into the lift. * Afraid I'm not good enough to keep him. Afraid...* "B'Elanna, wait!" came the voice of Tom Paris, sounding out of breath as he rushed for the lift. *Please let the doors close before he gets here… I don't think I can stand to ride in here with him at this moment.* *Then just close the doors. If you tell the computer to close them he'll never make it here in time.* *But that would hurt him, the last thing I want to do is hurt him!* *So you'll let him hurt you instead?....* *No, he.… I..* "Computer...hold doors." "Acknowledged." *Oh good, encourage him. Leave yourself open for his comments and sly looks to hurt you.* *Oh....SHUT UP!* "What? I didn't say anything. I was just going to thank you for waiting for me." Tom panted as he entered the lift. " I wasn't sure if you would." "I… I didn't mean you, Tom. I was just thinking out loud." She grimaced as she forcefully held in check the little voice that kept telling her to run and hide, to get as far away from him, from her almost, *ALMOST?*, mate, as possible. "B'Elanna,..." he began, moving to take her in his arms and hold her. "Back off, Paris!" B'Elanna growled, throwing her arm between them to ward him off. "But, B'Ell-" "Please Tom," she pleaded, turning away from him. "Give me a little time, just to pull myself together." Tom could hear the tension, the raw emotions in her voice. He knew that if he put a foot wrong, said or did the wrong thing at this moment, he would very likely destroy all hopes he had of ever completing the mating oath they had begun on the holodeck. But not doing anything, seeing her in such turmoil and anguish, was physically painful to him. He didn't know what to do, just knew that he would do anything to take away her pain, to remove the tears from her voice. "Please state a destination." came the emotionless voice of the computer, cutting through the tension, much as Harry had interrupted them just moments earlier. "Deck 6." Tom said, intending to go to his quarters and try to think things through. He was so lost in his thoughts that he never heard B'Elanna's response. If he had , he would have only been more confused, as her quarters were on deck five, and she also called for deck six. As the lift started he leaned back against the wall, as far from B'Elanna as possible, doing his best to give her the space she asked for, no matter how much it hurt him to do so. * What happened back there? * Tom wondered to himself. * How in the Nine Hells did we end up starting the Mating Oath? I only wanted- * " Only wanted what Paris?" B'Elanna screamed as she rounded on him. "Another conquest?! To try a Klingon woman?! Is that what you wanted?!" "What? B'Elanna what are you saying?" Tom replied. At the same time not believing his unbelievable slip. *Of all the times to think out loud, I would choose now!* "Don't worry Paris, I should have known those pretty words weren't meant." she said, her voice cracking. * But Kahless how I wish they had been...* *BE QUIET YOU!* "I won't hold you to what you started" B'Elanna choked out, turning back to face the wall, not able to look at him. "But don't you ever come near me again, or so help me I'll kill you!" "Computer halt lift!" Tom growled. "Computer override last command, authorization Torres..." "NO! Don't you dare override that command!" Tom snapped. B'Elanna turned to face him, shocked by the tone of his voice. She had never seen Tom Paris lose control of his emotions, never seen him truly angry, but something in his voice told her she was about to. Whatever it was she heard told her that if she overrode his command she just might have to kill him, because he sounded as though he would try to physically stop her from doing so. He took a step towards her, reaching out to hold her upper arms, and she couldn't stop herself from lashing out, hitting him square on the jaw with the heel of her hand. Tom staggered, his head snapping back from the force of her strike. He felt his teeth bite through his lip, felt the blood begin to well out and trickle down his chin. Shaking his head he straightened and stepped into her, closing the distance between them before she could swing again. B'Elanna stared in shock. Shock at what she had done, and the fact that Tom seemed unfazed by a blow that should have put him out for at least an hour. Then she saw the blood begin to flow, and tears came to her eyes as she truly realized what she had done. No matter her threats to kill him, no matter what he may have done, the last thing in the galaxy she wanted to do was to hurt Tom Paris. As she stood there stunned, Tom wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted off the ground. Tightening his arms around her, he walked to the wall and pinned against the bulkhead. Then half turning his lower body away to defend against any kicks or knees from his most definitely not helpless intended, he began to speak in a low, controlled, almost emotionless voice. " First, I meant every "pretty word" I said in that holodeck, every one. When I called you *tIqwIj* I meant it, in all senses of the word. You hold my heart in your hands, and you are my beloved. Second, here in the lift I was wondering how we got where we did so fast. I did not mean that I did not want to say the Mating Oath with you, because I do, I was simply wondering how I had begun it when I meant to take things slow, so as not to rush you into anything. You mean too much to me to lose you that way. I have no idea what caused you to think I didn't mean them, or maybe I do. Maybe it's the 'Tom Paris, womanizer' reputation that caused you to doubt me. If so, then I hope someday you learn the truth." Taking a deep breath, he paused, then "Computer, resume.". Still holding B'Elanna's no longer struggling body against the wall he continued. "B'Elanna, if nothing else can convince you that I am serious, that I really meant what I said, consider the fact that not too many people would take a shot like that from you, and still come back." "Still want to do this." he whispered in her ear. With a last long look in her eyes, he lowered her feet to the ground and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Then released her and walked through the just opening doors, moving swiftly down the corridor, leaving a stunned B'Elanna in the lift, watching as he entered his cabin without looking back. ****************************************************************************** As he moved away from the lift it was all Tom could do to walk to his quarters. It took every bit of his will not to either run for his door, or turn back to the turbolift, back to B'Elanna. All he could think of was trying to make things right, trying to make her see that he truly wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. Try to make her realize that he understood her fears, he understood how much of a risk she would be taking to open up to a man with his reputation. Make her know that he hurt too, that he was also afraid of letting someone in, letting them know where it hurt. But he had said his piece, it was her turn now, he couldn't open up any more without knowing if she was going to return his feelings, or if she would refuse to take the chance on what they could be. Wearily, he reached out and keyed the code into his door. As the doors opened with a quiet hiss, he took the last step into his room, forcing himself to not look back. "Computer, half illumination." he said, wearily heading toward the bathroom. He needed to clean up, needed to check his jaw, which felt ready to fall off at any second. Even prepared for the sight, knowing what he must look like, it was a shock when he saw himself in the mirror. His uniform top was in shreds, barely holding together over one shoulder. His other shoulder was bare, except for a deep red bruise, blood still slowly oozing from where her teeth had penetrated his flesh. He could feel scratches from her nails down his back, and turning he saw that at least three were deep enough to have drawn blood. Looking up he examined his face, his chin was covered in blood that still flowed freely from his lacerated mouth. Taking a cloth from the rack, he pulled the basin from the wall and soaked it in cold water. Wiping the blood away with the cloth, he winced, his lip and jaw both tender to the touch. As he rinsed the cloth he noted that fresh blood immediately replaced what he had soaked up. From his first aid training he knew that he would have to have the cut tended to, the bleeding wasn't going to stop without attention. The only problem was that if he went to sickbay someone might see him in the corridors, might stop him to ask what happened, or worse report it to Security. He really didn't want this to make Tuvok's Daily Security Report for the Captain at tomorrow's staff meeting. Sickbay was out of the question in fact, because the Doc would have to report it as an injury. * Kes! I'll bet I can get Kes to bring me a medkit without rousing too many suspicions. * "Paris to Kes." After a second he heard the reply, "Kes here, what is it Tom?" "Kes, where are you?" "I'm in Hydroponics, Tom. Why?" He could imagine the expression of curiosity on her elfin features from his next question. "Are you alone?" "Yes. Tom what is going on?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice. "Kes, I need you to come to my quarters..." "Your quarters?!" "Yes, and please bring a medkit. Oh, and Kes,,, I'd appreciate it if no one else found out about this." * Please, don't let anyone else know. I don't want to embarrass either of us any more than we already are.* "All right, Tom, I'm on my way. I can't wait to hear the explanation for this." ****************************************************************************** B'Elanna slid down the wall of the lift, stunned, and watched as Tom entered his quarters. As the doors closed, she lowered her head to her hands and tried to fight the conflicting emotions raging through her. It was almost as if the two halves of her parentage were at war with one another. Both sides fighting over what had happened between her and Tom. She was too drained to move, and just sat against the wall, going over and over in her head everything that had occurred. * I knew he would just leave. I knew no one could really care for me. * * He didn't just leave, I drove him away. I didn't give him any chance to stay. * * He could have stayed, if he had really wanted too. If he had really meant what he started, he would still be here. * * Why, why would he? I ran. I didn't finish the Oath. Then when he tried to talk I hit him. Oh Kahless, I hit Tom! I didn't mean to, I was just ...* B'Elanna was so lost in her inner turmoil that she never heard the doors slide open to reveal Ensign Meaghan Delaney. "Lt. Torres?" Meaghan asked, stepping into the lift. "Are you all right?" Then Meg took a good look around, taking in B'Elanna's tattered uniform, the blood on her lips, and what appeared to be a splash of blood on the far wall. "Lieut - B'Elanna, are you all right?" she repeated, kneeling down and looking into B'Elanna's eyes. "You'll be fine. I'm going to call for Security." As she slapped her combadge B'Elanna reared up and grabbed her by the shoulders, driving her roughly back against the wall. "NO! No Security!" she growled, not meeting Meg's eyes. "Then Lt. Paris, I'll get Tom..." "NO!" B'Elanna yelled, raising her eyes to Meaghan's. "Absolutely not! Don't you dare call Tom Paris! Don't call anyone!" "But, B'Elanna, you... What happened to you?" "Never mind! Mind your own business! Just leave me alone!" B'Elanna whispered, dropping her hold on Meg, and slumping back against the wall. The effort of stopping Delaney from calling had been too much, and B'Elanna felt herself losing control. As B'Elanna started to collapse, Meaghan grabbed her around the waist. Throwing B'Elanna's right arm over her shoulder she tapped her combadge. "Delaney to Delaney. Jen I need a hand." "What's up Meg, I thought you were on you way to meet Gerron?" "Change in plans, meet me in turbolift one, and bring your robe." "My robe? Meg what are you..." "Just do it! And clear anyone in our quarters out, NOW!" "All right, I was alone anyway." "Computer, deck seven. Just hold on B'Elanna, we'll get this straight." Meg said to B'Elanna. "Your coming back to my quarters and Jen and I will help get you back on your feet. Who did this to you?" In her half-conscious state all B'Elanna heard was "Who?", to which she whispered "Tom..." then passed out. As the lift opened on deck seven Jenny Delaney was greeted by the sight of her twin trying to hold up an unconscious half-Klingon, while wiping what looked to be a bloodstain off the wall. "Meg, what in Blazes is going on here? What happened to Lt. Torres?" "Never mind that now, just help me. Get that robe around her and lets get her to our quarters before anyone sees us. We can get some answers once we get her cleaned up. Right now I don't know if she's exhausted, drunk, or got beat up, and we're not going to find out until she comes around." "All right, lets go." Jen replied, wrapping her robe around B'Elanna's shoulders and taking the side opposite her sister. As quietly as they could the two headed down the corridor, thanking Captain Janeway for the fact that their quarters were only three doors down from the lift. With a last look to be sure no one saw them, they hustled B'Elanna into their quarters and locked the door. ****************************************************************************** Harry was alone in the holodeck, absently picking up the scraps of cloth from his two friends uniforms, while trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He knew that he had been taking a chance when he set up this little plan to get Tom and B'Elanna together. He had figured that either they would come out laughing and thank him. or they would come out and beat him senseless for deceiving them, but, he had never expected this. *Just what did I interrupt? What the devil were they doing in here? Well, only one way to find out, and it's not like they can kill me twice.* "Computer, activate privacy lock, authorization Kim-Alpha-three-four." "Privacy seal engaged." came the mellow reply. "Access holodeck record logs for the last ten minutes, and recreate all personnel present during that time period." Harry directed, moving to sit in the chair he had created near the sofa. "Logs accessed. Recreation commencing." The images of Tom and B'Elanna shimmered into existence, but not on the sofa where he expected. They were near the far wall, and Tom was holding B'Elanna's face in his hands. Harry moved to a better vantage point, so that he would be able hear what was said. "Computer, play recreation from logs." he whispered, suddenly feeling like a voyeur. Without a reply the computer started the program. "I said, B'Elanna Torres, I love you." Harry saw B'Elanna's image go pale and whisper "I love you too." Tom leaned forward, hesitantly kissing B'Elanna. Much to Harry's embarrassment B'Elanna returned the kiss with increasing passion. As he saw uniforms start to rip Harry couldn't take it any more. "Computer freeze program. Discontinue visual recreation, play logs audio only, complete words only." "Acknowledged." if Harry didn't know better he would swear the computer sounded amused. As the log began running, he began feeling like some sort of a voyeur, listening in to his two friends deepest feelings. Then Tom said something he didn't understand. " Computer freeze playback. Recreate personnel. Translate the first word in the last sentence spoken." "*tIqwIj*: Klingon word meaning 'My heart', or as an endearment "My Beloved." "I don't believe this." Harry said, looking around to find where the recreations of his two best friends were. He saw them near the doors, Tom's arms wrapped around B'Elanna from behind. "Please restate last command." "Never mind, start playback." Harry couldn't believe his eyes as the scene replayed before his eyes. He watched, uncomprehendingly as Tom collected the blood on his thumb and brought it to his mouth, then threw back his head and roared "*'IwwIj!*" "Computer freeze program." The program stopped as B'Elanna was about to repeat Tom's performance and taste their combined blood. "Computer translate last word spoken by Lt. Paris." "*'IwwIj*: Klingon word meaning 'My Blood.'" *Not very enlightening.* "Computer resume playback." B'Elanna slowly sucked his thumb into her mouth, her tongue swirling around and tasting their combined blood, causing her heart to soar in her chest. "*'Iwm-" B'Elanna started to scream. Just then the holodeck doors opened and Harry walked in. "This is where I came in. Computer end simulation." * This still doesn't tell me what I interrupted. I know it was something important, and I think I have a good idea, but I need to be sure.* " Computer, extrapolate from existing database of Klingon culture, and holodeck log currently being replayed, meaning and context of the actions of Lts. Torres and Paris during specified time frame." "Based on the events portrayed in playback, the word *'Iwwij* and the actions of specified personnel correlate to two rituals of significance in Klingon culture. Personnel were engaged in the Rite of Blood Sharing, concurrent with the Oath of Mating." "Were the personnel..., I mean did Tom and B'Elanna complete the rituals?" "The Rite of Blood Sharing was completed when Lt. Torres tasted the combined blood. The Oath of Mating was interrupted prior to completion." " Computer, what was required to finish the ritual?" " Lt. Torres needed to respond with the Klingon word *'Iwmaj*, meaning our blood. In a formal setting, more phrases are required, however as specified in the parameters of the program, the ritual would have been complete." " And the Oath would have mated them for life?" " Correct, by Klingon custom the Oath of Mating and the Ritual of Blood Sharing create a bond severable only by the death of one or both of the parties involved." * Way to go Harry! You got your two friends together all right, then you stopped them from getting married! Oh Gods, now what do I do?* "Computer, delete all holodeck logs from 20:00 hours until now, authorization Kim-Alpha-three-four." " Logs deleted." "End program and exit." *Now,* he thought as the doors appeared. * Now to find them and try to straighten out his mess.* ****************************************************************************** Tom had cleaned himself up as much as possible, and changed his tattered uniform for the first thing that came to hand, an issue sleeveless t-shirt, and workout pants. He was pacing his quarters, trying to calm down and think through the events which had occurred such a short time ago, when the entry chime sounded. "Who is it?" he asked. "Tom, it's me." came Kes' voice. He rushed to the door, and keyed the pad, then grabbed a startled Kes and hauled her in. "Tom! What is going..." she started. Seeing his face and the bruise on his shoulder she shook her head and instead asked, "What happened? No, never mind, just sit down so I can get you fixed up." Tom felt himself being dragged by the hand to his sofa, and gently pushed down to sit so Kes could see to work on his face. As she ran a medical tricorder over him, she began listing his injuries, much as the Doctor would have. "Lacerated lower lip, hairline fracture of the jaw,... Lean forward and take off the t-shirt Tom. I need to finish this exam if I'm ever going to get these healed, hear the explanation, and still get some sleep." As Tom complied, Kes continued examining her tricorder readings. "There, now lets see, minor abrasions to the trapezius region, some not so minor. These must really sting Tom." "Kes, do you mind? Could we just get on with this?" Tom pleaded. "All right, just let me check that shoulder... minor puncture wounds to the deltoid and upper trapezius, accompanied by pressure bruising and..." Kes stopped in mid-sentence, rechecked the readings, then continued, looking straight into Tom Paris' eyes, the question unspoken. " And traces of saliva with a rather unique DNA signature." " Kes, can the question and answer period wait until after you fix me up, please? I promise I'll tell you everything, I really need to talk to somebody about this." As Kes looked into Tom's eyes, she could see he was in pain, and not just physical. Something was really bothering him, and she almost thought that she saw, could it really be fear in her friend's eyes. " I'll wait Tom. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, you know that." Kes replied as she began working on his jaw. " Gods know, you've been there for me when I needed to talk." Kes finished with the osteoregenerator, and changed to the dermal generator to heal the nasty cut in his lip. As she finished she wiped away the last of the blood from his jaw and again took up the dermal generator. " There, that takes care of the worst of it. Now let me heal this shoulder, then I'll get those scratches on your back." she said as she moved the generator to his shoulder. " Leave the shoulder Kes." " But, Tom, it must hurt..." " Leave it!" Kes was shocked by the emotion in his voice. " That one stays, just take care of my back please." " Whatever you say, Tom." she said moving to work on the scratches in his back. " There, finished at last." she said, packing away the kit and sitting back on the sofa. "Now tell me how you managed to get bitten and scratched by B'Elanna, then ended up with a cracked jaw. Generally she only breaks the jaws of those whose attentions she doesn't want to encourage, and a mating bite is about as encouraging as a Klingon female can get." Tom put his shirt back on, wincing as the tender skin of his newly healed back stretched, then sat back, facing Kes. " Well, you know B'Elanna and I have been... well, since Sikari IV we've been..." " Avoiding each other." Kes supplied. " Right. Well apparently we've inadvertently been ignoring Harry-" " And everyone else." Kes added. " Yeah, everyone else. Anyway we never meant for other people to be hurt by being caught in the middle, while we tried to figure out how to act around one another." " You and B'Elanna are friends Tom. You're good friends, to each other, to Harry, me, Neelix. What made you two so uncomfortable? I know about B'Elanna being 'infected' with Vorik's *Pon-Farr*. I know you were stuck on the planet, trapped in the caves with each other. I know B'Elanna beat Vorik in some sort of ritual combat, and I know that when we transported you two to sickbay, you were holding her, telling her that she was safe, that you would take care of her. So what went on that made you two so uncomfortable with each other?" " Kes, I probably shouldn't tell you this. If B'Elanna finds out, she'll probably kill both of us, but I need some advice." " Tom, you know I won't tell anyone your secrets. I've never mentioned to anyone that you had a crush on me did I?" she asked. At any other time Tom would have sworn that she was teasing him, but all he heard now was a friend's concern for another friend. " Kes, you know about the *Pon-Farr*, but do you understand what it is?" " It's the Vulcan mating urge. All Vulcan males experience it once every seven years. It will slowly kill if not resolved by mating, or a ritual combat... Oh, oh my. But B'Elanna and Vorik faught the combat, the *Pon-Farr* was solved by that." Kes answered. " But B'Elanna isn't a Vulcan male. She is a half-human, half-Klingon female, and the *Pon-Farr* was working over time on her. When we were trapped in the caves, it started to get the best of her, and she chose me to mate with." " Tom, you didn't! You didn't take advantage of her condition, I know you too well to believe that you could do something like that. Especially when I know just how deep your feelings are for B'Elanna." Kes protested. " Is it that obvious?" Tom asked, ruefully shaking his head. "No, I didn't. Gods, how I wanted to. When she came at me, and bit me, I couldn't think of anything except how much I wanted her. But I knew that it wasn't her, it was the *Pon-Farr*. Even when she told me she really meant it, that she had just been hiding her true feelings for me, I kept pushing her away. Then Chakotay and Tuvok got us out of the caves, and I thought everything would be fine. I figured we'd transport up here and you and the Doc would fix her up." " But Vorik had sabotaged the transporters." Kes replied. " You couldn't return to Voyager." " Right. And B'Elanna was getting worse. Tuvok made it perfectly clear that if I didn't 'help her' B'Elanna would die. I couldn't let her die, Kes. I just couldn't. I knew that if I did what she needed, that I would more than likely be throwing away any chance for us to be together, to have a relationship in the future. But if I didn't I would lose her for certain, so I did it. We headed into the trees... Hell, B'Elanna was dragging me into the trees, then she threw me down and pounced on me. I had no idea what to do! I just froze! Here I was, in the middle of my greatest fantasy, and I froze. B'Elanna asked me what I was doing, and all I could think of to say to her was ' Enjoying myself?'. Her reply was basically, ' Then prove it, act like it.' So I started to take charge, I rolled her over and we were just about to really start something when Vorik yanked me off her." Tom shook his head, remembering those events. " That's when B'Elanna fought him?" " Right. Then we returned to the ship, and you and the Doc fixed them up. Later I was in the turbolift with B'Elanna, and she was trying to just ignore the fact that anything had happened, and I couldn't take it. I needed to let her know how I felt, so I told her that I wasn't afraid of her 'big, bad Klingon side' and that I wouldn't mind seeing more of it. As she walked away, she said that I should be careful what I wished for. Then we started avoiding each other." " Well, Tom, that explains why you've been acting the way you have, but not how you got so beat up today." Kes said, taking his hand in hers. " Tell me what happened." " Harry." Tom sighed. " What do you mean, Harry? What does Harry have to do with this?" Kes whispered. Tom looked closely at Kes' face. Something in her voice had sounded a little more than curious, it was almost as if she were worried about Harry. But that didn't make any sense, nothing had happened to Harry, there was no reason for Kes to be concerned for him... unless she was hiding something about her feelings for Harry. " Tom, you were going to tell me something about Harry, and how he was mixed up in this?" There it was again, a slight catch in her voice. * Something to think about later. Once I get my own problems solved.* " Yes, Harry. Well like I said, B'Elanna and I have been avoiding each other, and I guess that meant we also were avoiding Harry, since we always did things together. It must have really bothered him, because he tried to talk to us about it, but we were too wrapped up in our own problems to see what we were doing to him. So, he decided that he would try and straighten the two of us out." " Go on. How exactly did he plan to do that?" Kes asked. Looking slightly sheepish, Tom continued to tell his tale. "He pulled a fast one on the both of us. He asked me to help out with a holoprogram he was writing, and to meet him on the holodeck. He looked so sincere, and so lonely that I knew I had to help. I guess he did the same to B'Elanna. When I got to the holodeck, he had this big sofa set facing away from the doors, and led me around to the front of it..." Tom hesitated, taking a deep breath as though trying to calm himself. " What then Tom? Let me guess, B'Elanna was there already." Kes squeezed his hand in a gesture of sympathy, willing him to go on. " Yeah, she was there. She looked torn between being confused and wanting to kill Harry. I made some comment like ' I didn't know we were having company' or something like that, and she got even madder. She started to get up when Harry told us both in effect to sit down, shut up and listen." " That must have been a shock. Harry is usually so calm and quiet." Kes interjected. Tom chuckled ruefully. " A shock, I'll say. It was such a shock that we both did what he told us. We sat next to each other on the sofa, and Harry sat in a chair looking at us. That's when he told us exactly what we were doing to him, to our friendship with this 'avoid each other game'. It wasn't a fun thing to hear, that I had been hurting my best friend. I love Harry like the brother I never had, and here I was hurting him like...." Tom stopped, his eyes glassed over, staring into the distance, staring into the past. * Like I was hurt. Like I was hurt when my Dad ignored me when I was little. I swore I would never do that to anyone, and I was doing it to Harry.* Kes was shocked to see tears start rolling down Tom's cheeks as he sat there with such a distant, lost look in his eyes. Then waves of sadness, loneliness and guilt washed over her like a tidal wave. The standard barriers she had learned from Tuvok to shield her developing mental abilities from others were smashed as if by a battering ram. "Tom. Tom it's all right. You didn't mean to hurt Harry, or anyone else. It's not your fault." She whispered as she pulled him into a hug. Tom wrapped his arms around her as a drowning man would a life preserver. " I... I know I didn't mean to hurt anyone, but I did. I hurt Harry, and I hurt you, all my friends. I ignored them, shut them out because I was so wrapped up in myself, just like my Dad wrapped himself up in his career. All I got from him was ' Live up to the Paris name, boy. Don't ever embarrass the family.' Don't you see Kes, I swore that I would never do that to anyone, never let anyone get hurt because of me, and I did it anyway. What sort of a friend does that make me?" " No, Tom. You did nothing like that. You weren't wrapped up chasing some material goal, you were trying to come to terms with something else. I can feel that. I can feel your caring, your love for your friends. I know that you would never intentionally hurt anyone you care for. I've seen you put yourself at risk too many times for others to ever believe that you would do something like that." Kes said, taking his arms and pushing him back to look him in the eyes. " Don't you ever say that you aren't a good friend." As she said it Tom pulled back and wiped the tears from his face. " Yeah. Well..." he started, the Tom Paris, ne'er-do-well mask sliding into place. "And don't do that either. Don't you dare hide behind that mask of yours, not now! You promised me a full explanation for what happened, and you asked me as a friend for some help and advice. I can't help you or give you advice if I don't know what you are really feeling." she said to him, so sternly that he looked up, searching her eyes. All he saw was compassion and friendship, and if he wanted it, understanding. " All right Kes. Where was I?" he sighed. " Harry just told the two of you what you were doing." she reminded him gently. " Right. Well, when he finished with that, B'Elanna and I tried to deny that anything was wrong, that we were fine. We said that even if there was something it was our problem. Harry wasn't taking any of it. He told us we were his best friends, he said he respected our privacy, but that it had gone on long enough. He told us, what were his words?" Tom stopped, trying to get Harry's intonation down, he would never, ever, be able to forget the words his best friend had said to them. As he finished reciting Harry's little speech to Kes, she burst into laughter. "What in the Nine Hells is so funny?" he growled, crossing his arms and glaring at her. "Oh Tom," she started, then stopped, laughing again as tears of merriment rolled down her cheeks. Drawing a deep breath and wiping her face she continued. "Tom, I'm sorry I laughed, but if you could have seen your face while you imitated Harry. And the voice! You were so close that all of sudden I got this image of Harry: sitting the two of you down and letting you have it." She dissolved into laughter again. Kes' mirth was infectious, and as Tom thought about what the scene would look like to someone else, he saw the humor in quiet Harry Kim, ripping into the Chief Engineer who everyone stepped so lightly around, and the usually annoying Helmboy. The next thing he knew he was laughing along with her, holding his sides because it hurt so much from laughing so hard. Once the laughter subsided Kes asked him " Didn't the two of you try to get out? Surely the Chief Engineer could get herself out of a locked holodeck? And with your ' experience' from the ... well I'm sure you could have figured out something?" " Oh, we tried, but Harry did a good job. He cut off the comm system, locked the doors, locked out the computer access. To tell the truth, I don't think either of us really had our hearts in it. I think we both knew we needed to talk. Harry's telling us that he thought we were made for each other was pretty much the last straw. Anyway while B'Elanna tried to get herself out of there I figured that if Harry saw it, then I had better come clean and tell B'Elanna how I felt about her." Tom said, still wiping the last tears of laughter from his eyes. He continued telling the story, Kes listening intently, only stopping him to get an explanation of the Oath and the Blood Sharing. " Tom, I'm not really all that familiar with Klingon culture. You're going to have to help me out here." Kes said. She suspected she knew exactly what Tom meant, but she needed to hear him say it. " The Blood Sharing is a part of Klingon mating customs, the two taste their combined blood, then swear the Oath of Mating, bonding them for life." " Tom, are you telling me you proposed to B'Elanna?" " I suppose, in a manner of speaking, yes. The Klingon rituals go a little further than Terran weddings, though. A Terran union can be dissolved by mutual consent, Klingon mating is for life." " And what did B'Elanna do?" Kes asked, caught up in the story. " Did she say the Oath too? And how does that involve a broken jaw?" Tom picked up the story again, telling of Harry's interruption, and the mad dash to the turbolift. Kes's eyes widened in disbelief at the obvious misunderstandings in the turbolift. * How could the two of them possibly not understand each other?* she thought. * I'm not even three and I can see what they mean to each other.* Then she realized that that was it, they were too close to the problem. An old Terran term she had heard, something about not being able to see the woods for the trees, came to mind. "...It was all I could do to walk away from her to here. When I got in and checked out my jaw, I knew I needed medical help, but I really didn't want to end up on some report for the Captain. I also didn't want anyone to know what happened, I really didn't want to embarrass B'Elanna. So I took a chance and called you." Tom finished, dropping down to the couch next to her. " I guess I really screwed up this time, didn't I?" Kes thought for a minute, then took Tom's hand again and looked into his eyes. " Tom, you didn't 'screw up' anything." " But -" Tom started. " No! Let me finish. You asked for advice, now you're going to get it. You did not screw up tonight. What happened... Well from what you told me I think it happened because the two of you were both insecure about how the other felt. B'Elanna obviously misinterpreted things you were saying. She kept taking them the wrong way. I think it was her fear talking. She said you scared her, that she was afraid of committing to you, then she seemed to need that commitment from you. I think if Harry hadn't interrupted your Oath... I'm not sure what would have happened then, and it doesn't matter. What is done can't be undone. But I really feel that B'Elanna loves you as much as you love her. And that is what scares her. The two of you had bad experiences with relationships, and now you're both afraid to try again. In fact you're so afraid, that you were missing what was right in front of you. Harry fixed that, though." Kes said. * And for that I really must have a long talk with him. Maybe I can get him to see what is in front of him, too.* " My advice to you is to wait until tomorrow, then approach B'Elanna gently. Don't keep thinking of her as two halves, appeal to the whole of B'Elanna Torres. You've already won over the two halves, now convince her that you want her, strong and scared, angry and affectionate. Then see where it takes you." Kes stood as she finished. Tom stood also, enfolding her in a hug of gratitude. " Thank you Kes." he whispered. " I needed to talk and you were there." " I told you Tom, you've been there for me. Why expect anything less from your friends?" she asked, returning the hug. Separating from him she stood on her toes and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek. "I think keeping the mating bite was a good idea Tom." She teased with a grin. " Get out of here you!" Tom laughed. "Ouch! Go on, don't make me laugh anymore, it hurts!" He said as she turned and chuckling to herself walked out the door. As Kes made her way back to Sickbay to return the medkit, she thought of something. *Oh no! Tom left B'Elanna in the turbolift, but she wasn't there when I came to his cabin. Where did she go? From Tom's description, she was probably emotionally worn out.* "Computer, locate Lt. B'Elanna Torres." * Please be in your quarters!* "Lt. B'Elanna Torres is in the quarters of Ensigns Jennifer and Meaghan Delaney." came the reply. * Oh Gods!* ****************************************************************************** "By Gods, Meg, she's a mess!" Jenny Delaney exclaimed to her twin as they lowered the semi conscious form of B'Elanna Torres onto the couch in the quarters they shared. " What do you think happened to her?" " I don't know." her sister replied as she proceeded to get a towel and soak it in warm water from the basin in their bathroom. " Let's try and clean her up some. I'm betting that she's just exhausted from to many double shifts lately, and then whatever happened tonight took the rest of the wind right out of her." she continued, sitting next to B'Elanna and wiping the blood from her hand. " Hmm." " What?" Jenny asked, hearing her sister. " Take a look at her hand. It looks like she bruised her palm hitting something." Jen looked closely at B'Elanna's hand, then at her face. Perplexed, she looked at her sister and said, "Meg, look close at the color of the blood on her lip." " What about it?" Meg replied, proceeding to wipe the towel over B'Elanna's face and neck, getting the last of the blood off of her skin. " It's a little different color than ours, isn't it?" Jen asked with a wry look on her face. " Of course it is. She's part Klingon. Remember that time that Klingon tactical officer got hurt on the Enterprise? What was his name? Worf, I think, anyway his blood was like pinkish. Hers is bound to be close to that." Meaghan answered, still not quite following her sister's train of thought. Jen grabbed the bloodstained towel and held it up in front of her sister's face. "How many colors of blood are on the towel, dummy?" she taunted. "Two... Oh boy, and the majority of it is human." Meg replied, finally catching on. She looked closely at B'Elanna, noting the partially torn uniform, the cut lip, and bruised hand. " She doesn't have a mark on her other than her lip, and that looks like she did it herself. We've got to wake her up and find out just who she slugged." Meg said, starting to chuckle. " Well, get a new towel, and this time use cold water." " And just what are you going to be doing while I'm playing maid?" " Getting a little something to help her once she comes round." Jen replied as she headed for her closet. Meg could hear her sister moving things around and muttering under her breath when she returned and started trying to rouse B'Elanna with the cool cloth. " Ah, there it is." she heard her sister exclaim. B'Elanna was just coming round as Jen returned and set something on the table with a clinking sound. " This will help put her back on her feet. Just like Da always said, 'A little bit of the 'ole sod to put the wind back in yer' sails.'" she chuckled, holding a bottle of Irish whiskey up for her sister to see. " The real stuff?" Meg asked, eyeing the bottle askance. " We won't be getting any more of that any time soon you know." " I know, but I like her, Meg. I think she and Tommy would be great together." " You've always had a soft spot for Tom Paris, Jen. Why didn't you ask him out? I waited long enough for you to do it." Neither of the two noticed B'Elanna open her eyes and look around the room as they were talking. If they had, Jenny Delaney never would have let her next words out of her mouth. " I don't like him that way, you dunce. He's my friend, you're the one who wanted more from him than..." Jen stopped suddenly as a hand grabbed her collar and pulled her down to lock gazes with a set of deep chocolate brown eyes, eyes which had a fierce fire burning in them. " Than what, Delaney?! Whichever of them you are. She wanted more from Tom Paris than what?!" B'Elanna growled, rising slowly from the couch and dragging Jen Delaney with her. " What exactly did she want from my *loDna... from Tom." " Uh....ah..." Jen stammered, imagining her life ending at that moment at the hands of a now wide awake and infuriated B'Elanna Torres. She flashed an imploring look at her twin sister, one that carried an unspoken plea of *Get me out of this you, idiot!* Meg quickly recovered from the shock of B'Elanna's sudden awakening and stepped in between the two, placing her hand on B'Elanna's arm. " Let her go, B'Elanna. Please. She didn't mean anything, and besides you should be thanking her for helping me get you out of that turbolift and cleaned up, not trying to strangle her." Meaghan said in a calm, quiet voice. " What are you talking about?" B'Elanna snarled, slowly releasing her grip on the other twin. " And which one are you? I can't tell when you both have your hair up." " I'm Meaghan." Meg said, reaching up and undoing her hair, letting it fall down past her shoulders. "She's Jennifer. She was just coming out of the shower when I called her to help me with you, that's why she had her hair up. We weren't trying to confuse you on purpose. We hate it when people confuse us, you know." " I .... Oh never mind about that! What are you talking about, 'calling her to help me'? And why am I in your quarters?....Wait a minute, you said you found me in the turbolift?" " Yes. I was on my way to the mess hall to meet Gerron for some dinner." Meaghan replied, relating how she had found B'Elanna semiconscious and with her sister's help brought her to their cabin. "Who did you hit anyway? You must have really done a number on whoever it was, we wiped a lot of human blood off you." While Meg talked, calming B'Elanna, Jen opened the bottle and poured three glasses half full of the whiskey. B'Elanna lowered herself to the couch, her mind replaying everything that had happened that evening. As she remembered arguing with Tom in the turbolift, hitting him, and the blood flowing from his mouth, she started to tremble in anguish. * How could I do that to him? How could I hit him like that?* Seeing B'Elanna tremble Jen put a glass in her hand, " Here, none of that now. Have a sip of this, it'll help you." Without thinking B'Elanna raised the glass to her lips and proceeded to swallow the whiskey. The twins watched in amazement as she downed the whole glass, and held it out to Jen. " More, please." she said. Jen and Meg exchanged looks. "Sure, whatever you want." Jen refilled the glass. Again B'Elanna emptied it in one long swallow. " Another." This went on until the last of the bottle was poured into B'Elanna's glass. The two sisters looked at each other in disbelief. B'Elanna had killed the entire bottle, and they hadn't even touched their drinks. What was worse, she didn't seem to be effected at all. " And will you be having another, B'Elanna?" Meaghan asked incredulously as she watched another glass emptied. B'Elanna looked at the empty bottle in sadness. " I'd love one, but its all gone." she replied. Jen snapped her eyes to B'Elanna, then grinned at her sister. " If you wait here, I'm pretty sure we've got one or two more tucked away somewhere, B'Elanna. Just stay there for a minute. Come on Meg, give me a hand finding it." she said, downing her whiskey and grabbing her sister's hand, dragging her out of her seat and into Meaghan's bedroom. As she turned from B'Elanna she made a sign to her sister to be quiet and play along. Puzzled Meaghan did, following quietly into her sister's room. As the door closed behind them she pulled her hand loose and whispered fiercely " What are you playing at Jennifer me fine girl?" Whenever the two were alone, or distracted their Irish ancestry started to shine through in their speech. " Just what have you got in that wee head o' yours? Are you tryin' to get her completely drunk? Why would you want to do that?" " Keep it down, and help me find that bottle of The Macallan that Tommy smuggled from DS9 for me. Yes, I want to get her drunk. I want her as drunk as a lord. Worf once told me that an intoxicated Klingon can't lie. That when they're drunk they express their true feelings. I mean to get her good and soused and make her admit her feelings for Tommy." Jen snapped to her sister in a hushed voice. " But Jen, that's the last bottle of Macallan..." Meaghan protested. " I don't care if we have to use every last bottle of Scotch we've both got hidden. I'm sick of watching her push him away. I've got a strong feeling that she really loves him, and is just afraid to admit it to herself. So we're going to help her. Whether she wants it or not. Hah, found it!" she exclaimed, pulling a dusty bottle of amber liquid from behind her hoverball gear. " Let's get back there before she leaves." The two sisters returned to find B'Elanna standing, examining a framed star chart of the Alpha quadrant. " Here you go, B'Elanna. Try this one, it should taste a little different from the last." Jen said, handing her a glass three quarters full of Scotch. Jen refilled hers and knocked the rims of their glasses together. " To good whiskey." she proposed. " Good whiskey." B'Elanna echoed, then tilted the glass, closing her eyes and downing the entire contents. Jen sipped her whiskey and immediately refilled B'Elanna. " Good friends." " Good friends." B'Elanna replied. And so it went, the Delaneys sipping the same glasses, and B'Elanna downing hers with each toast. The bottle was only a quarter full, and Jen was starting to despair of ever getting B'Elanna drunk, when the engineer suddenly fell back into the couch. She looked at the sisters quizzically and asked " Why are you two still standing? It's much more comfortable to lay back like this." * Gotcha!* " You're right B'Elanna, it is more comfortable." Jen said, motioning for Meg to sit opposite her. " Now, why don't you tell us what happened tonight. I thought Harry was going to join you on the holodeck?" " Nope." B'Elanna said, reaching for the bottle. " Harry set me up. He locked Tom and I in the holodeck. Told us we were perfect for each other, and locked us in." she continued, trying to pour the whiskey into her glass without spilling it. " Here," Meg said, taking the bottle. " Let me pour that for you." " Thanks. You know, I think I misjudged you two. I think I actually like you." B'Elanna said, sounding surprised. " Anyway, Harry locked us in, and Tom told me he loves me. I didn't believe him, but then I looked in his eyes. He has the most beautiful blue eyes, you know. I told him I loved him too. Then I tasted our blood, no he did first. Then he started the Oath, and I was going to complete it, but Harry walked in. Then I ran away. I was so scared. Then I finished the Oath myself, but that didn't count 'cause Tom wasn't there." she said, pausing to take a long swallow from her glass. " I definitely like this better than the first one, Jen." " That's good, B'Elanna. I do too. What happened after you finished the Oath?" she replied, bending down to refill B'Elanna's glass and mouthing to her sister 'Oath?' Meaghan shrugged as B'Elanna picked up her glass and continued. " Tom caught me in the turbolift, and I told him if he came near me I'd kill him. Then he held me and everything was better. Then I hit him... No, I hit him then he held me. And everything was better. Then he kissed me, and he left." B'Elanna finished, taking another long sip of the Scotch. " I didn't want him to leave! I wanted him to stay. I wanted to taste his blood, and hold him, and say the Oath. *jIneHta' vIngagh*." B'Elanna finished. Then she looked at Meaghan. " You wanted him too." she growled, getting up and pulling the startled woman to her feet. Meaghan found herself in an even worse position than her sister had been, at least Jen's feet had been on the floor. B'Elanna had lifted Meg by the collar and pulled her face to within a millimeter of hers. " You stay away from him!" she screamed. " He's mine! I marked him, not you! He is my mate, and if you ever lay hands on him again you'll find my dagger in your throat." Finished, she dropped the stunned woman back to her seat. " Thanks for the drinks, Jen. You too Meg." she said in a friendly voice. " I need to get to my quarters now." she continued, walking slightly off-balance to the door. Then she turned and glared at Meaghan " Don't forget what I said Delaney. You keep playing with Gerron and stay the hell away from Tom Paris." With those words she staggered out the door, leaving the two sisters too shocked to move. " Meg, did she just admit to loving Tom? Did I hear right when she called him her mate?" Shaken, Meg downed her whiskey before answering. " Yes, you did. And I ought to smack you for getting me into this mess. She threatened to kill me." ****************************************************************************** B'Elanna staggered out of the Delaneys' quarters, and slowly proceeded down the corridor to the turbolift. " I don't want to go back to my quarters." she thought to herself. " I really don't want to be alone anymore. I've been alone most of my life, and I really don't like it. What I really want is to be with my mate." she concluded. " Yes, that's what I want, to be with my mate. But he doesn't know he's my mate yet. Can't spring it on him too fast, don't want to scare him away." she smiled. As she reached the turbolift, the doors opened unexpectedly and she stumbled into an anxious looking Kes. "Whoa, B'Elanna. Take it easy. You almost ran me over." Kes said , taking hold of B'Elanna's arms and straightening her up. " What did the Delaneys do to you?" " Oh, nothing." B'Elanna replied happily. " We had a few drinks and talked a little bit." Catching the smell of the whiskey on B'Elanna's breath Kes said, " I'll say you had a few. And it doesn't look like it was synthehol to me. Smells like that awful Scotch stuff that Tom smuggled aboard from DS9." " Yep, That's what it was." B'Elanna amicably agreed. " It's not awful though, much better than bloodwine. Speaking of blood, where's Tom?" She asked with a grin. " That's an odd thing to remind you..." Kes started to say, then remembering what Tom had told her about what had happened between the two of them, she changed her mind. It really wasn't all that strange. " Tom is fine B'Elanna. I just left him in his quarters." " What do you mean 'in his quarters'?" B'Elanna growled, narrowing her eyes at the young, attractive Ocampan that Tom had flirted with when Voyager first picked her up. " What were you doing in his quarters?" For the second time that night Kes' mental barriers went down in shards. Only this time it was waves of anger, jealousy and possessiveness that collapsed them. " I went to his quarters to bring him a medkit, B'Elanna." she said in a calm voice. * A lot calmer than I feel I hope. B'Elanna looks ready to tear my heart out.* " I had to heal his jaw from where you broke it. Don't you remember hitting him in this very turbolift?" All of a sudden the emotions Kes was reading changed to ones of sorrow and sadness. " Yes, I remember." B'Elanna choked out. " I hit him and drove him away. I hurt Tom and he left me. My mate left me!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. " What am I going to do Kes? I didn't want to hurt him, I didn't want to drive him away. But I was afraid of my feelings, and now he's gone. I'm alone again." Kes reached out and pulled B'Elanna into a hug. " You're not alone B'Elanna. You have friends here. And Tom isn't gone, he's asleep in his quarters. I left him there myself. That's where you need to go too. You need to rest, and in the morning, I think you need to have a long talk with Tom." " Do you think he'll want to talk to me Kes?" B'Elanna moaned. " I don't. Not after I lost my temper and hit him and hollered at him like that." Kes hugged B'Elanna tight for a moment, then pushed her to arms length to stare in her eyes. " B'Elanna, I know Tom wants to talk to you. He was frantic tonight, wanting to know what he did wrong. He really loves you, and he really wanted to complete the Mating Oath with you. I think if you talk to him, and tell him what happened, just like you did me, he'll understand. Besides, it just won't do to be going around calling him your mate, without telling him first, now would it?" she finished with a little laugh. " No, I don't suppose it would." B'Elanna chuckled. She hugged Kes tight and whispered in her ear, " Kes, do me one favor?" " What?" " Help me to my quarters. Whatever that stuff was the Delaneys poured down me has got me so drunk, that I can't even see straight." she smiled. " Of course I'll help you. And don't worry, I won't steal your mate. Just remember he's also my friend, and as for him not wanting to speak to you after losing your temper, I think Tom has gotten used to that by now, don't you?" " I guess he has had plenty of experience with that, hasn't he?" B'Elanna chortled. " Oh, yes indeed." Kes laughed back, as the lift halted. " He most certainly has." Arm in arm the two friends exited the turbolift, almost running down Harry Kim in the process. " Kes, B'Elanna... I've been looking for you. I mean I've been looking for B'Elanna." Harry said. " Well, I'd say you found me." B'Elanna replied. " Now what is it that you want? I'm still not sure if I forgive you for locking me in the holodeck yet." she concluded with a growl, glaring at the startled young Ensign. " But... but B'Elanna... I was just..." Harry stammered, looking at the floor and going slightly pale. " I mean, you and Tom... and our friendship... I... Oh, I don't know what I mean." Kes made a funny choking sound, trying as hard as possible not to laugh at Harry as he stuttered and stumbled over his words. B'Elanna turned her glare on Kes, who responded by slapping a hand over her mouth and staring at the ceiling, shaking with silent laughter. The Ocampa's actions caused B'Elanna to lose her composure completely, and she exploded into gales of laughter. Harry looked up, confused, as Kes let her laughter out to join B'Elanna's. " What are you two laughing at? I don't think that me trying to apologize is so funny." Harry pouted. " As a matter of fact, I don't think I should be apologizing at all. Well, not for locking you in the holodeck anyway." Kes stopped laughing and looked closely at Harry when he said that. * I hope he doesn't say what I think he's going to. B'Elanna isn't in that good of a mood right now and if he does..." Her thought was cut off as Harry confirmed her worst fears by continuing. " If I have to apologize, it should be for coming in to the holodeck and interrupting you two. Honestly, if I had known that you were performing the Mating Oath I would never have interr-" Too late he saw Kes moving her hand across her throat in a signal for him to be quiet. As he looked at her with dawning comprehension, he found himself flying backward into the bulkhead. When the stars cleared from his eyes, all he could see was B'Elanna's face, nose to nose with him and snarling. " Don't you dare breathe a word about that to anyone, Harry Kim." she said through gritted teeth. " If I find out that anyone knows what I almost did with Tom, I'll tear your lungs out. Don't you even think of bringing it up again. And don't ever try and pull another stunt like that with me." she finished, slamming him into the wall again and releasing him. Turning back to Kes, she said in a calm voice. " Thanks for the help Kes. I can make it back from here." then turned and walked down the corridor. Kes and Harry watched silently as she turned the corner, and they heard her door hiss open. " Well, Harry, that wasn't the brightest of things to say to her." Kes said, holding her hand out to him to help him up. Taking her hand and levering himself to his feet he replied " No, I guess it wasn't. But I had to say something. Besides, she seemed fine until I mentioned the Oath." he finished, rubbing the back of his head and wincing. " Let me see that." Kes said, turning him around and checking his head. " You'd better come with me, and we'll check that out. It looks like your going to end up with a nasty bruise if we don't do something about it." she said, taking his hand and dragging him back to the lift. " Kes, I really don't want to go to Sickbay." Harry replied. " I'd rather not have to explain what happened." " We're not going to Sickbay, Harry." Kes grinned back at him. " You're coming to my quarters, and I'll check you with the medkit I have there." * And with any luck, we'll do a little more than just check that head.* she thought to herself, causing a slight flush to run up her neck. Harry didn't reply, noting her blush and wondering what caused it, as she led him away and signaled for her deck. ****************************************************************************** " The time is zero-six-forty-five. The time is zero-six-forty-five..." " Oh for ... Shut up! I'm up already!" Tom Paris shouted, rolling out of his bed and sitting up. "Computer lights to fifty percent." As the computer complied and the lights came up, Tom stretched and threw his arms back, then winced as he felt sudden pain in his right shoulder. " What the...?" he began, then looked down at his shoulder and remembered the night before. A smile crept across his lips as he remembered B'Elanna tearing his uniform down, off his shoulder and biting deep into him. " That's the second time she's bitten me." he thought out loud, as he stood to make his way to the shower. " She must really care..." Then he stopped and recalled the rest of what had happened the previous night. " Oh Hell! I have got to talk to that woman. How she manages to make my head spin and still enjoy her company is beyond me." * Because you love her, idiot.* came a little voice in his mind. * You love her more than life itself. You've finally admitted it. Now...* " Now I have to convince her of it." Tom finished out loud. He moved into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and proceeded to brush his teeth while thinking about how to convince B'Elanna he really meant what he had said the previous evening. * I certainly don't think I should initiate the Oath again. That ended in disaster. I need to get her alone, in a quiet place, where I can look in her eyes, and let her see just what she means to me.* Finished brushing his teeth, he smiled to his image * That's exactly what to do!* With that happy thought he stripped off his briefs and climbed into the shower. As the hot water began to pelt against his back he proceeded to plan out the day. * I'll meet Harry and B'Elanna for breakfast, act normal. Invite B'Elanna to Sandrine's, or maybe just out for dinner, or rock climbing. Then make sure Harry doesn't show, and interrupt us again.* he grinned to himself. The thought of what Harry had interrupted filled his mind as he worked the soap into a lather on his chest. The remembered feeling of B'Elanna's lips on his, her skin so smooth and hot under his fingers, once he had removed *Get it right, torn off!*, her uniform top. The taste of her mouth, her flesh, and her blood was driving him crazy. * Gods, I want her so badly! I have got to get her to understand, though. Once I have her, I'll never be able to let her go.* " The time is zero-seven-thirty..." came the voice of the computer, interrupting his thoughts. " Blast it!" he said to himself. " Get a grip, Tommy boy, or you'll never make it to the mess hall." He quickly rinsed off, dried off, and proceeded to get dressed. " Got to hurry," he said, as he pulled his boots on and rushed out the door. " Can't be late." ****************************************************************************** At that moment, the object of his affections and planning was not in a happy mood. She had overslept, *Right through the blasted alarm!*, and when she finally had woken, she new she would never make it to the mess hall in time to meet Tom and Harry. Not that she was sure she wanted to see them just then, she wasn't sure how, but she was positive that it was their fault that she felt the way she did. Her mouth felt like a tribble had taken up residence there overnight, and her head was throbbing like a maladjusted warp core ready to breach containment. As she sat up, she reached down to the bed and grabbed two handfuls of sheets to keep the room from spinning. " Computer, lights." she ordered without thinking what full illumination might do to her. As the lights came up daggers of pain shot through her eyes. " *Hu'tegh!*" she groaned, "Reduce illumination sixty percent. As the lights dimmed, so did the pain in her eyes, though the throbbing in her head had more than doubled to make up for that little bit of relief. " What did those Delaneys give me?" she moaned to herself. " I haven't felt this bad since..." she stopped, not sure if she had ever felt this bad. * How about after the Vidians ripped you apart and the Doc reassembled you?* came a little voice. Rising from bed, she walked to her bathroom, pulled the basin from the wall, and proceeded to splash cold water on her face. Looking up, she noticed that her eyes were clear. * That's one blessing to being half-Klingon.* she thought, starting to brush her teeth. * At least I don't end up with bloodshot eyes.* Climbing into the shower, she mentally ran down her list of things to do for the day. " Check the Gamma shift logs. Make sure the transporter buffers were properly realigned by the Beta shift work crews. Schedule any leftover work from Gamma. Get Tom alone and finish what we started last night." she grinned to herself over the last. The thought of cornering the tall, cocky, ever so handsome pilot, and biting him, resealing her claim, sent a wave of warmth running through her body. She could still taste his blood, even after all the 'Scotch?' she had drunk, and brushing her teeth. Likewise his scent, she couldn't get it out of her nose. * Not that I want to!* * Stop it Torres!* she reprimanded herself. * Get your mind back on getting yourself ready, or you'll miss not only breakfast, but the staff meeting too.* Rinsing the last of the soap from her body she stepped out and grabbing a towel, dried herself off. " How in Kahless' name am I going to get Tom alone to talk to him?" she wondered. " After last night, I wouldn't blame him for running screaming from me, or taking a swing at me first." The thought of that last really got her blood singing. As she began to pull on her clothes, she saw in her mind's eye Tom attacking her, and the resulting wrestling match that lead to their clothes being torn off, and her getting another chance to taste his blood, to feel him touching her... " STOP IT!" she hollered to herself. " Get a grip Torres! First get through the ship's business day, then dream about playing with Tom Paris!" With that last thought leaving a feral smile on her lips, she pulled on her boots and strode out the door. ***************************************************************************** Tom rushed into the mess hall, grabbing a tray and looking around for B'Elanna. Not seeing her, he accepted a ladle full of whatever white and red concoction Neelix was serving up, and grabbed a mug of the latest try at a coffee substitute. Still looking around, he headed for their regular table, which was already occupied by Harry. " Morning Tom." Harry smiled at him. " How'd you sleep?" " Fine. How's Neelix's whatever it is, this morning?" Tom replied sitting down facing the door. " If you don't mind no taste at all, it's not bad. Definitely an improvement on leola flavored eggs." " Uh huh." Tom looked closely at Harry. There was something a little odd about him this morning, but he couldn't put a finger on it. " Tom," Harry began, worried that the pilot's silence might have had something to do with the previous night. " I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for interrupting the two of you last night. I mean I'm really sorry." " Yeah, well don't worry about it Harry. I talked to B'Elanna some more last night and-" " Was that before or after Kes helped her to her quarters?" " Before- WHAT? Why did Kes help B'Elanna to her quarters? And where is she? She's never this late. She's going to miss breakfast." " Well, Kes told me that B'Elanna had had a little too much to drink, and she helped her to her quarters." " You mean B'Elanna went to Sandrine's last night?" Tom asked. " No. I really don't think I should say any more Tom." Harry reluctantly replied. Flushing with anger Tom asked in a low voice " And just why should you not tell me anymore? Just where was B'Elanna coming from?" " Tom, B'Elanna threatened to tear my lungs out if I told you anything." Harry hissed. " I can't. You'll just have to ask her yourself." he set his mug down. Standing and grabbing his tray he continued. " Now, I've apologized, and I've got to meet Kes before going on shift. You'd better hurry too. You don't want to be late for the staff meeting." Without another word Harry turned and headed for the door. Unable to continue eating, Tom sipped his coffee substitute. After waiting ten minutes, he gave up on B'Elanna ever showing, and headed for the door himself. Depositing his tray, he almost ran Meaghan Delaney down. Quickly reaching out, he grabbed the startled woman's arms and pulled her upright. " Thanks Tom." Meaghan started. Then her eyes widened, and hear face went pale. " Tom! I... You, you... let go of me!" she squeaked, shaking off his arms and running for the door. " I had nothing to do with that! I didn't! I didn't go near him!" she kept repeating to anyone who would listen as she ran out the door. " That was odd." cams Neelix's voice from behind Tom. " She didn't even have any breakfast." Tom just shook his head and walked to the lift, heading for the bridge conference room for the staff meeting. At that moment in time, B'Elanna was already in the conference room, having arrived early and used the replicator to get two cups of coffee. Taking both mugs, she rang the chime at the door to the Captain's ready room. " Enter." came the Captain's voice from beyond the door. B'Elanna walked in as the doors opened. * Good. She's alone.* " Morning Captain." she began, walking to the desk. " Can I interest you in a cup of real coffee?" she asked, setting one cup on the Captain's desk. " You most certainly can." Kathryn Janeway replied, silently wondering to herself about exactly what it was that B'Elanna wanted to see her about. * She's never here this early. She usually stays in the mess hall with Tom, or Tom and Harry, until just before the meeting. I hope nothing happened between her and Tom.* " So B'Elanna, what brings you here this morning. Not that I don't appreciate the company, and the coffee, but it is a little odd. Something wrong?" B'Elanna thought for a moment. " Not wrong exactly, Captain. But then not really right either. I... Oh, permission to speak freely Captain?" she finished in a rush. * Definitely odd. She always speaks her mind. I wonder what has got her so riled.* " Of course, B'Elanna. Let's treat this as just two girls having a chat. I haven't indulged in 'girl talk' in a long while." she smiled. " Ok, Captain." " Kathryn." " Right. Well...Kathryn, I need a small favor from you." " And just what might that be, B'Elanna?" Kathryn inquired, getting into this 'girl talk'. " Does it have anything to do with a certain... What was that term the female Q used? Ah. A certain 'Helmboy' now would it?" " Well, actually, yes. I need you to keep him on shift for, oh about an hour longer than normal today." B'Elanna said, looking at her hands. * Interesting.* " And why would you want me to do that B'Elanna? You cooking up some sort of joke for him? I thought the two of you had declared a moratorium on practical jokes?" " Oh, no Cap- Kathryn. Nothing like that. I just... I did something last night, and I think I hurt his feelings. I want to do something to make it up to him." * Not the entire truth, but not a lie, either.* " Oh. Well, I don't suppose it would hurt this once. All right B'Elanna, one hour it is. Please let me know how you're surprise turns out won't you? Now, I think we need to get to our meeting." Kathryn finished, donning her 'Captain' face, and heading for the door. " Yes. I will, thank you." B'Elanna said, following her into the conference lounge. She looked around, noting that all the senior staff was there with one exception. Lt. Paris had yet to show up. As she took her seat a momentary flash of panic tore through her. *Kes said Tom was all right, but where was he? Why would he be late? Why-* her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, and Tom hurrying in. He seemed mildly upset, until his eyes fell on her, then his face went through an interesting series of expressions. First relief, then joy, then complete neutrality flashed across his expressive features. B'Elanna sighed to herself as the 'Paris mask' settled in place. She absolutely hated that studied expression of nonchalance he presented to the world when he didn't want anyone to know what he was feeling. She knew that under it was a deeply passionate man, the man she had fallen in love with, she admitted to herself, who hated to let others know he felt anything but the shallowest of emotions. He used his devastating charm and ready wit to hold others at bay when he wore the mask, but she knew it was a front. She had gotten to know him well enough as a friend to see past the mask normally, but this morning she couldn't, and it bothered her more than she wanted to admit. In fact, if she was truly honest with herself, it hurt terribly to think that he might have been hiding his feelings from her. She covered that fact, that hurt, behind her own mask, as she schooled her features into her 'Klingon business' mode. Harry Kim looked from one of his best friends to the other, and groaned inwardly. * I don't believe this! After everything that went on last night, those two are still pretending to not care. And neither one will admit that they do care for each other, or that the others apparent lack of interest is killing them! Maybe I should...No.* he thought, remembering the long talk he had had with Kes following last night's disaster. * Best to leave it alone. Kes is right, they both know what they should do, and they'll do it, in their own good time. Besides if B'Elanna puts me in Sickbay, I may miss my date with Kes tonight.* This last thought put a smile on his face as the Captain opened the meeting. A smile which lasted throughout the entire shift. It had been an uneventful shift for Tom Paris. No enemy attacks, no unexplainable stellar events, just fly in a straight line. The only thing to break the monotony was his lunch break, taken with Harry, B'Elanna nowhere to be found. Joe Carey said something about her being in the middle of replacing the secondary helm control runs or something like that when Tom had cornered him at lunch. Now, with the shift over, Tom was looking forward to going to Sandrine's and waiting for B'Elanna to show up for their regular game of pool. Except he had no intention of playing pool with her tonight. He planned to take her to a corner table, and talk to her about the previous evening. He was just finishing up briefing Ensign Batehart, when the Captain spoke "Mr. Paris?" " Ma'am?" he replied. " I'd like to see you in my ready room." she said, walking to the door and waiting for him. * Now what did I do?* Tom wondered silently, moving to join the Captain. * What could she want me for now?* He went in and stood in front of her desk, expecting her to take a seat in her chair. " Tom, relax." came Kathryn's voice from behind him. " I just wanted to talk to you. Come sit down." Tom looked and saw that she was sitting on her couch, and waving her hand to a place next to her. Befuddled, Tom walked over and sat next to her. " Captain? You'll forgive me if I seem a bit confused, but what is it you wanted to see me about? I've been trying to remember not to call you 'Ma'am', but it's an old habit from growing up around Starfleet brass." " It's nothing like that, Tom. I was just wondering how you were feeling lately." Kathryn said, unable to resist feeling a bit motherly toward her young protégé. " I noticed that you haven't been your usual, quick witted self all day today. And I wanted to know if anything was wrong." * And just what happened between you and B'Elanna.* she silently added. " Nothing is wrong, Captain." Tom lied. " I was just concentrating on doing my job in a correct Starfleet manner." * Yeah, like she'll believe that one.* Janeway looked at him and chuckled slightly. " Thomas Eugene Paris, the day you do anything in an 'orderly Starfleet manner', is the day Neelix admits that leola root really does taste horrible." Seeing that Tom hadn't hidden behind his mask yet, she decided to pursue this course of questioning. She really wanted to know just what was going on between Tom and B'Elanna. Privately, she had high hopes for the two becoming romantically involved with each other. " Now tell me what is bothering you." Chagrined at her insight, Tom shook his head ruefully. " Is it that obvious?" he asked. Janeway looked at him and sighed, " I'm afraid it is Tom. No witty remarks on shift, no baiting Chakotay, you didn't even call me ma'am all day." " You know, I used to be a lot better at hiding my feelings. Once upon a time not so long ago, you never would have had an idea what I was thinking. I guess that shows what an effect she has on me..." he sighed wistfully, looking out the view port at the stars. " She? Let me guess, B'Elanna." " Have I really become that obvious Captain? Does everyone on Voyager know how I feel? And who I feel it about?" The possibility shocked and frightened Tom. For the majority of his life he had hidden his feelings away from the world. Buried them deep behind surface layers of nonchalance, screens of humor, and shields of distance. No one was allowed to see the real Tom, to know what went on deep down at the core of his being. To let someone in was to invite pain, and humiliation. Never show them where it hurts, because then they can really harm you. Keep them at a distance, and maintain control. Then you're not hurt, just lonely. But lately, since he had come aboard Voyager, the shields and screens had slowly come down. Not all at once, and not to everyone certainly, but to some of his crew mates, his friends, the true Tom had emerged. Kathryn Janeway's thoughts ran along these lines. She felt privileged to be one of the select few that had been allowed to see the true Tom Paris. And she liked what she had seen. * Like a rose, coming back to life after a long winter, so much joy and energy, hidden deep amongst the thorns. He's just coming into the prime of his life, I hope nothing happens to drive him back.* " No Tom. Everyone doesn't know. Sure, a lot of the crew see you two sniping at each other, and some of them remember the old sayings about 'only teasing the ones you care about'. But most of the crew just thinks you two are friends. You're going to find that some of us, those who really know you, can see the difference. I know I can. Harry can too, I'm sure, Kes, Neelix, maybe Chakotay and the Doctor. I think that's about it though." " That's plenty, Captain. I don't think I really like the fact that so many people can see what I feel though." Tom said in a small voice. " Besides, I don't really know if B'Elanna returns the feelings." " And what are your feelings for her Tom? Are you sure of what you feel for her? Because as a friend, a friend to both of you, I have to tell you, fooling with her emotions is a dangerous business. If you aren't serious about B'Elanna, then you had best back off now. Otherwise, I'm probably going to need either a new helmsman or a new chief engineer. Because one or the other of you is liable to end up in Sickbay, or worse." " I am serious Captain. I never realized just how serious until she walked away from me last night. I thought I was going to lose her." Tom's voice was near breaking as he related the events of the previous night. * Good God above, he is serious. To start the Oath...and then have her walk away.* Kathryn's heart ached for her two young officers. Out here in the Delta quadrant, far from home, she felt more responsible for her crew's emotional well being than she would normally. And Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres held special places in her heart. " Tom, I think that you two had a misunderstanding. I may be sticking my nose in where it is not wanted, but I have just a little advice. From a woman's point of view, you need to be completely honest and open with B'Elanna. No humor, no teasing, no hiding behind words. Tell her again, exactly like you did in the turbolift, and let her see your love shining in your eyes. That's all I can think to offer you." Tom was touched by the caring he saw in her eyes, and heard in her words. Perhaps all the shielding around his emotions really was no longer needed. "Thank you Captain. It means more to me than you know to have someone that I respect to talk to like this. I... Thank you." he said, standing, then suddenly leaning over to kiss her cheek. " My mother was the last person to talk with me that way." he murmured quietly, turning and walking to the door. Putting her hand to her cheek, Kathryn Janeway watched him as he left. Then she tapped her combadge. " Janeway to Torres." " Yes, Captain?" came the reply. " He's on his way B'Elanna. And B'Elanna?" " Yes?" " Be nice." * Or I may have to get both a new helmsman and a new engineer.* " Thank you, Captain. I was planning to. Torres out." *************** Tom strode out of the Captain's ready room, and headed for the turbolift. Harry was already gone from his station, and had probably finished dinner already. He decided to just head back to his quarters, replicate something light, then try to catch B'Elanna in Sandrine's. All the way back to his quarters, he thought about what the Captain had said to him. He wasn't sure how he could make his feelings any plainer to B'Elanna, but he knew that he hadn't spoken them under the best of conditions. Keying in the code to open his door, he decided that all he could do was to try again, without any distractions. As the doors slid open, and he entered, he halted. He had been about to call for the lights, when he noticed a patch of light coming from the small area set aside for dining. As he stepped further into his quarters and the doors closed, he realized that the glow was coming from candles set on the table. His curiosity aroused, he walked to the table and saw it was set for two. The plates were white, with a silver metal band running around the rim, plain but elegant. The crystal had three sweeping lines cut into it, wrapping from the bottom of the glass to the rim. A silver ice bucket held a bottle, which upon inspection contained a sweet champagne. Another bottle, this one on the table and opened, contained a wine that the label called Shiraz from Australia on Earth. A steaming tureen sat in the middle of the table. When he raised the lid, he found it contained plain tomato soup. He heard soft footsteps approach from behind him. He froze, not wanting to turn around for fear that the one he dreamed about would not be there. " Tom." came her voice. " I..." He turned, and beheld her. B'Elanna had on a pair of black pants, and a white silk blouse. Her hair fell around her shoulders, in the style he always enjoyed seeing, the same style she wore all the time. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld. " B'Elanna, you..." Tom hesitated, once again not wanting to rush into anything. Then he remembered the Captain and Kes, both telling him to be honest, to take the risk. " B'Elanna," he began again " This is wonderful, thank you. You look beautiful." B'Elanna blushed slightly, almost shrugging off his compliment, then said softly "Thank you. I know these are your quarters, but, shall we sit? It took forever to get the replicator to give me plain tomato soup, I'd hate for it to get cold." " Yes, let's. I haven't eaten anything this evening. I got held up with the Captain." he replied, waiting for B'Elanna to sit, then sliding her chair in before taking his own. " Wine, or champagne?" he asked as B'Elanna ladled the soup into their bowls. " Wine please, the champagne is for dessert." B'Elanna said, a small smile playing about her lips. As Tom poured the wine, she looked at him. " Tom, about last night, I need to tell you something, and I don't want you to interrupt me." " All right, B'Elanna. I have something I want to tell you also, and the same condition applies. You go first, you made the meal." Taking a deep breath, B'Elanna looked into Tom's eyes. " I thought a lot about what happened last night. In fact, to tell the truth, I haven't thought about much else. I'm sorry about running away from you. I wasn't really ready for... No that's not true, I wanted to complete the Oath with you. I was just scared. I was so frightened by how much I was feeling, and I couldn't believe that you could possibly feel the same for me, and I ran. When you followed me, I was still trying to run, to run from the chance of being hurt. I let someone close before, and he really hurt me. And you were even closer, and I was just afraid of being hurt again. It wasn't the physical part, that didn't bother me, I've used a fair number of men before now, but I didn't want to be with you that way. I knew you wanted more, and when you started the Oath, I panicked. I tried to drive you away, and I'm so sorry for that. I really do want you. I want us." B'Elanna broke off as she fought back tears. " I'm sorry." Tom reached across the table and took her left hand in his right. He squeezed tightly, then began to run his thumb over the back of her hand. " I understand B'Elanna. I really do. I know what it's like to hurt that way. After Caldik Prime, well, let's just say that everyone I knew gave up on me. I didn't mean to frighten you. I really hadn't meant to start the Oath, but when you walked away, it was all I could think of to stop you. And once I'd started, I realized that I really did want to say it with you. I meant it when I called you *tIqwIj*, you are my Beloved, you hold my heart in your hand." He felt her squeeze his hand, and looked up. The tears that had threatened were gone from her eyes, and a bright smile had lit her face. " So, Tom. You meant it when you called me that did you?" she asked, her voice husky. She stood and pulled him out of his chair. " Every word I said, I meant." " And you claim to understand all the implications of every word too, I suppose?" she asked, taking back her left hand and picking up her wine glass with her right. She looked at him over the rim as she drained the entire glass in one long swallow. Tom saw a change come over her face as she asked the last question. Her breathing seemed to shallow out and become more rapid, and her deep chocolate brown eyes seemed to darken almost to the black of space, and pull in all the light. Unable to draw his gaze away from her eyes, he replied softly but firmly. " I most certainly do." As the words left his mouth, he became aware that B'Elanna no longer held her wine glass. He wasn't sure what happened to it until he heard it shatter, and felt shards crease the left side of his neck, causing a thin line of blood to trickle down towards his collar. "B'Elanna!" he exclaimed, as she reached for her soup bowl. He watched in amazement as she emptied it back into the tureen, then sent it sailing toward his head. It was followed by her plate, then the bottle of wine. As he dodged the wine bottle, he was hit by something far larger, but far softer. B'Elanna tackled Tom to the ground, and immediately sought his lips with her own. Lips parted as the kiss became frenzied, and tongues waged heated battle with each other. Tom was reminded of the last time he had been in this position, and was preparing to roll them over, to take control as she seemed to have wanted him to do on Sikari IV, when B'Elanna broke the kiss, and lunging her head to the side, bit him hard on the cheek. The sharp sting goaded Tom in his efforts to roll them, and he kicked his left leg over her back, twisting until he lay full length on her heaving body. He bent his head down to hers, and kissed her long and hard. A short time later, as they lay in ewach others arms B'Elanna noticed a deep purple bruise on his shoulder. " Tom?" she whispered. " Hmm?" " Why didn't you have that bite healed?" He raised his head and looked into her eyes. " Because, if you had decided that you really didn't want to continue this relationship after last night, I wanted something to remind me of just how close I had come to having my fantasy come true." he replied, bending down to capture her lips again. B'Elanna put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. " And just what fantasy was that?" she asked softly. " This one." Tom answered. " The one that just came true. You and I, together. I have dreamt of it ever since I saw you on the Ocampa homeworld." He kissed her gently, as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him down to her. " Oh...Tom." she murmured as their lips met. " You realize your are mine now, don't you Tom?" she whispered softly. " I've claimed you three times." " And you are mine B'Elanna. You're everything I've ever wanted, and now I have you." he replied softly, pulling her close and ordering the lights out, leaving him to enjoy the play of light from the stars passing by the viewport the only illumination. B'Elanna lay with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Her right hand was idly playing with the hair on his chest, but her brow was furrowed as if in deep thought. Slowly she reached up to where she had marked him and with her index finger collected a few drops of the still moist blood her teeth had drawn. Then she repeated the process, adding her own blood to his from the mating bite he had given her. She stared silently for a moment at her finger, at the mixture of red and pink blood. " Tom?" she said rising onto her left elbow and staring down at him. She was startled to realize that he had been awake the whole time. She had been sure from his slow steady breathing that he had dozed off. " Yes, *tIqwIj*?" he replied, his eyes flicking from hers to her fingertip. She locked her gaze with his. "*'Iwmaj.*" she whispered, licking the blood from her finger. "*'Iwmaj, qanay loDnalwI'.*