Tommy's TaleDisclaimers: As usual we bow down to Paramount. Then we write.Premise: This is in response to the loony archivist challenge.  This takes place right after Tom and B'Elanna left Harry and Seven in the mess hall.  Better yet the episode "One".Rating: GJune98                                                             Tommy's Tale     B'Elanna Torres kept glancing at Tom Paris as they walked down the corridor to his quarters.  She was curious to know why he escaped from stasis four times while traveling through the deadly nebula.  He only went into minor details while in the mess hall having dinner with Harry and Seven.  This only made B'Elanna more intent on finding out why he was claustrophobic and why he never told her about it.     Tom finally stopped in the corridor and folded his arms across his chest.          "Okay B'Elanna"  Tom began. "What do you want to know."B'Elanna stopped and turned around to see Tom just standing there, looking at her.           "What makes you think I want to know something?"  She replied with a mock tone.           "Ever since we've left the mess hall, you have been staring at me."  Tom answered walking towards her. "You want to know something, just ask."          "Okay."  B'Elanna said. "Are you claustrophobic and why didn't you tell me about it?"          "Oh....I see what this is about."  Tom laughed. "You think I'm keeping secrets from you."          "I didn't say you were."  She retorted back. "I just never imagined you having a fear of small tight places. That's all."     A smile crossed Tom's face as he stepped closer to B'Elanna and put his arms around her.          "Okay Torres. I will tell you about my big secret if you will spring for dessert."          "Deal."  She replied and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.           "That was easy."  Tom said following her.           "But I'm not."  She tossed back over her shoulder.          "Your telling me."  He murmured under his breath.     Tom and B'Elanna sat on his couch, facing each other with a huge bowl of strawberries and chocolate dip between them.          "Okay, spill your secret."  She grinned biting into a strawberry. "I'm listening."          "It is not a secret B'Elanna."  Tom whined. "I just don't talk about it."          "Set me straight then."  She said dipping her finger into the chocolate dip.     Tom took a deep breath and began talking. "I was about five or six years old at the time, wasn't afraid of much when I was young. I would go out on these adventures with my stuffed bear."  He laughed at the memory, "Major Bear and I were top pilots with the Federation and we would test new personal crafts. Only the best were allowed to fly and Major Bear and I were the best."          "I bet you were a cutie."  She laughed at the mental picture of a little Tommy and his bear.           "You have no idea."  Tom laughed and continued. "Well...Major Bear and I crashed on the Mars surface and we were being chased by some angry farmers. Needless to say they were not happy with our crash landing. So we hauled butt and took refuge in the first place we could find. It looked like a safe place to hide, so we went into this little tunnel. It was a small one, even I had to bend over in order to walk in it. I went in a ways, so that if you looked in, you wouldn't be able to see me. I sat down with Major Bear and we waited for the angry farmers to leave. We talked about the huge party that we would attend for the heroes welcome home."   Tom's blue eyes grew dim, "Suddenly the tunnel began to collapse, dirt and rocks began to hit me and Major Bear. After it was all over with, we were covered in dirt and rocks and there was no light. The entrance was closed up and we were trapped. I wasn't too scared at first, but something ran down my forehead and was warm."  Tom sighed. "I panicked. I began yelling and screaming and digging my way out. Major Bear was no help. Once I got through the rubble, I began crying when I saw the blood that had soaked into my shirt. I was scared to death. Ever since that day, I've been scared of being inclosed in a small space. I'm afraid I will never get out alive."          "That is why you escaped from stasis four times during that month."  She said understanding the fear. "You were afraid that you would never get out alive."          "And here you thought I was fearless."  He said with a laugh.           "You didn't have your teddy bear with you."  She smiled gently.          "Major Bear sort of lost his stuffing a few years later."  Tom laughed popping a strawberry in his mouth.          "Hanging around with you I can see why."  B'Elanna said dryly. "So who were the angry farmers?"          "My sisters."  Tom smiled sheepishly. "I took their swimming tops and used them to haul rocks to build my fort. They saw me with their swimming tops and began chasing me."     B'Elanna began laughing harder and tears filled her eyes. Her breathing started to come in gasps. "Oh....*gasp*.....I would have loved to see this. Tommy Paris and his bear terrorizing his sisters!"          "I wasn't that bad."  Tom said seriously. "When they saw me with blood running down my face, they gathered me up and took me back to the house and made over me for the rest of the week."          "I bet you were in the lap of luxury that week and back into trouble the next."  B'Elanna said punching him in the arm.           "Of course."  Tom agreed. "This time we stayed out of closed, dark places."          "I'm sure you found other ways to torment your sisters."  She stated.          "Of course I did."  Tom laughed. "My halo was removeable."        Tom had never seen B'Elanna fall off the couch in a fit of laughter until now. Once again, she amazed him.