Summary - Two months into Tom and B'Elanna's relationship, they have hit a speed bump. A simple date ends with a striking conclusion. Told from Tom's POV. WARNING this story is NC-17. No one under 18 should be reading this story. It contains sex and mild violence. It also is quite introspective and emotional, so if you don't like sentimentalism, you have been warned. Disclaimer - Paramount, and its parent Viacom, own everything Star Trek, I am only borrowing the characters from Voyager. I promise to return them before curfew, without trying to pick their pockets, however this story is mine. Thanks to my beta readers for their help! Thanks to everyone on the list for their inspiring stories. Of course, without Robbie and Roxann's wonderful job of bringing the characters to life, this story would never work. Comments, as always are welcome and desired. What did I say? By Riss mencher@scf.usc.edu I sat in my quarters wondering what I had done wrong this time. I know that bringing up certain subjects with B'Elanna was never a good idea, but I don't even know what I said that was so bad. I'm still in pain from her reaction. I can't believe I let her sucker punch me in the gut. Good thing I had skipped bringing along Neelix's leola root casserole for the picnic! Everything had been going great. Now that we had been seeing each other 'officially' for over two months, we were having a good time. Of course the important detail is that its all in the past tense, since it's over now. It all started out as a simple date in my new holodeck program. "Your going to love this B'Elanna!" I, of course had on my most winning smile "Yeah right. The last time you said that, we ended up in the middle of Klingon battle," B'Elanna said with a scowl that didn't reach her sparkling eyes. "Well," with a pout on my face, "if you don't want to come in, I will just take a stroll though the hills of Griffith Park by myself." "With, or without the smog?" "2300, you can see clear to the ocean, which helps as we watch the sun set into the Pacific while eating a picnic dinner. Though, I must admit, Neelix made the dinner. I used the last of my rations on dessert." Since she didn't seem too happy about going yet, I added with a teasing smile, "something with chocolate!" "Well, I guess I can put up with you for a little while. Plus, I love seeing the lights of the city. Stars are wonderful, but after three years, it would be nice to see the light of a bustling planet. How did you know that I like Griffith Park?" "You said that on your one trip down to coast from San Francisco, you were fascinated by the hills that ring Los Angeles. Once in a while I used to go hiking in those hills, so I thought it would be a good trip." I really didn't want to talk about that, so I tried to hurry things up. "Anyway, are we going in, or not?" I love seeing her smile, and the one she threw at me was beautiful. "Lead on, Flyboy!" That's one thing I have never told her, how much I love that she calls me nicknames. I used to be jealous when she called Harry Starfleet, since it was something I wasn't a part of. Now, I have my own nickname, so I know I am an important part of B'Elanna's life, or so I thought. As we entered the holodeck, even I had to gasp at how beautiful it was. Sometimes I outdo myself when I get focused on a holo-program. The trees were the brilliant green of late winter. The air had the crisp feel of the day after rain, however the warm afternoon sun of February in Southern California had left the ground dry. The clear skies allowed an unimpeded view to the blue Pacific. I would have kept reflecting, but B'Elanna grabbed my arm. "Flyboy, stick to landscapes. This is gorgeous. How did you get the trees so green?" "I programmed the computer to put us the day after a rain-storm. That was how I first saw these hills, and I wanted to recapture that beauty, but I think the computer managed to make it even better then I set out to program. So, Bella, want to go for a hike before dinner?" "Klingons do not have nicknames!" That was my first mistake of the evening, but of course, it would only get worse. "OK, B'Elanna, lets head off to work up an appetite before dinner. Although, I'm open to other suggestions," as I wiggled my eyebrows. She ignored the implications and took off ahead of me. She has a certain way of walking when she is angry, and it almost seemed as if she had taken off with that walk. *Way to go Tom, now you have blown the afternoon...* However, she turned around and wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Well, are you coming, or do I have to eat this mysterious dessert all by myself?" "Don't worry B'Elanna, I'll follow you anywhere" Then she let out one of her all too rare laughs. I thought that I would float up the hills. I raced up to her, grabbed her hand, and took off up the trail. Soon we were running and laughing up the trail. We were so relaxed with each other. I thought that B'Elanna was finally becoming comfortable with the idea of me in her life. I hope so, since I have fallen hopelessly in love with her. I can't tell her that yet, but, every time I look at her, I see us spending the rest of our lives together. I have never really known love, and I don't think she has either, which is what is scaring me out of telling her. I finally have admitted it to myself, but despite her declaration out in the EVA suits, I thought she was scared to admit it to herself. I, of course, have told her I love her, but she has a slight look of disbelief on her face as I say it. I think that she can't believe that anyone could love her, since everyone else in her life, especially her family, has rejected her. "Hey, Tom, what so interesting that you have ignored me for the last five minutes." "What... Oh, I have been thinking about how much I love being with you." "Then how come you are always thinking about other things when we are together." "I'm not thinking about anything but you." "Tom, you have some of the corniest lines I have ever heard." Her smile after that comment was priceless. The only response I could give was to gather her in my arms and show her how much I meant what I said. A few minutes later, we had to come up for air. "Where is that food, before I start devouring you!" "B'Elanna! And you say I have all the corny lines." "I'm hungry, where's this dinner you promised me?" "Well, just around this bend is a perfect view across the basin to the ocean. Our picnic is all set up. The sun will be setting soon. I always love to see the sun setting, watching the sun dip into the ocean. As a little kid I used to wonder why the sun didn't go out after dropping into the ocean." We went around the bend where I had set up our dinner. There was a basket of food, and a blanket to sit on. "Have a seat and we can get started on the food." "Gods Tom, it's beautiful up here. I always thought Los Angeles was a dingy, dirty city, but this is absolutely gorgeous. And this food, how did you teach Neelix how to cook? It actually looks and smells edible!" "I just made a few suggestions and told him we were having a picnic, and..." "You told him we were on a date!" Mistake number two, "I didn't realize it was a secret... Anyway, I didn't tell him, he guessed that I was taking you, since you are the only person besides Harry I spend any time with these days, and there is no way I would be dating Harry." "I thought we had agreed to keep things quiet, right. After those aliens did the experiments we agreed to keep things to ourselves." "B'Elanna, that was over a month ago, plus we have gone out together to Sandrines and the Resort. OK, I'm sorry, I will make a point not to tell anyone." She seemed to calm down a little, but, I think she was still a little angry with me about the slip to Neelix. I don't understand her sometimes. One day we are holding hands in Sandrines, and today she doesn't even want me to answer Neelix's question about if the picnic is for the two of us. At that point, I realized that if I wanted to salvage what was left of the evening, I would have to tread lightly and watch my mouth. However, when have I ever been able to watch my mouth. We sat down on the blanket and started devouring Neelix's food. It could have been leola root for all we cared at that point. We settled into a joking conversation ranging from current happenings in engineering to Captain Janeway. "There is no way that Captain Janeway will ever date anyone on the crew." "Come on B'Elanna, she may be the Captain, but she still is a human being. Now that we have been out here for four years, I think she is beginning to get lonely." "Like you, Tom." "I mean, that as captain, she does not socialize with anyone outside the command crew, and even then rarely. She spends most of her free time either in her quarters or running a program on the holodeck. We are lucky if she comes to the Resort or Sandrines once a week. She deserves to have some fun, since we will be out here for a long time." "So you think she should go out with Chakotay?" "Maybe, I am not sure who. There would be a few problems with Chakotay, especially considering how they barely talked to each other during the entire borg confrontation. If they had a fight while dating, the bridge could become a battle ground. However, if they are in love, a few fights may not be so bad." "Making comparisons, Paris?" "Always trying to find new insights, Torres. But, there is no one who could even hope to compare to you." By now the sun was beginning to set. I put my arm around B'Elanna, glad when she moved even closer so that we could watch the sunset. We stayed that way, with her nestled into my chest, watching the reds and oranges of a spectacular sunset. My hopes started to rise that the evening would not be a total waste. She had not snapped at me in almost an hour, and now she rested comfortably against me. I could have stayed that way all night, just holding B'Elanna in my arms. I thought that B'Elanna was starting to feel to comfortable with me and life in general, until she started to get up. "Where you going, we still have a half hour of holodeck time. I had to trade Harry a promise to attend his next concert, as well as some replicator rations for this time-slot." "Well, the sun is set, and I have an early shift in engineering tomorrow." She always has an early shift, even if she isn't scheduled for one. However, I wasn't about to make that comment. "Can I walk you to your quarters? I still have to replicate dessert for you." My biggest mistake would result from that innocent little phrase. "I guess, since it is on the way to your quarters, but I really do have to get to bed." "Don't worry B'Elanna, I would never keep you from your bed!" She missed my smile saying that I was just joking. I now realize that I was just as careless, since I missed her angry strut at my taking things to far. If I had realized just how upset she was, I would have left things alone, but, hindsight is twenty-twenty. I gathered up the remnants of our dinner and called for the exit. B'Elanna didn't turn around, she just started walking for the turbolift, oblivious to me and the world. "Hey, wait up! What's the big hurry Be?" You would have thought I would have learned not to use a nickname, but 'open mouth, insert foot' seems to have been my favorite mantra around B'Elanna lately. She just turned around and gave me 'The Look!' This time she had the Captain beat in both intensity and effect. I told B'Elanna that I wasn't afraid of her Klingon side, but at that moment I seriously feared for my life! The moment was broken as Ensign Vorik walked by and entered the turbolift along with us. "Good evening Lieutenants." B'Elanna just started at the doors of the turbolift, ignoring both of us. I, on the other hand, tried to make it seem that nothing was wrong. "Hello Ensign. How are you this evening?" Vorik, who often worked with B'Elanna in engineering, immediately recognized her mood. He made no attempt to engage her in conversation, and if it is possible for a Vulcan, he cowered his way towards the opposite side of the turbolift. "I have had a productive evening meditating Lieutenant." As soon as the turbolift reached Vorik's deck, he practically ran from the turbolift. "Guess he is in a hurry" "You think a joke will make everything better. Paris, leave me alone!" "B'Elanna..." I then found myself having a close encounter with the turbolift wall due to the power of B'Elanna's shove. Just before I was hit by the sucker punch, I noticed that rather then anger in her eyes, there was regret and tears. I guess that's why I didn't notice the punch coming, and didn't even make a move to block it. Surprise didn't help to dull the pain thought, as I doubled over in agony, and slumped to the floor. Just before the turbolift reached B'Elanna's stop, I was able to look up, trying to figure out why. I think the punch surprised B'Elanna, since she seemed to have a look of shock on her face as she left the turbolift. It took a lot of willpower to stumble out of the turbolift, and make it to my quarters without either crawling the whole way or throwing up. Well, here I am now, lying on my couch trying to figure out exactly what I did wrong. I feel slightly better physically, the painkillers took the edge off the pain. However, I just want to jump out the nearest airlock. The woman I love just punched me in the gut. What can I do? All the doubts I had after she first said she loved me are spinning back... Doubts, B'Elanna had a look of regret and doubt. Maybe she is feeling the same things I am. She has always used anger to cover for emotion, and I just let her walk away. After all we went through, I just let her walk away. Failed again. The old Paris luck is back. Hey, wait a minute. This is the woman who told me she loved me. The woman, who when given a chance two months ago to change her mind, stood up for those words. The woman who I am hopelessly in love with. Sitting around my quarters, bemoaning my fate is useless. As long as she's mad at me, I might as well go all the way with this. At that thought, I picked myself off the couch and headed out the door for B'Elanna's quarters. On the way, I tried not to loose my nerve, engaged in a mental pep talk. Why is it that B'Elanna is the only woman ever to put fear in my heart, yet I enjoy that fear? As I reached her quarters, my new found courage seemed to disappear. I stood for a moment, listening for the signs of B'Elanna's anger, such as objects hitting the walls. My surprise at hearing muffled, sob-like sounds, caused me to hit the door chime. When there was no response, except for an increase in volume of those strange sounds, I keyed in the private over-ride code I developed to pick Harry's door lock and went in. The quarters were dark, only the light from the viewport preventing total darkness. As I peered into the dimness, the first thing I noticed was the neatness of the quarters. B'Elanna is rigid about having everything in its place in engineering, but she tends to leave things all over her quarters. They appeared to be immaculate today, except for that stray pillow next to the couch. As I walked closer, I realized that the 'pillow' was in fact B'Elanna's sobbing form, curled up in a tight, protective ball. Any anger I had left about our broken date left the second I saw her. I have seen B'Elanna cry before, back when she was split in two by the Vidians. However, that was hardly a couple of tears in comparison to these sobs. For about two seconds, I stood by helpless, unsure of what I could do. Then I wised up. This is the woman I love, crying as if her world just crumbled around her. I knelt down next to her, and gently put my hand on her shoulder. She jerked up, looking at me in surprise, as if she had not known I was in the room. Fear, despair, and something that looked a lot like the look I see in the mirror when I think about B'Elanna, flashed though her eyes. Then, as if she couldn't look me in the face, she looked away. Since I didn't see any anger in her eyes, I pulled her into a hug, trying to offer some comfort for whatever demons seemed to be frightening her and causing such despair. B'Elanna accepted the comfort, burying her head in my chest, continuing the sobs. Much later, her sobs finally stopped. Her breathing evened out, and I realized that she had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, I was in a very uncomfortable position, quite unable to sleep. At first, I didn't want to move, since I might have disturbed her, but then I realized that if I didn't move now, I might not be able to move my legs again. B'Elanna was leaning on me, so I picked her up into my arms, before standing up. I was just going to put her on the couch, but she didn't even stir when I picked her up. I figured that she would be more comfortable in her bed, so I carried her in there and laid her down. I pulled the blanket she had a the bottom of the bed up over her. She looked so peaceful. I just meant to rest a minute on the couch, but I must have fallen asleep. The next thing I remember was the sound of a woman screaming. "No, Daddy don't go. No..." I immediately jumped up and ran to the bedroom. At that moment, B'Elanna must have screamed herself awake, because I ran into the bedroom and saw a fully conscious, angry B'Elanna looking around for something to throw. "B'Elanna, are you all right?" "WHAT are you doing in MY room?" Oh no, she is really going to let me have it. "I came to see you last night, and I heard you crying. I let myself in to try to help," it seemed to be working. B'Elanna was starting to calm down. "You ended up falling asleep, so I put you in bed. I must have fallen asleep on you couch. You had a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?" "NO, I do not want ..." She looked like she was about to cry again. "B'Elanna, you don't have to hide your feelings. I love you and I don't like to see you so unhappy. What's wrong?" "You love me, even after all I've done to you? Even after I hit you last night?" "Be, I love you no matter what, Klingon temper and all. If you didn't get angry at me, I wouldn't know what to do." "If you love me, why do you keep calling me names?" "What? Oh, I called you Be didn't I? I'm sorry B'Elanna. I don't say it to be mean. I call you that because I love you, and because I think that you would really be angry if I called you honey!" I got a little smile on that one. "If you ever call me honey, it will be a short trip out the nearest airlock." "So, B'Elanna, are you all right?" She looked at me for a while. It was as if she was trying to figure out something, come to a decision. The fear I saw before was back, but so was the love. She looked exactly like when she is having an internal battle between her two halves I wondered what they were fighting about, but I knew B'Elanna well enough to know that I had pushed her enough. If I asked again, it would only serve to make her angry. Finally she seemed to have made a decision. "Do you really want to know? Do you really care?" "B'Elanna, I want to know everything about you, good and bad. I want to know how to make you happy, how to cheer you up after a bad day. Even how to deal with being the focus of your temper. I love you. I fell in love with you before Sakari and it has only grown since. I will do anything to make you happy, even if that means that you want me to leave you alone. I want to be with you forever, but the choice is yours. Please talk to me." "I thought you didn't like me. You called me names, just like the kids at home, like the 'fleeters, like my father." I sat down on the bed and pulled her into my arms. "I'm sorry B'Elanna. I didn't mean to hurt you." "Last night I was afraid you were going to leave me. You were acting like my father did before he left. He used to call me Little Bee. When I was little, I loved hearing that name. I would come running to see him every time he said it. When I was five, we when for a picnic. I had hoped that things were better. My parents had been fighting a lot, and I just wanted us to be happy." Tears started to fall, but B'Elanna was too engrossed in the memories to notice. "We walked down the trail. I ran ahead, and he chased after me, calling me Little Bee. We had a wonderful day together. That night, he tucked me into bed, and kissed me goodnight. The next day he left, and I never saw or heard from him again." "I'm sorry. If I had known, I would never have taken you into that program." "The day was fine, but as we sat there I started to remember that day with my father. I can't believe I'm crying, for the third time since I was five years old. Tom Paris, you seem to have a way of making me cry." "No, I'm here to comfort you when you are having a bad day. I want to listen to your stories. You need to tell them to someone, just as I sometimes need someone to listen to me. I want to know about your past. Please let me in." "It's so hard." "I know. I have a few stories of my own which I will need to tell someday." "I don't even know where to start." "How about I tell you a story first. What do you want to know about?" "Harry told me that you didn't know why you lied at Caldik Prime, is that really true?" "You go right for the gut, don't you." "Nothing but the difficult stuff for my man." As she pulled me closer, I leaned down and gently touched her lips with mine. I placed all my love behind that kiss, and it felt like she did the same. We both drew strength from that kiss, knowing just how much we cared and loved one another. I certainly needed to feel that she was there to hold me in her arms, since she was asking me to talk about the darkest days of my life. It was a few minutes before we came up for air, and I was able to begin my story. How a few words, spoken from the heart, can change everything. Before, I thought B'Elanna would never speak with me again. Now, we are snuggled together on her bed, telling scary, true stories of our past. Sharing ourselves in the most intimate way possible, not our bodies, but laying open our souls. "When I told Harry that I didn't know, it was the truth. It has taken almost all the time I have been on Voyager to figure out the answer to that question. The accident was pilot error. If I had not been talking with Ensign Peter Jones at a critical moment, I could have prevented the accident. If I had told the truth, it would have been put down as a mark on my record, nothing more." "But, I didn't realize that when I first woke up. My first memory is that my father was in the hospital room talking with his aide. At that moment, I realized that if I told the truth about the incident, he would kill me. I didn't realize that I would have only had a slap on the wrist for telling the truth, but even if I had, my record would have been soiled. I could not admit that I had made an error in front of my father. So when the investigators came in, I recounted the events, except that Ensign Jones had been the one to miss the signal, instead of me." "My father smiled at me as he calmly told the investigating team to make sure that the official records reflected the mistake of Ensign Jones. Pete was my friend, and that callous bastard condemned his memory right in front of me. Later I told the truth because I couldn't stand to be like my father, to value success over right and appearance over family. I lied, because even though I hated my father, I needed his acceptance. All I wanted was his love. Now, I realize that even more important is my self respect. I couldn't live with my lie, so I destroyed my career and was disowned by my father for telling the truth. He didn't say the words till my sentencing to New Zealand after I was caught with the Maquis, but the day I disgraced the Paris family name was the last day he spoke to me. I realize that I should have done the right thing from the start. The lie, was my greatest failure." "Tom, you showed courage and honor by telling the truth. You knew that your career was over, yet you followed the right path. You may act like a pig sometimes, but you always do the right thing. You have saved everyone's life on Voyager with your courage, including mine. I would have died with the Vidians in their mines or a million other times if you didn't risk your life for me." As she spoke, B'Elanna was tracing her fingers across my face. When she finished talking, she followed the path of her fingers with light kisses. Her hands started investigating a little lower down my neck and along my chest. My hands moved to B'Elanna's hair, as I captured her mouth with mine. As my hands ran down her back, she began unbuttoning my shirt. As I reached to do the same to her, she whispered in my ear, "relax, this is my gift to you for all that you have done." First, she got rid of the shirt, since it was an encumbrance to her roaming mouth. She kissed her way from my mouth, down my neck, leaving love bites along the way. She didn't bite too hard, since she already had claimed me. At first I was wondering how I could be feeling so much pleasure from just a touch. Then I started to lose all conscious thought because of the wonders that B'Elanna's mouth was working on me. As she kept kissing even lower, my pants got in the way. B'Elanna quickly got rid of that problem as well, necessitating only a shift a weight in my hips to remove them. Good thing to, since by that time I was all but incoherent with pleasure. As her mouth descended and began its pleasurable dance, a moan of ecstasy escaped my lips. That only served to drive her forward, to a faster and even more pleasing experience. She brought me to the edge, and then stopped, not ready to end it quite yet. She kissed her way back up my body, till I could look again at her beautiful brown eyes. My hands, started to roam over her still clothed body, causing moans which matched what her mouth and hands were drawing out of me. I started to slowly remove her clothing, but B'Elanna helped me put a quick end to the task. As she undressed, our eyes were locked together, communicating messages which words could never express. B'Elanna had seen my soul and was now offering a part of herself to me in return. Despite our intense hunger, we took everything slowly, bringing as much pleasure to each other as possible. Hands and mouths moved along each others bodies in gentle and rough caresses. Finally, B'Elanna took me inside her. We waited a moment before beginning a slow rhythm, again enjoying the moment. Our hands continued their explorations as our tongues tangled together in an imitation of our bodies. At last our motions speeded up, bringing us ever closer to ecstasy. One final kiss, then our simultaneous orgasmic cries filled the room. As I recovered from, what must have been the most pleasurable experience of my life, I whispered, "B'Elanna, I love you." She looked at me and seemed to decide to share a little of herself, as I had done. First, she shifted in my arms, so that she could look into my eyes as she spoke. "Tom, my beautiful helmboy, I love you because your courage, your honor, and your acceptance of me. You look at me as B'Elanna, not as some half-breed." "Don't call yourself that. That ugly word does not describe you at all. Why that look? You don't think I'm telling the truth! Is that why you don't like it when I call you Be, or even Bella, which means beautiful?" "As a kid, I was used to the taunts. Almost all the other kids in the colony were human, so even being a Klingon was bad. But to be a mixture was even worse. It didn't matter though. I mean, I hated their taunts and often fought them to stop the ridicule, but their actions were understandable. They were just prejudiced colony kids, far away from the accepting attitudes of the Federation. That's why I wanted to join Starfleet. The Klingons would never accept me into their forces, due to my humanity. My mother tried to make me join anyway. She said that Starfleet was honorless. I defied her and took off for the academy, and she disowned me for that." "At that time, I was against everything Klingon, so I wasn't too disappointed by my mother's actions. When I arrived at the academy, it was not what I expected. I know that Worf had made it through the academy, so I figured I would have an easier time. I was very wrong. The brass at the academy had me marked from day one. It was as if they expected me to fail. Then the top cadets, picked up on the officers' attitudes and started to copy them. I guess they figured that it would help their careers to taunt me. I arrived at the academy thinking it would be a safe haven for me. I could concentrate on my engineering studies, learn to rein in my temper. Quite the opposite happened." "I lost control of my temper and began to lash out at them. This only seemed to egg them on, since now I was the nasty half-br... Klingon, fighting back. After about two years, the academy and I 'mutually agreed to part ways.' In other words, they got their way. I don't even know why they wanted me out so bad. I was left with no where to go. After a few months of bumming around, I found myself in the same bar as Chakotay's Maquis cell. I overheard them talking about their damaged ship, and offered my services to help with repairs. They dragged me outside and questioned me, as if I was spy. I had no idea who they were. I knew about the Maquis, but that was just rumors I had overheard at the academy, but I definitely didn't know who their specific group was. Chakotay decided I was OK and asked if I wanted to join, even though they were a bunch of outlaws. 'I already am an outlaw from two cultures, my family and Starfleet, one more strike will not make any difference.'" "B'Elanna, you are a beautiful, intelligent woman. The brass at the academy made a mistake the day they decided you were not worthy of attending their vaulted institution. You have proved yourself, both in the Maquis and on Voyager. You have become a part of the family here on Voyager, just as I have been accepted. You are not an outlaw, but an integral part of our lives out here in the Delta Quadrant. You have worked miracles with the engines of Voyager, and with my heart." Now it was my turn to comfort her and show her love and belonging. I paused a moment as I was kissing from her beautiful brow ridges to her delicious neck. "We both have found a home in the Delta Quadrant." B'Elanna then whispered in my ear, "we also have found the love we have always desired, together, far away from our past." And then we were lost. Our still naked bodies came together in B'Elanna's bed. I followed the same route that B'Elanna had done with me, but I moved much slower. First, I lavished extensive attention on her right breast, licking and suckling, while my left hand massaged the other. Then I moved on to the other one, reversing the process. By the time I was ready to move lower, B'Elanna was already moaning and writhing around in pleasure. Before moving on I captured her mouth again in a passionate kiss, our mouths imitating what our bodies would be doing only a few minutes later. As I started to move lower, our eyes locked, and I swear I saw B'Elanna's soul through her exquisite brown eyes. At that moment, I realized the depth of her love for me. I no longer had any doubts, we will be together forever. My loving caresses moved even farther down her body, closer to the core of her sexuality. As my hands began to massage her thighs, I finally reached my destination. She parted her legs in an invitation, which I was only to happy to accept. I barely touched her when my passionate assault released her growing pressure with a cry of ecstasy. I didn't let that stop me. I continued my ministrations, reveling in her moans of pleasure. This time I slowed it down a little, allowing her to enjoy every touch, every lick, every kiss for itself, and by her cries, she certainly enjoyed it. Finally the pressure was starting to build in B'Elanna, so I started moving up her body. Stopping to capture her breasts, I gave them a little attention before moving on to her beautiful face. As I started kissing her neck, B'Elanna moaned, "Please Tom." I waited no longer. As I slipped into her waiting channel, she curled her legs around me, bringing me even closer. This time we didn't take it slowly. We both wanted our release, so we quickly found a rhythm to satisfy our needs. As our bodies moved us closer to satisfying our physical needs, we started kissing each other to satisfy the needs of our souls. We were not alone. This night was not about sex but sharing a part of each other's souls. And then we reached the precipice of ecstasy, and moved together into the passionate heart of its release. As our cries echoed though B'Elanna's quarters, I moved off B'Elanna and cradled her in a lovers embrace. "Flyboy, that was wonderful! I seem to have a lot of nicknames for you, don't I." "You sure do, and I love everyone of them. I used to be jealous when you called Harry Starfleet. I figured he was special to your life. Your nicknames, even Helmboy, make me feel like I am special to you." "You are." As we were drifting off to sleep, B'Elanna had one more thought. "I would like it if you would call me Be." I looked in her eyes and saw only love and caring, no more fear and especially no despair. "Be, I love you." "And I love you, Helmboy." --The End--