by Marleena
tears fill his eyes. He felt a single tear fall down his cheek
as he realized what had happened.
he thought,
said she wanted and needed me.>
Tom stroked her hair, reveling in the soft feel of it. He loved
her so much, and he wanted to tell her that. Maybe now was a
good time.
B'Elanna, though was confused. She just made love to Tom Paris,
her fiance's best friend and hers as well. What would either of
them think of her now? What would Harry say?
She sat up, and stared at Tom, lying beneath her. His blue
eyes were staring at her, confused.
"Lanna?"
B'Elanna shook her head, and got off him. She began to gather her
clothes as Tom sat up. He watched her get dressed as he felt
his heart sink.
"What's wrong?" he asked, knowing the answer.
"I have to go, Tom," she explained, putting on her uniform top,
"I'll be back later."
She stopped when she realized what she had said. She looked at
him as he gathered his clothes, and headed toward the bathroom
with a somber expression on his face.
"I mean it, Tom," she said, "I will be back. I need to think."
Tom stared at her. His blue eyes full of pain again,
"Just go, B'Elanna. I'll be here when you get back. I knew it was
a mistake. I should have stopped you."
B'Elanna shook her head, "No, Tom, it wasn't a mistake. We'll
talk about this later."
She quickly left his quarters, hoping that what she said didn't
hurt him. She prayed that he would be alright when she returned.
Tom sat heavily on the couch. He leaned back and stared at the
ceiling. He closed his eyes as he berated himself for letting
things get out of hand.
* * * * * * *
"So I think that's the last of the equipment we can salvage,"
Alera said as she threw her spanner toward her tool kit and
handed Ensign Kim a scorched audionic modulator.
"Gee this one has seen better days," he replied as he turned the
piece over in his hand and placed it on the anti-grav sled along
with the other parts they and salvaged from the communications
station.
"Yep but I think we can find something in there that can be
reused," she answered as she pulled herself out from underneath
some type of console. Harry quickly went over to help her up,
but just as he bent down she pulled herself up, and their heads
softly bumped together.
"Sorry," they both replied at the same time, and giggled as he
offered her his hand. He then helped her stand up.
"Come on Alera, let's get this stuff stored on the shuttle and
get out of here."
"Sounds, good to me."
A few hours later the pair had left the abandoned communication
station behind and prepared for their long journey back to
Voyager.
Kim had been surprised, when they had left Voyager several days
ago he had been very reluctant to leave. When he left, he had
been very concerned about Tom, and he hated to leave B'Elanna
behind. But, it had been several days, and he was surprised that
he hadn't missed B'Elanna more than he had. He had to admit that
it had been an enjoyable away mission, even though there had been
a lot of work to do at the station. Alera had been good company.
The trip out had passed in a leisurely fashion with the shuttle
on autopilot. Alera and Harry reviewed what types of
communication equipment Voyager most needed, and spent the
remainder of the time reading and talking. She told him of her life on
Betazed and he told her of his experiences back on Earth. Harry had
found that not only was she very easy to talk to, she was a beautiful woman
besides. She also had a calm way about her, and though she
sometimes disagreed with what he said, she never got upset or
raised her voice.
She also possessed a habit that Harry could truly appreciate.
She was one of those people that couldn't stand disorder, she
felt that there was 'a place for everything and everything had
it's place.' Harry could relate to this and it was one more
thing that he and B'Elanna differed on. B'Elanna tended to leave
her cabin cluttered which just infuriated him. He couldn't
understand it, from the looks of her cabin you wouldn't know that
she couldn't abide anything but order and precision in
Engineering. More than once during the away mission, he found
himself wishing that B'Elanna could be more like Alera Larise.
"You know Alera, it's awful quiet in here . . . um . . . I know
you like music." Harry said as he checked out autopilot readings
on their third day on the journey back. "I brought along some
audiochips."
Alera looked up from where she was sitting on the bench seat in
the rear of the shuttle. "So did I," she replied as she bit her
lower lip in concentration as she reached for her bag and
rummaged toward the bottom before extracting three chips.
That little unconscious act of biting her lower lip fascinated
Harry. It was like an aphrodisiac. It made his blood start to
simmer. When he realized what he was thinking he quickly looked
away. "Ah . . . so why don't you pick one of yours and ah . . .
I'll pick one of mine and we can alternate playing them," he
offered to which she nodded in agreement, and reviewing the three
chips, handed one over to the ensign.
"Here this one is my favorites," she explained.
He took the chip from her, and he handed her one of his. "And
here is one of mine."
"Harry, you gave me back my own," she replied.
"No, I didn't yours is right here." He held up the chip for her
to see and looked at it himself. "Ravel? You like Ravel, too?"
"You're surprised?" she asked feeling his confusion mixed with
pleasure.
"Well you see usually my taste in music isn't shared by everyone.
B'Elanna for instance can't abide what I like, and I can't stand
to listen to some of the more contemporary stuff and Klingon
opera that she favors."
"Well let's just enjoy the music. I found out I was really
attracted to Earth classics while I was at Starfleet Academy. I
for one can't get enough of Ravel's Bolero," she purred sensing
that he was attracted to her.
"Ah, yes, Bolero," Harry concurred, "one of my favorites as well.
I'll just pop this one in."
Knowing that Bolero was near the end of the chip, Harry felt that
he would have time to control the sexual emotion that the song
radiated before it was played.
After the chip played for a while, Harry began to feel guilty.
Guilty, because since the music started playing, he hadn't been
able to tear his eyes away from the young ensign.
found something to do.> he pondered.
anything good left to eat.> "Are you hungry Alera, do you want
something to eat?" Harry asked as he got up to look over the food
stuffs that remained.
"Just bring me ba
ck whatever you're going to have," she replied
as she paused from humming along to the music.
Harry looked through what was available and selecting two
containers of vanilla yogurt and spoons returned to Alera and sat
down beside her on the back bench seat. Opening the containers
they began to eat.
"So, Harry, tell me about your time at Julliard?" she asked
finally.
Harry looked up at the beautiful woman and smiled. "I'd love to
. . . um you have a little bit of yogurt right here," he observed
as he brought his finger over to her soft cheek to rub it off.
Sensing the growing interest that Harry was feeling, before he
could remove his yogurt-dipped finger from her face, she captured
his hand with hers and pulled his finger into her mouth to slowly
lick off the yogurt.
Harry's eyes widened with surprise. "I'm sorry, Harry, I . . ."
she tried to explain but the sensual Betazed side of her was
firmly in control for once. And for once in her life, she knew
what she wanted -- she wanted Harry Kim.
Just then the shuttle dipped and they both ended up tumbling to
the deck with Harry positioned on top of Alera.
"I guess we hit a pocket of turbulence," Harry noted just as
Bolero started to play.
as he brought his lips down closer to Alera's.
spare my life.>
"Pocket of turbulence," she murmured.
Never had those words sounded so exciting and he pulled her
closer to him and kissed her full lips. As the song continued to
play and the tempo increased, their passion increased as well.
"Alera, you're beautiful," Harry whispered in her ear as he
unfastened her uniform top. "I really shouldn't be doing this."
"I think what you shouldn't be doing is marrying Lt. Torres,"
Alera remarked as she pulled his uniform top over his head
sending his hair to disarray.
"I never thought I'd say it, but you may be right, 'Lera, I've
never felt this way before. Never." he panted as he finally
pulled off her top as well and was happily surprised to find that
she wore no undergarment underneath. "Alera you're gorgeous," he
breathed as he drank in her beauty and rained gentle kisses over
her breasts.
<
Shuttlecraft Orion come in please.>>
"Oh shit!" Harry spat as he quickly pulled on his uniform top and
made a half-hearted attempt to brush back his hair.
"Shuttlecraft Orion here, come . . . come in Voyager," he replied
nervously, glancing down at Alera still reclining seductively on
the deck of the shuttle.
"Harry," the Captain answered, but her attention was on the pad
in her hand. "We are ahead of schedule, and should be able to
rendezvous with you in two days." She then looked up, and
noticed the ruffled hair and undone top of her Ops Officer. "Harry are
you all right?" she asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"Just fine ma'am, we just hit a ah. . .pocket of turbulence,"
we're . . .we're fine now. We'll meet you in three . . . three
days," Harry shuttered.
"That's two days, Harry," Janeway replied, looking over to her
First Officer who was trying in vain to hide a smirk behind his
hand. "Voyager out."
"So, Kathryn," Chakotay replied in a hushed voice for her ears
alone. "Does a pocket of turbulence cause a uniform top to be
turned around on the body, so it's backwards?"
"You know, I think things have just gotten much more
complicated."
"I think you're right," the First Officer replied.
* * * * * * *
It was two days before B'Elanna Torres was able to return to
Paris' quarters. Lt. Joe Carey had more things for her to look
over in Engineering. Plus, she had reports to write for Chakotay.
She almost forgot about Tom Paris if it wasn't for his scent that
stayed with her for the whole two days. B'Elanna thought back to
their passionate night. She had never made love to anyone that
way before. Tom seemed to encourage her to be aggressive. He
never once told her to be human. Never once told her not to hurt
him. For once, she actually enjoyed having sex. She felt full-
filled and satisfied, yet she wanted more.
B'Elanna smiled as she read over her reports. She could smell
Paris' scent on her hands, and again she felt aroused.
marry Harry Kim, remember?>
But a voice made her realize something else,
have sex with Tom Paris?>
B'Elanna glared at her reflection on the datapadd's screen,
needed a release. He cooled a need I have been feeling for a long
time.>
mockingly,
B'Elanna knew the answer, but she didn't want to believe it. The
only reason this could be happening to her was that Tom was
destined to be her mate. She shook her head at that, but she knew
better.
the blood fever, and Paris is now your intended mate.>
These thoughts and more had passed through her mind for the past
two days. She didn't know what to do; she was confused about her
feelings. She knew that Tom fulfilled a need that Kim never
could. He also aroused her in a way that no man had ever been
able to do. She had also caught his scent which meant something to
her Klingon side.
Finally, she decided it was time to talk to the very person
that had ignited a fiery passion inside her.
* * * * * * *
Tom Paris was eating his lunch when his door chimed sounded. He
got up and went to open the door. It slid open to reveal B'Elanna
Torres. He stared at her, stunned.
"I was beginning to think you forgot about me," he said, a slight
twinkle in his eyes.
B'Elanna smiled, glad to see his sense of humor again. She
stepped around him, and entered his quarters. She saw a plate of
pasta on the coffee table. She turned back around to look at him.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but Engineering and reports kept
me busy."
Tom nodded and sat on his couch. He began to eat the pasta as
she spoke.
"I've been thinking about what happened between us, Tom," she
stiffened when she saw him look at her. She continued under his
fearful gaze.
"You gave me something I thought I'd never have. I thought
feeling like that was reserved for full-blooded Klingons."
B'Elanna glanced at him. She was surprised to see the calm
expression on his face, as if he was studying her. She looked
away and stared at the floor.
"You still feel guilty about what happened aren't you?" Tom
asked, "You still think it was a mistake."
She looked at him. There was a fire in his eyes, and she knew her
eyes were aflame as well. She shook her head, and went to sit
beside him.
"
It wasn't a mistake, Tom," she said, touching his shoulder, "It
was incredible. I never had it like that before. The few times I
had sex, the guy either wanted it soft and slow or hard and fast.
I never enjoyed it either way."
"What about with Harry?" Tom asked, staring at his food. He
really didn't want to know, but his mouth had taken over again.
"With Harry it was soft, as if he was afraid to enrage my Klingon
passion. Tom, he didn't want to see my Klingon side. He's afraid
of it."
He looked at her then to see the frustration etched on her
face. He touched her left cheek gently as he stared into her dark
eyes.
"He tried to suppress it?" Tom asked, knowing the answer, "I
told him it was a part of you. I didn't want him to try to make
you into something you're not."
B'Elanna put her hand over his, "You can say it, Tom. He was
trying to tame me. He didn't want me to hurt him when we...made
love."
She saw him flinch at the last words. He looked away and
retracted his hand. She felt her heart ache and she stroked his
hair.
"I'm sorry, Tom," she began, but he shook his head.
"Don't worry about it," he said softly, "I should just accept