Get your own Free Home PageThe title for this fanfic comes from a song by The Cure called "Trust". It's off the album, 'Wish'. I think it sort of sums up the relationship between B'Elanna and Tom. For those of you who don't know the song, here are the words. (P.S.-If anyone is planning to go out and buy the album, the song has a really long intro. Just so you don't think you've got the wrong song.)
Trust
***********
By: The Cure
There is no one left in the world
That I can hold on to
There is really no one left at all
There is only you
And if you leave me now
You leave all we were undone
There is really no one left
You are the only one
And still the hardest part for you
To put your trust in me
I love you more than I can say
Why won't you just believe
And still the hardest part for you
To put your trust in me
I love you more than I can say
Why won't you just believe
Notes: This has nothing to do with LDAW or Life. B'Elanna and Tom have been dating for about 3 or 4 months, so they're still trying to get adjusted to their relationship.
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Dedication: This fanfic is dedicated to the Parisites. Also dedicated to Robbie McNeill and Roxann Dawson for bringing the characters of Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres to life, and to the writers for creating such terrific characters.
Disclaimer: Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres, and everything else in
the Star Trek universe are owned by Paramount, but the words, ideas and
Ensign Peter Hawkes are owned by me. Comments, good and bad, are
welcome and appreciated at: Mara_J_Antilles@hotmail.com.
Trust
~~~~~~~~
(c) 1997, Claire Daniels
Tom Paris opened his eyes. He checked the chronometer,
noting that he had exactly one hour until his shift on the Bridge started.
He dragged himself into the shower. Twenty minutes later, he was
dressed in his uniform and heading toward the Mess Hall to meet Harry and
B'Elanna for breakfast.
"So," Harry Kim asked, "do you think Tom will figure out what
we've been doing while we've been spending all this time together?"
"I hope not." B'Elanna replied, "If he does, we're both in big
trouble."
Tom entered the Mess, looking for Harry and B'Elanna.
He spotted them on the far side of the room in a deep discussion about
something. He wondered what it could be as he picked up a breakfast
tray and headed off to join them. Their conversation stopped as he
approached the table.
"Morning." he said, kissing B'Elanna and nodding at Harry.
"Morning." B'Elanna replied.
"You two looked like you were having a deep discussion," he asked
Harry, "what was it about?"
B'Elanna and Harry both began speaking at once.
"We were discussing the warp nacelles."
"Um...uh..." Harry stammered, "I was wondering about what this
stuff tastes like." Harry stared down at his plate. *If Tom
figures out what B'Elanna and I have been doing behind his back, I'm a
dead man.*
Tom's gaze flicked from Harry to B'Elanna.
He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but Ensign Peter Hawkes'
voice interrupted him.
"Lieutenant Torres, we're having a bit of a problem down here.
One of the deuterium tanks sprung a leak."
"I'll be right there." B'Elanna replied, kissing Tom good bye.
"I'll go with you." Harry said, as he and B'Elanna raced off
to Engineering.
Tom was about to go after them, but decided that
being late for his shift on the Bridge wouldn't be very smart and made
a mental note to find out what was going on between those two.
"Good thing Tom didn't catch us," Harry said, "or we'd be in real
trouble right now."
"He knows something's up, Harry. We should have known we
couldn't keep something like this a secret from him."
B'Elanna and Harry worked
feverishly and finally managed to get the deuterium leak locked down.
"Do you want to go to the Mess and get some dinner?" Harry asked.
"Sure." B'Elanna answered him.
Later, they were seated at a table eating their
dinner.
"Do you realize, that this is the only time we've been alone
all day?" Harry asked.
"I know." B'Elanna replied, "I didn't think we'd *ever* get rid
of Tom."
"Well, we'd better use this opportunity to our advantage.
We don't know if we'll get another one."
Harry and B'Elanna spent longer in the Mess than
they expected. Tom's shift had ended and he had gone to the Mess
for dinner. He walked in, looking for someone to sit with, but lost
his appetite when he spotted his best friend and his girlfriend seated
at a cozy table in the corner. B'Elanna was leaning into Harry and
he was whispering something to her.
Tom felt a vise-like grip in his chest, and the
anger welling up inside. *How could they?* he asked himself, *Harry's
my best friend. Was my best friend,* he corrected himself, *and B'Elanna...*
It was too painful for him to think about. Tom strode over to their
table, anger taking over.
"Well, fancy meeting you here." Tom said, his tone filled with
anger and hurt.
"Tom, I..." B'Elanna started to explain.
"Save it , *Lieutenant*, I'd like to hear it from someone who
cares." Turning to Harry he said, "You...you were my best friend.
You were the one I poured out my soul to. I've put my butt on the
line for you, Harry, and you thanked me by stealing the best thing in my
life since we got lost out here." Tom's tone turned bitter and he
laughed sardonically. "And people say *I'm* the scumbag. Imagine
that." Tom turned and strode smartly out of the Mess Hall without
so much as a backward glance, leaving B'Elanna and Harry in stunned silence.
Tom Paris was lying on his bed. He couldn't
cry anymore. There were no tears left in him to cry. His heart
felt like it had been broken into a million pieces. He would never
love anyone again. It was too painful. It had been three days
since the big blowout in the Mess Hall. He had been living on replicator
rations, and spending all his free time in his quarters. He didn't
want to run into Harry and *her*. Her. He couldn't even say
her name. It hurt so bad that the pain ripped through his heart like
a dagger. *What am I going to do?* he thought. His thoughts
were interrupted by the Captain's voice coming over the comm.
"Janeway to Paris."
"Paris here, Captain," Tom replied trying his best to sound cheerful,
"what can I do for you?"
"It seems that I'm having a bit of a problem with my new holodeck
program, and I was hoping you could come down and take a look at it."
"Isn't that a job for the Chief Engineer?" he asked, hoping his
voice didn't sound as bitter as he felt.
"It's not malfunctioning, I just need a little help programming
it, and I'm told that you are the best holodeck programmer on the ship."
"I'm on my way, Captain." he replied, figuring that it was the
only way to get her off his case.
"Surprise!" yelled the crew as Tom walked through
the doors to Holodeck 2.
"Happy Birthday, Tom." Janeway said.
"Thank you, Captain." Tom replied. It was all he could
manage, he was so overwhelmed.
"Don't thank me, Tom," Janeway replied, "thank Harry and B'Elanna.
It was their idea."
Tom felt like he had just been hit by an asteroid.
*So that's what they were doing. Tom, you are an idiot!* The
crew took turns wishing Tom a Happy Birthday, and everyone started to mingle
around the refreshment table. Tom spotted Harry sitting at the bar
with Kes.
"Harry..." Tom started, "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry
for what I said in the Mess Hall."
"It's okay, Tom. I know how it must've looked."
"No, it's not okay. You're my best friend. I know
you would never do something like that."
"I forgive you." Harry smiled hugging his friend, "Happy Birthday,
Tom."
"Thanks."
"Happy Birthday, Tom." Kes said, giving him a hug. She
took Harry's hand as he led her to the dance floor.
Tom scanned the room for B'Elanna, finally spotting
her in a corner by herself. Screwing up his courage he crossed over
to her.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked softly.
"Sure," she replied, "but wouldn't you rather talk to *someone
who cares*?" Her voice was filled with sarcasm.
Tom felt his heart constrict. He hated himself
for doing this to her.
"I deserved that." he said quietly, "I'm sorry, 'Lanna."
"I thought you knew me better than that, Tom.
I thought you *trusted* me." she said, turning on him. He could see the
tears in her eyes.
"'Lanna, I *do* trust you, and I trust Harry, but I thought I
was losing you, and I couldn't live with that. I love you, completely.
You're the first person I've ever let inside my heart, and I guess I'm
afraid you won't like the person you see." He looked at the floor,
unable to say more.
"Tom," B'Elanna said tilting his chin up so she could look into
his eyes, "I fell in love with the person I saw. I would *never*
leave you for anyone else. There's no one on this ship, or in this
galaxy, or in this universe that I would want to be with more than you."
"Do you mean that?" he asked.
"I do." she said, kissing him sweetly.
"So," he said when they came up for air, "do you wanna blow this
joint?"
"Thomas Eugene Paris," she said pretending to scold him, "after
all the trouble Harry and I went to, you want to skip out?"
Tom pretended to think for a moment.
"Yes," he replied. "'Lanna, this party is terrific, but
there's no birthday present I would like more than to spend time alone
with *you*."
"Well, when you put it that way..." she said.
B'Elanna took Tom's hand and the two of them exited
the Holodeck. Kes watched them from her spot on the dance floor with
Harry. *There goes one very happy birthday boy.*
The End
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