Title: BLOOMING IDIOTS
Author: A. Kite (Akite68163@aol.com)
Series: Star Trek Voyager
Codes: Kim/female, P/K
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes holograms are smarter than real people.
Warning: This story has heavy spoilers for the episodes Fair Haven and Spirit Folk. If you haven't seen them, you may want to pass this one by or save it until you do.
Disclaimer: Paramount/Viacom owns all. I own nothing but the idea behind this story. No copyright infringement intended, no money being made.
Archiving: Permission given to PKElite, ASCEM and to my own web site at
www.oocities.org/tlin_s/a_kite/
Thanks to Bridget Cochran for beta reading and hand holding beyond the call of duty. A. Kite (July 2000)
Maggie O'Halloran sighed and looked up at the sky. The day was waning, and she hadn't seen
young Harry Kim in almost a week. Other Voyager folk were about the village of Fair Haven,
but no there was no sign of Harry. Maybe it was for the best. Maggie had been feeling guilty for
leaving her poor widowed mother on her own so much lately. She should go on home to tea.
Maggie sighed again and began pushing her cart home. Before they found out the truth about the
Voyager folk, and before Tom Paris turned her into a cow; she had never had melancholy
thoughts. She had never had many thoughts at all. Now she couldn't help but wonder what
would cause a man to do such a thing. The only thing her limited experience could come up
with was jealousy.
She had never seen Tom Paris give as much as a passing glance to any of the colleens in the
village. As for Harry Kim, things with him were not progressing. There had been nothing
following their aborted kiss, not even hand holding now on their few moonlight walks. Not that
she would have done much more than that, but a girl did like a man to try. And to think that she
had given up Ray Ewan for someone that would bring flowers to a girl that stood and sold them
day after day. She shook her head in disbelief.
It was obvious to Maggie that young Harry Kim wasn't really interested in her, and it was
dawning why Tom Paris had no interest in the village girls. The idea that two men could be for
one another should shock someone of her background, but surprisingly it didn't. The thought of
the two of them together appealed to something deep inside her. Maggie came to a decision.
First, she'd have a talk with Mr. Tom Paris.
Bright and early the next morning Maggie went out and there her cart was as same as it was
every morning, filled with freshly cut flowers through no effort of her own. Maggie didn't let
herself dwell on how that was possible. She had more important things on her mind this day.
Maggie hadn't been in the village square long when she spotted Tom sauntering along, stopping
to talk to people along the way. Then Tom changed direction to avoid Maggie and her flower
cart all together. Maggie plucked up her courage and crossed the street. She stood directly in
the man's path when he turned from giving Seamus his usual handout.
"I would be speaking with you, Tom Paris," she said bold as brass. Tom looked surprised as did
Seamus but Maggie didn't let it deter her. She looked pointedly at Seamus and said, "In private,
if you would kindly be on your way, Seamus."
Tom put on a false smile and asked, "Now what could I be doing for you this fine morning,
Maggie, me girl?"
"I wanted to know if there is a problem on Voyager that's keeping Harry too busy to visit Fair
Haven. I haven't seen him nigh on to a week now."
The way that Tom's smile faltered and a tightening around his eyes when she said Harry's name
told Maggie all she need to know. Tom quickly recovered, but his smile was more counterfeit
than before. "He's been busy," Tom answered shortly.
"Too busy for even you now, is he?"
The smile was dropped completely, "What are you talking about?"
"What's her name, Tom?"
"Whose name?"
"Don't act daft, man! Whose name indeed!" Maggie snorted.
Tom started laughing, "No, no Maggie. It's nothing like that. Unless you mean the captain. She
has Harry working on a special project."
"So special that he can't spend time with his best friend?" she asked quietly.
Tom stopped laughing then and looked at her really hard. He supposed this was what he got for
allowing people to muck around with his creations. Sometimes the creations bit back. Tom
sighed then replied, "Yes, as I said, Harry's been busy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm on my way
to Sullivan's. I'll tell Harry that you asked after him next time I see him."
"Please do that for me, Mr. Paris and good day to you."
Tom nodded. "Good day to you too, Miss O'Halloran," and he was on his way again. Maggie
went back to her cart and thought about what she'd tell Harry Kim when next she saw him.
Two days later she was in the Fox and Hound finishing up a dinner of corned beef and cabbage.
Her mother was off visiting her sister in County Cork, so Maggie thought she'd treat herself. She
watched as Harry came in the door and looked around. He was carrying red roses this time. It
was all Maggie could do not to roll her eyes as he made his way to her table.
He did look nice this evening, but she wished he'd lose the straw boater. Harry had it set at a
rakish angle this evening. It made him look different. Not the usual sailor-boy come ashore.
Maggie smiled and thanked him nicely as he bowed and presented the flowers to her.
"Have seat, will you Harry? We've missed you here in Fair Haven."
Harry smiled and replied, "Thank you, Maggie, I will. I'm sorry about being so scarce lately.
Ship's business, you understand."
When Harry got settled, Maggie said, "Oh yes, Tom told me you were busy. A special project
for the captain, he said."
Harry winced and nodded. His knees still ached a bit from crawling through miles of Jefferies
tubes on the special project. Manually realigning sensor arrays were not his idea of good time.
Hold on, what was that she said? Tom told her. Wait just a minute here. "Maggie, Tom's been
spending a lot of time here in Fair Haven?" he asked. Not wanting to be transparent in his
concern.
"Aye, that he has. Hardly a day goes by without him stopping to visit, if only for a few minutes.
There now, I'm done with me dinner. Would be caring for a walk with me? It's noisy in here
tonight."
Harry agreed, and Maggie scooped up the roses as he escorted her out. "Let me stop and put
these in me cart; then we can be off," she suggested when they got outside. She hurried over to
her cart, but pulled one perfect bud from the bouquet and hid it in the folds of her skirt. It's not
like she'd be using the hand for anything else.
Maggie turned back to where Harry was waiting with a smile, but he wasn't looking at her.
Down the street, she had a glimpse of Tom's back as he entered Sullivan's. Harry started
violently when Maggie put her free hand on his shoulder.
"You should go to him," she stated.
Harry looked at her askance. "What?"
Maggie heaved a sigh of exasperation, "Saints preserve me, do I have to spell it out to you,
man? Tom's been miserable around here without you. He loves you, you bloomin' idiot! Now
go to him and get him out of Fair Haven for a while. He's been spending too much time in that
pub as it is."
"Oh? Oh!" Harry finally caught on to what she was saying. Maggie gave his shoulder a little
push, but called him back when he started moving away. "Here, give him this," and she gave
him the rose.
Tom was sitting at the bar moodily staring into his glass of ale while all the other patrons were
gathered around the ring toss, when he felt a presence beside him. He looked up and there was
Harry, smiling at him and handing him a flower.
The End
BLOOMING IDIOTS