Title: REPRESSED
Author: A. Kite (AKite68163@aol.com)
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Codes: Paris/Torres, Paris/Kim
Rating: PG
Warnings: Heavy spoilers for the episode Repression
Summary: What was happening on deck 6 when Paris and Kim engineered their break out.
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager is owned by Paramount/Viacom. This story, however is mine. No copyright infringement intended, no money being made.
Archiving: Permission given to PKElite, ASC/EM, Slashville, Trekslash and to my own website at http://www.oocities.org/tlin_s/a_kite/

Thanks to my beta readers, BJ Cochran and T'Lin. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

Feedback and constructive criticism are welcome, publicly or privately and always answered.

REPRESSED
A. Kite (Nov. 2000)

Pacing the floor in the living area of his quarters for what seemed to be the thousandth time, Harry Kim threw a glance at the couch. His best friend, Tom sat there as he had since they'd been locked in together, with his head cradled in his hands, the picture of abject misery.

Who could blame him? His wife of less than a month had locked them in at phaser point. Acting as if she had never seen, never known either one of them. Though, for the life of him, Harry couldn't figure out why she had put them in *his* quarters together. What was going on? Why were the Maquis taking over the ship? Why were they acting like the last seven years,
working side by side, never happened?

He didn't know, but he did know that he had to break out of here. He had to do something. But he couldn't do it alone. He needed Tom. He cast another look at the couch. Damn, B'Elanna! Only she and Harry knew that Tom wasn't as strong as he seemed. Only with B'Elanna and Harry had Tom lowered the mask he wore everyday. Harry wanted to kill her for hurting Tom like this. If only...

No, Harry Kim, no if-only's today. You had seven years to tell Tom and you kept your mouth shut all that time. Changing the status quo today will only hurt him more. Be what you are to him. Be his best friend and give him something else to focus on.

He walked over to the couch and tugged at Tom's arms. "Tom, look at me."

Blue eyes with blood shot rims slowly turned up. He hadn't seen Tom look this vulnerable since Akriteria. It tore at his heart, and inside Harry damned B'Elanna again. "Tom, there has to be a rational explanation for all this. I'm sure it will come sooner or later, but right now we have to
try to stop them. We have to find a way to get out of here."

Tom looked away and didn't respond. "Damn it, Tom. I could use your help here," Harry raised his voice in mock exasperation. It was the only way he could think of to get Tom moving.

Tom's head turned back sharply. Anger sparked in his eyes. "Leave me alone, Harry. If you want to be the big hero, go ahead, be my guest. Have one of those sons of a bitch shoot you."
Tom abruptly stopped talking as inspiration hit. "Well, maybe not shot."

"Tom?" Harry fabricated a surprised look. This was what he'd been hoping for.

"How about a medical emergency? Surely they wouldn't have had time to reprogram the computer to ignore a call for emergency transport to sickbay," Tom mused.

Harry grinned with enthusiasm. "Sounds like a plan. Who gets to be injured and how do we fake it well enough to fool the computer?"

Tom grinned back. "Mr. Kim, you and I are about to have a difference of opinion. Not enough to really hurt, but a black eye and a bloody nose ought to be enough to get us both transported."

Harry looked skeptical. "Tom, I don't want to hit you."

Tom stood and said, "Come on, Harry. Put up your dukes."

"What?"

Tom laughed and said, "Never mind. Like this," he demonstrated a boxing stance.

Harry put his fists up, but didn't think he could actually hit Tom until he superimposed B'Elanna's face over Tom's. His fist jabbed out, and he caught an unprepared Tom right in the kisser. Harry was so taken back at the blood that gushed from Tom's lip that he never saw the fist coming that swelled his eye almost shut in a matter of seconds. He and Tom were grappling when Tom shouted out the call for transport.

The plan didn't work, of course. The doctor prescribed ice when the Maquis guarding sickbay refused to let them have treatment. They were unceremoniously escorted back to separate quarters this time. Harry to his own and Tom to his old quarters on deck four. They only had to suffer a few hours before Captain Janeway was able to retake the ship, and the Maquis were broken out of the mind control they were under.

In the weeks that followed, Harry noticed that Tom and B'Elanna were being seen less together. Each of them pursuing their own interests. More and more, Tom seemed to seek him out when they were off duty. Tom never said anything about B'Elanna and her betrayal, and Harry didn't ask. He would have gladly listened if Tom had wanted to talk. In the meantime, he stayed as he'd always been, Tom's best friend.

The End

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