A Harry Kim Log.
Tom Paris can be such a...Jerk is the wrong word, B'Elanna would probably think of the right word. He came by after our duty shift was over the other day and confessed that he had taken the Commander's Rank Bar from the Captain's quarters. He didn't know why--probably wasn't thinking again.
Tom may be the best friend I've ever known, but there are times he can be so exasperating. I sometimes wonder how he has managed to keep his rank for two years. He has managed to keep hidden a gambling ring and one incredible--illicit holoprogram that he charges a pretty penny to use. He showed it to me once--the only time I've ever been there.
The Rank Bar...Tom said the Commander was also in her quarters--in the bedroom and that it was pretty obvious that they had been...together. Tom calls me a hopeless romantic--if that means I think it's great when two people who should be together, finally realize it themselves--then I guess I am. But then so is Tom. He tries to be cynical, but I saw his happiness. And even a little wistfulness.
The Captain obviously guessed what Tom had done, he's not talking. But she trounced him in a round of poker. No one knows the exact details, but it was a very intense--and apparently a high-stakes game. Several people have told me about this evening in Sandrine's. I just wish I had been there, but I was practicing, I have a musical holodeck simulation--and I'm going to play the Brahm's clarinet quintet with a holographic string quartet.
A Kathryn Janeway Log.
It was all I could do not to laugh. I still haven't had the guts to tell him that Tom has known, positively known, since the morning after the second night we'd spent together. And *that* was my fault. I should have known Tom could hear what I was saying when I leaned over my command chair and whispered to Chakotay that he snored. Chakotay had smiled and looked away. I had looked away too, but in the process I saw Tom's back scrunch up like someone trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. I knew then that he had overheard me. I also figured that by that evening Harry would know, and possibly B'Elanna.
I will admit in the months after that, I'd caught Tom watching us. Harry too.
But this morning in my quarters. What had he been thinking? I'm sure I had told him Tom was coming by to drop of a report. Well, maybe I hadn't. Originally we were just going to have a quiet dinner, and work on crew evaluations. We hadn't planned on spending the night together. He showed up and asked, 'did I realize that it was four months to the day since we'd spent our first night together, and the crew didn't have a clue.' That was in reference to some of my early doubts. I hadn't felt like telling him that wasn't true. I had told Tuvok deliberately, B'Elanna had caught me leaving his quarters early that first morning, and then there was my slip on the bridge.
It was while we were eating the strawberry shortcake that I had impishly stood behind him, reached over and removed his rank bar. Then, with my hands on my hips had said, "Now what are you going to do?" Laughing, he had picked me up and carried me into my bedroom. I guess I dropped the bar onto one of the plates.
I'd woken first, nothing had gotten done last night--well not job related. I suppose we are entitled to occasionally get a night off, but there were somethings that I had to do before this morning's shift began.
We had tossed clothes every which way. I suppressed a giggle and quietly gathered up my uniform. I selected a clean one out of the closet. My pips were where we usually put them, I didn't even notice his bar wasn't.
I disposed of the trash and cleaned up. Then I sat down to work on the information I had promised B'Elanna. It didn't take me long, and I spent sometime working on the evaluations. I could hear his gentle snores in the background.
As I contacted B'Elanna, I heard him start to get up. He was muttering about something, I hoped B'Elanna couldn't hear him. Then Paris showed up.
When Chakotay walked into the room, I caught Tom's reflection on the screen. I wish I could have seen him directly. I wish I could have seen Chakotay's reaction (but considering his state of dress at the time, perhaps it was better that I hadn't). By now, B'Elanna realized something was going on and the conversation became muddled--we were both trying to listen what was going on behind me.
I was scheduled to meet with the various science departments today, but told B'Elanna that I would have lunch with her to finish this discussion. There was the ever so brief look of disappointment on her face when she realized she wouldn't find out was happening. By the time I had turned around, Chakotay had vanished back into the bedroom and Tom... Tom looked like a cat who had been left in a cage full of canaries, his face full of delight and puzzlement, the poor cat had no idea where to begin. I took command, giving him no chance to make a snide comment: I thanked him politely for bringing the report; we discussed it for about 10 minutes; then I dismissed him.
We searched my quarters for almost 20 minutes, but didn't find his rank bar. In the end, he replicated a new one. I'd offer him some of my rations, but he would turn them down. There are advantages to being Captain, I'll transfer some of mine to his account over a period of time. One or two a day--he won't notice.
This morning's science meeting went fine, we talked about on going research, and future plans.
I finished my discussion with B'Elanna at lunch. I could tell she wanted to know what had happened that morning--obviously Tom hadn't told her yet. And I wasn't about to.
The afternoon meeting was miserable. Budget meetings always are, and seem to be worse on Voyager. Which department gets how many replicator rations, extra resources and personnel. They all have good reasons to want a greater share--there just isn't enough to go around. In the end no one is happy, but they all get something.
This evening Chakotay was in my quarters, waiting. He looked grim. He'd brought dinner up from the dining hall. It wasn't until afterwards that he told me Paris had his bar. I knew he was right. I had been amused that morning, but right now I would have thrown the book at Tom. But that would require publicly acknowledging what Tom had seen. I figured most of the crew knew, but this was not how I wanted to announce to the world our affair.
I instead trounced Tom at poker. He returned the rank bar and had looked more than a little ashamed. I don't think he took the bar deliberately, or I would have kept the replicator rations he had lost too.
No point in telling either of them I cheated.