Stalking
By: Turtlewoman
Rating: PG-13  
Written: July 98

They danced, each molding to the other. He would bury his face in her neck, sliding his hands down to her waist. She would expose more of her neck for his caress and lean her body into his. They danced, her hands running through his hair, then clasping behind his neck, their foreheads touching. His would smile and slid his hands from her waist to clasp behind her back. They danced.

B’Elanna smiled watching them. Tom slid his arms around her and smiled. The bride and groom smiled. In fact, all but little Naomi smiled as they tried to pretend they could not see the couple dancing behind the potted palms. Naomi was smiling but not at them. She smiled, balanced on Godpa Neelix’s feet as he discretely kept the precocious child from noticing the couple dancing behind the palms, and they danced.

Tom twirled B’Elanna around the floor, "Finally! It took six theme weddings to set them up. We were just about out of ideas. Oh well, that just about shoots the hell out of the betting pool. It was a good thing while it lasted." and dipped her backwards in his arms.

"Whoa helmboy! Warn me when you are going to initiate a tricky maneuver. I’m not quite as responsive as that helm, you know."

"I know, I know." He replied, pulling her upright.

She swatted at the side of his head in mock irritation. "Who do you think you are kidding with that betting pool. You’ve been conniving to get them together even when it went against your spread," pulling him around so that she could see the couple behind the palms.

The tall dark, man pulled back into a more chaste dance position and asked, "How long do you think we can stay here dancing, pretending we don’t see them pretending they don’t see us?"

She seemed to shake herself out of a dream, then cast a surreptitious glance beyond the palms. Hurt, sadness and defiance tinged her voice, "Since they are hell bent on being voyeurs, let’s see if we can push their buttons for a change." She pulled his head toward hers and started outlining the curve of his ear with her tongue. He gasped and tightened his embrace. His hands wandered down to her waist again, sliding around to rest on the curve of her upper buttocks. And they danced

Her gasp was echoed by B’Elanna’s. "Tom look where he’s got his hands now!" she said wetting her lips and leaning into him. He turned her in his arms moaning, "B’Elanna stop moving your hips like that. Oh God, do you see what she is doing with her tongue?’’ murmured Tom as he began biting the side of her neck. Their breathe became increasingly ragged as their bodies became more fluid.

Ensign Wildeman watched as the couples on the dance floor became more heated and increasingly oblivious to any but the one in their arms and the couple behind the palms. She walked over to Neelix deciding it would be best to take Naomi back to her quarters. Naomi started to complain loudly but Neelix quieted her saying that he would tuck her in with a very special story. "I hope you don’t mind me inviting myself over. I didn’t want her to break the mood and I don’t think I want to watch from the sidelines any longer."

"I know. It’s going to be a long night."

"Come then, we’ll tell the little one stories and then tell each other stories of our far away loves."

"I’d like that Neelix."

Tuvok had come to stand unobtrusively behind them. "May I join you? The ambiance here, does not, of course, move me emotionally as it does you, yet I wish to hear your stories and would honor she who is my wife this night with stories of her excellence." Ensign Wildeman recovered first from her shock and extended the invitation to join them. As Tuvok bent to pick up a very sleepy Naomi, she and Neelix exchanged a quick, sad smile and followed him out of the holodeck, as he cradled the sleepy child in his arms.

The music became slower, heavier and more sensual. The couples on the floor became more focused on each other, turning and drifting away from the palms. Behind the palms, the two saw that they were no longer the focus of such covert attention. Slowly, they stopped dancing and stood cradled in each other’s arms. Quietly she began to sob. He rocked her in his arms, "What is it? What’s wrong? They’ve stopped watching us."

"They’ve stopped for now. They will start again. They always do."

"Come back to my quarters. Let’s talk about this."

"As soon as we leave, someone will notice and they will scan to see where we’ve gone and how long we are together. If we don’t leave together, they will still monitor us. If we each go to our own quarters and stay there, they will still be watching. If we block the scans, they’ll watch to see how long they are blocked. What’s worse, if all else fails they will arrange another one of these ridiculous theme weddings and we will have to go through all this one more time.

"We could ignore them."

Kathryn sighed. "I can’t. I’ve tried and I can’t. For a little while I can pretend we are alone. But when I let myself open up to you, I can feel them too, pushing and pushing against us. And then I can’t feel anything again. I don’t know what to do."

"You could dance. For now, just hold me and dance." Chakotay whispered as he started to sway their bodies to the music. "Please, just feel the music, let yourself just feel the music."

"I’m sorry, but I can’t. I just can’t." And Kathryn danced away. 

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