From: "PJ in NH" <kelhapam@lr.net>
Reply-To: <kelhapam@lr.net>
To: <blacjac@juno.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 08:45:35 -0000
Subject: Story submission
Message-ID: <19980620124513.AAA1080@laco2-10.worldpath.net>

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Please accept the attached story for inclusion on your web site.  And
thanks again for posting the stories I have sent you in the past -- you
have made a dream come true (and I feel honored that you chose Cavit's as
one of your favorites -- thanks).  (note I'm sending this in two parts, let
me know if you don't get both.  Thanks).

Story title:	Breaching the Walls

Author's name:	PJ in NH

Current email address 	kelhapam@lr.net

A synopsis of 50 words or less Alternate Universe fluff story -- after
breaking Carey's nose, B'Elanna didn't achieve the rank of Chief Engineer.
Tom and B'Elanna's romance blossoms thanks to a little hike on the holodeck
and a little intervention from Joe Carey

The story's rating (PG, PG-13, NC-17):  PG-13

When during the series the story is set:  Starts shortly after entry in the
Delta Quadrant
 

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Summary:   Alternate Universe fluff story -- after breaking
Carey's nose, B'Elanna didn't achieve the rank of Chief Engineer. 
Tom and B'Elanna's romance blossoms thanks to a little hike on
the holodeck and a little intervention from Joe Carey.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Voyager and its characters. I've only
borrowed the characters to satisfy my own creative urges.
Archiving is okay, just e-mail me. Please keep disclaimer and my
name attached.  

Special thanks to my beta readers: Jan M. Isabelle S., Amanda B.,
Lesa, and Chris R.


BREACHING THE WALLS 
PG-13      6/98
by PJ in NH (kelhapam@lr.net)


Prologue - A few days after entering the Delta Quadrant

"You're sure you're alright with this Joe?" the Captain asked him
as he
sat across the table from her in the ready room.  

"I guess I'll have to be won't I?" he responded obviously not at
all alright with the situation.  

Chakotay spoke up trying to smooth several ruffled feathers. 
"I'm sure once you see what a good engineer she is, you too will
agree that she will be the best one for the job."

"But, you will consult with me before this happens," Carey
confirmed looking at the Captain, purposefully ignoring the
tattooed man that sat next to her.  

"You can be sure of it.  I'll talk to you first, but remember I'm
Captain and I make the final decision.  Dismissed." she said
firmly to which Carey nodded in agreement as he got up to leave.

After he had exited the door, the First Officer turned to
Janeway.  "He'll come around, you'll see.  B'Elanna may have a
few rough edges <that's an understatement>, but she is one hell
of an engineer -- she gets things done." 

"I don't question that she can get things done, Chakotay.  I have
to question if she can get things done without the rest of the
engineering crew jumping ship."


Chapter 1- The Repast

One year later.

It was happening again and she hated it every time.  All it took
was one look and she could feel her skin start to flush and heat
up and before long she was blushing from her collar line to her
hairline. Her mother had always told her it was a weak human
trait inherited from her father's side of the family.  She
thought about the disgust expressed on her mother's face every
time her emotions betrayed her as she crawled under the console
near the communications station on the bridge to perform a needed
repair.  Maybe under here he wouldn't see her and he would forget
that she had come to the bridge today, she reasoned.  But an hour
and a half later after the repair had been made and she crawled
out from beneath the console those same penetrating blue eyes
locked onto her and she could feel the heat rise across her face
again.  

"Damn, him," she muttered in Klingon to herself as she stormed
into the turbolift and the doors slid shut.  With relief, she
leaned against the far wall as it descended toward Engineering. 
Why him?  She couldn't figure it out.  She had never been
attracted to his kind before.  She had always preferred dark-
haired men with dark eyes, so she couldn't understand why her
heart tap danced whenever she was around him.  Stop it, B'Elanna,
she reminded herself.  The last time you were interested in
someone, make that *every time* you were interested in someone,
it always turned out that all they wanted was one thing, to use
you, discard you, and brag.  They were all a bunch of petaQs, so
why would Tom Paris be any different.  After all hadn't Chakotay
and others warned her against him and told her he was a spoiled
rich boy, murderer, traitor . . . the list just went on and on
and none of it was any good.  So why was she interested?  She
didn't have an answer for that.  Considering everything, weighing
everything in balance, she should hate the man, a man apparently
without honor.  But one item weighed more than all the others
combined, it was the way he had talked to her in that Vidiian
prison and since then when they had occasionally met, he was so
sweet, seemed so sincere, that maybe, maybe she thought -- maybe
she hoped, things could be different.  


"What was that all about?" Harry asked his friend with the blue
eyes as the turbolift doors closed taking its precious passenger
with it.

Casting a well-practiced innocent expression his way, Tom
replied, "who knows, Harry, women they're all the same."

They may be all the same, Harry thought, but ever since that away
mission when B'Elanna Torres had been split into two  -- one
human and one Klingon, Tom couldn't keep his eyes off the young
engineer.  


*** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ ***


B'Elanna finally reached Engineering and reported back in with
Lieutenant Carey, that was one thing she had to credit to her
Klingon heritage.  She was doing well after they came on board
Voyager -- well at least for a little while -- but then in one
split second and one broken nose later she had thrown all hopes
of becoming Chief Engineer out the porthole and had been lucky to
be granted the rank of Lieutenant J.G.  Not only did she
disappoint herself but she had disappointed the First Officer,
her former Maquis captain, who had spoke on her behalf to the
Captain, and that hurt her worse of all.

"All done, Lt. Torres?" Lt. Carey, Chief Engineer, asked as she
entered his office.

"Yes, sir.  All set."

"Great, I'm sure you did a good job.  That's all for today. 
You're dismissed.  I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure?  Don't we have power couplings that need to be
realigned?" she asked.

"Yes, but they can wait . . ."

"I'll do it," she said quickly as she grabbed her tool kit and
exited the office.

Carey just sat back in his chair and shook his head like a parent
would do when confronted with a child that tried too hard to
please.  "Poor B'Elanna, she's got more energy and talent than
she knows what to do with, I wonder if she could lend me some,"
he said out loud running this fingers over the bridge of his
nose.  The same nose that she had broken months ago -- the same
nose that Samantha Wildman swore now possessed a roughish charm
that she couldn't resist, break and all.  Women, go figure!  And
B'Elanna Torres, who would have thought that his feelings toward
her would have changed so much over the last year.  Sure she had
saved the ship countless times with her skill and ingenuity in
engineering, but it was more than that he now generally liked the
half-Klingon.

B'Elanna though wasn't thinking that she needed something to do
just to expel excess energy, she was thinking that if she was
busy she would avoid the rush hour at the mess hall and thus
avoid those beautiful blue eyes again.  One episode, no make that
two episodes of blushing were two too many for one day and one
half-Klingon.  

So Lt. Torres took her time and realigned the power couplings and
double and triple checked them to make sure they were working
properly before she called it a day.  She then headed to the mess
hall two hours past the normal dinner rush hour just as she had
planned.  When she arrived, the dining area was empty, even
Neelix had left for the evening leaving a couple of items warming
on the side table for late arrivers.  So B'Elanna picked up her
tray and walked over to select from what remained from the
evening meal.

"If I were you, I'd avoid the Talaxian Casserole today," a voice
piped up behind her and she could feel those same penetrating
blue eyes looking at her as they had on the bridge and she could
feel herself blushing all over again.  Betrayed again my some
stupid human gene.  Some plan, she thought and now I don't even
have a crowded mess hall to hide in.  

"Ah . . . ah th--thanks," she stammered as she opted for the
other choice the standby leola root stew.  

"That's not much better, in fact it's worse, how about letting me
treat you to a replicated meal, Lieutenant?" Tom Paris offered.

"No that's okay, I'll just . . ." she started to say as she once
again reached for the ladle that was in the pot of stew but was
prevented from raising it when Paris' hand came down on top of
hers to stop her.  

"Really I insist, I could use some company and I don't think I
could bear seeing you eat those ah-hem culinary creations," he
said as he graciously took her by the arm and steered her toward
the replicators.  "So what will it be, lasagne or some Klingon
speciality?"

"La  . . .  lasagne will be fine, actually I never developed a
taste for food that moved," she reluctantly admitted.  "Thanks."

"My pleasure.  Why don't you get us something to drink and find
us a seat and I'll collect our meal.  Okay?"

How had this happened, she wondered as she filled two glasses
with fruit juice and chose a table in the corner of the room for
their meal.  Despite her plans, she was alone in the mess hall
with the man of her dreams. <Just take it easy B'Elanna,> she
cautioned herself,<you can get through this>.

Tom joined her shortly.  "For you mi'lady," he said and with a
flourish deposited her meal, complete with a green salad and a
slice of garlic bread, in front of her with the aplomb of an
experienced waiter and placed his own plate down on the table
across from her.  Then, just when she thought that he would sit
down and join her, he plunked a vase containing a single apricot
rose in the middle of the table.  

This was too much B'Elanna thought.  Even though she hadn't been
prepared to share a meal with the handsome lieutenant, she knew
if she tried hard she could get through it, but the flowers on
the table was a little too much, a little too much like a date.

"Flowers?" she questioned.

"Actually flower, my replicator credit balance didn't stretch to
flower-s," he explained stressing the 's' in the word.

"But, Paris, this is the mess hall.  What if someone were to come
in, what would they think?"

"I imagine they would think what a lucky man I am to be dining
with such a lovely lady," he replied smoothly.  Her only response
to that statement was to roll her eyes up toward the ceiling
which was accompanied by a slight growl of disgust.  "What?  You
don't think so?" he asked but got no response.  "So you tell me
if someone were to come in here and see us, what would they
think?"

"They'd think . . . think that . . ."

"They'd think what B'Elanna?" he prompted.

"They'd think that Paris must be hard up eating with someone as
ug . . ." she started to say but was stopped when he placed two
fingers over her luscious lips.

"Don't say that B'Elanna, it's not true, you're not ugly.  In
fact, I'd say you're the most stunning, exotic, beautiful woman
on the ship, and I'm very grateful that you're willing to share 
a table with little ol' me," he said before he removed his
fingers.

"You're doing it again," she snarled as she started again to
blush, the touch of those long fingers of his to her lips had
been incredible.  It took all her control not to kiss them, to
nibble them.

"Doing what?" he said with complete innocence.

"Making me blush," the young engineer blurted out.

"So?"

"Klingons, even half-Klingons, don't blush!" she told him and
grabbed her fork as if she were planning to use it as a weapon
and dropped her head down so he couldn't see her reddening face.

"Says who?" he asked and when she didn't answer he reached across
the table and removed the fork from her clenched fist and placed
it on the table.  He then cupped her chin in the palm of his hand
in an effort to tilt her head up so he could look into her eyes,
but she shook her head out of his hand and dropped her gaze down
even further to the floor. 

Looking around to make sure they were still alone so he wouldn't
embarrass her even more, he rose from his chair and walked around
to the other side of the table and knelt in front of her so he
could look up into her face.  What he saw surprised him, as two
tears spilled out of her lovely brown eyes and coursed their way
down her cheeks.  "B'Elanna, says who?" he asked ever so softly,
ever so tenderly.

"My mother," she replied simply as she brushed away the wetness
roughly with the back of her hand.

Damn her mother.  "B'Elanna there is nothing wrong with 
blushing, it's something you can't control.  In fact, I think it
is quite endearing -- particularly on you.  Now me, that's
another story."

"You?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, me.  Can't help it.  The same complexion that won't allow
me to get a sun tan is the same one that makes me blush so well. 
And, I bet I can blush better than you can, I've been known to
work my way right up to a true scarlet red in a matter of mere
seconds on occasion," he challenged puffing out his chest in mock
pride.  To which B'Elanna responded with a half-smile.  

"My cousin Beatrice . . ."

"Beatrice?"

"That's another story.  Anyway, Beatrice was about five years
older than me.  When I was young she and her parents visited out
house quite a bit.  All she had to do was talk to me about my
blushing and that would be enough to get me red from head to toe. 
She always knew what buttons to push."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope," he replied, "I swear it's true."

"That's something I'd like to see."

"Not if I can help it.  So do you feel better?"  She nodded. 
"Good, now let's eat before it gets cold.  Okay?"


After the meal, which was eaten with a liberal dose of humorous
jokes and stories by the pilot, the two finally left the mess
hall.  

"Would you mind if I walked you back to your cabin, B'Elanna?"

"That's probably not a good idea.  What if Megan saw us?"

"So, what if she did see us?" 

"Well she might think something was going on, and you wouldn't
want that."

"I wouldn't?"

"No.  She'd probably get mad.  After all, aren't you two still
seeing each other."

"Actually no, she's seeing Ted Winouski."

"Since when?"

"Since I fixed her up with him about three months ago."

Three months ago, she thought, that was about the time they
returned from . . .   Stop it B'Elanna, he couldn't possibly care
for you.  It's just a coincidence.  He's just feeling sorry for
you.  Either that or maybe he thinks if he's smooth enough that
you'll let him . . . 

"I forgot, ah . . . I left something unfinished back in
engineering," she lied.

"I'll go with you then."

"It will probably take a while.  Thanks anyway and thanks for
dinner," she said as she turned and sprinted down the corridor
toward the nearest turbolift.

"Ah, B'Elanna, Engineering is down that corridor," Tom called
after her indicating the left corridor with a nod of his head.

B'Elanna relented and with a grumble on her lips, turned to
retrace her steps.  As she walked past Tom, an old habit reared
its ugly head, and he quickly reached his arm out and drew her
toward him and into a quick kiss.  And just as quickly,
B'Elanna's fist connected with an upper cut to his jaw and Mr.
Paris was lying flat on his back staring up at the ceiling.  He
could hear her stomping away mumbling something about 'all men
being the same' and a few choice words and phrases he didn't
understanding, obviously Klingon.  She was definitely a
challenge, but worth it, he mused lying there.  He wasn't sure
what it was about B'Elanna Torres that intrigued him so, but he
was determined to find out.  He was going to find out what she
was really like beyond the walls that she erected around herself. 
Of course, Tom forgot that for him to breach her walls that he
might have to knock down a few of his own.

Chapter 2 - The Matchmaker

A long two weeks had passed, and the jaw had long since healed. 
It was amazing how a pilot could injure himself exiting a
shuttlecraft, which was the excuse he provided the Holodoc when
he had inquired about the injury.  He had only seen B'Elanna
briefly, at least during the day, a glimpse or two in the mess
hall, occasionally he would pass her in the hallway, once they
even shared a silent two-minute ride in the turbolift, but at
night in his dreams he saw her every night.  In those dreams, she
was confident, sure of herself and her combined heritage -- a
warrior woman and a sensitive soul combined in one which equaled
one powerful, irresistible combination to one pilot.

*** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ ***

"Tom?   Tom!  HEY, TOM!  It's your turn."

"Ah sorry, Harry," the pilot replied as he grabbed the pool stick
and approached the table.  With a sure and accurate shot, Paris
sank the remaining three balls that were left.  "Another game?"
he asked as he pocketed a couple of replicator rations he had
just won.

Damn even when his friend wasn't paying attention he could still
beat him, Kim thought shaking his head in dismay.  "Nope, sorry
you wiped me out.  How about we just have a couple of cold ones
and some talk?"

"Sounds good, my treat."

The two friends ordered their drinks and found a table along the
back wall.

"So who is she?" Harry asked knowing full well that since their
return from the Vidiian prison Tom couldn't keep his eyes off Lt.
Torres but Harry opted to play ignorant.

"Who's who?"

"Who are you seeing?" he asked his friend knowing that it had
been a few months since he had broken off with Megan and also
knowing that the pilot never remained unattached for very long.

"No one," he replied, which was the truth even though if the
pilot had his way it would be different.


*** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ *** ^^^ ***


<Something needs to be done,> Joe Carey thought as he reviewed
all he had witnessed over the last couple of weeks, he had been
patient long enough.  Unbeknownst to a certain pilot and
engineer, he had been watching and noticing the looks that both
of them gave the other.  While the pilot expressed his interest
more blatantly, B'Elanna opted for the subtle approach steeling
glances at him from under her thick, dark eyelashes.  But, the
familiar romantic tension was there and Carey could see it, and
being a matchmaker by heart felt that the two needed a little
nudge to get things going.  

B'Elanna was just finishing up in Engineering when Joe Carey
approached her.

"Lt. Torres, I have a couple of things to do, will you please see
that Lt. Paris gets this padd this evening?"

B'Elanna looked around hoping that someone else would volunteer
for the assignment.  "Ah . . .  sure," she said, noticing that it
was apparently her or no one, as she hesitantly took the padd.

"It's information on the repairs to the helm control we made late
this afternoon, he should review the material before his shift
starts tomorrow morning," he explained.  "I believe you'll find
Lt. Paris in Holodeck Two.  Thanks, I appreciate it."

<Great,> she thought, <Holodeck Two, that pool/bar program of
Paris'.  I'll just pop in and give him the padd and leave.  I can
do that, after all it's just business.>


They continued to sip their drinks and talk drifted into other
areas,  when the door to Sandrine's slid open and shut again.

B'Elanna looked around the room and finally located Tom at a back
table he was sharing with Harry Kim.  She was about to start to
walk to the table when Jenny Delaney, Megan's sister, beat her to
it.

"Tommy, there you are," Jenny gushed as she ran her fingers
though his hair.  "Come teach me to play pool, pleeeasse."

Tom turned his head to address her when he noticed that B'Elanna
was in the room and looking at them.  "Ah, not now Jenny, maybe
later."

"How much later?" Jenny whined with a well-practiced pout.

"How about  . . . hey, look isn't that Max Johnson over there, I
think he's looking for you," Tom fibbed.

"Oh not, not him.  You didn't see me, I'm invisible and I'm out
of here," she sputtered and quickly left trying not to be noticed
though she almost knocked B'Elanna down in the process.

B'Elanna, padd in hand, hesitantly approached Tom and Harry's
table not noticing the lecherous looks she was receiving by a
couple of men at the bar.  

"Lt. Paris, Lt. Carey asked me to give you this padd so you can
review it before your shift tomorrow morning," she explained.

"Thanks.  B'Elanna why don't you join us?" Tom offered as he took
the padd with one hand and patted the seat next to him with his
other.

"Ah, no, that's alright."

"Come on," Harry said. "Sit down, Maquis."

"Well maybe, but just for a minute," she said resigned to having
to spend at least a little time with the pair so she wouldn't
create a scene and have any unnecessary attention called to her
presence.

"Watch it Paris, you'll get frostbite!" warned one of the men at
the bar.

Upon hearing them B'Elanna face took on a wooden appearance, but
she was determined that she wouldn't say anything, she would
control the Klingon side of her emotions. She'd just pretend not
to hear them.  The last time her emotions got the better of her
she broke Joe's nose.  

But Paris heard and didn't like what was said.  "Wilkins who let
you out of your cage tonight?" the pilot asked as he rose from
his seat and approached the bar.  "Didn't anyone ever tell you
it's not nice to speak to a lady that way, let alone one who
could rip off both of your arms?"

"Get out of my face Paris, just who do you think you are to order
me around, you're nothing but the Captain's pet."

That was all it took.  Paris grabbed the taller, bigger man by
the front of his uniform with one hand and landed an upper cut to
the side of his face.  But Wilkins had the advantage being three
inches taller and forty pounds heavier all of which was muscle.
With three well-placed punches to Tom's jaw, chest, and abdomen
Tom ended up on the floor.  He was trying to shake off the
ringing in his head when he heard a few Klingon curses, a couple
of thumps, and the rest of the crowd in the bar cheer.  B'Elanna
and her Klingon heritage made quick work of the jerk, he was
proud of her.  Wilkins would probably think twice before he
insulted her again.

The next thing Tom knew Harry was behind him pulling him to his
feet and muttering something about Sickbay and that Wilkins got
what was coming to him.  Then he noticed B'Elanna looking down at
Wilkins and then turning her head to look at him and when she
noticed the attention she was receiving from the bar patrons and
she turned and fled Sandrine's.  

"I've got to go Harry, I've got to talk to her," Tom said as he
tried to pull away from Harry's hold on him.

"Yeah, you've got to go to Sickbay and let the Doc look at those
ribs . . ."

"No, I've got to . . ."

"Ensign Kim to Sickbay, three to beam in."


A half-an-hour later, Tom had convinced the EMH that he would
take it easy and gratefully left Sickbay to find B'Elanna.

"Computer, location of Lt. Torres."

"Lt. Torres is in Jeffries Tube No. 93," came the response.

"Computer state exact location of Jeffries Tube No. 93," he asked
in exasperation, to which the computer supplied him with the
correct level and deck location.


"Here it is," he murmured to himself and he turned the handle to
open the door to JT93.  After crawling in a ways and grumbling to
himself that the tubes had to be designed by a masochist, he
could hear the sounds of metal on metal up ahead.  As he got
closer, he could tell that it wasn't the sounds of someone
working as much was the sound of someone working who was upset. 
When he finally found B'Elanna, she was sitting with her back
facing him hitting a metal object into submission with an
electronic spanner and he could hear certain Klingon words
amongst the clamor.

"B'Elanna? . . . .B'Elanna!?" he said announcing his presence but
with the noise of her hammering he couldn't be heard.  Finally,
he was right behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. 
It was a good thing his reflexes were quick because upon feeling
his touch she spun around spanner in hand and if he hadn't ducked
he would have been back paying the Doctor another visit.

"How DARE you sneak up on me!" she roared and dropped her raised
hand holding spanner to her side.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you, B'Elanna, you just couldn't
hear me with all this racket.  What the hell did that . . . ah .
. . what-ever-it-is ever do to you anyway?"  

"It's a manifold coupling that won't loosen, if you must know!" 
Her Klingon half at that moment was overwhelming the human half
which at that moment would have opted to dissolve in tears of
frustration.

"Come on, I know it wasn't much of a joke, but I'm under
pressure."

"Pressure?"

"Yeah, I desperately trying to think of anything to say to get
you to calm down and maybe get you to smile."

"Well, that's going to take a lot of effort," she replied through
clenched teeth.

"B'Elanna I came down here to say 'thank you' for taking care of
Wilkins."

"You're not upset?" she asked in amazement.

"Upset about what, that he didn't have a chance to punch me a few
more times or that I was stupid enough to punch him first?"

"No, upset that I . . ."

"That you thought enough of me to protect me?  How could I ever
be upset about that?"

B'Elanna didn't know what to say.  The men she had known in the
past would have been ashamed if a woman, even a half-Klingon
woman, had fought their battles.  This Tom Paris was certainly an
enigma she mused, as she turned to her task once more raising the
in the air for another volley.

"Ah, B'Elanna, I just had an idea."  The spanner stopped at the
top of the arc.  "I've been working on a holodeck program and I
thought maybe you'd like to see it.  It's not done yet, but it's
not bad.  In fact maybe you could help me finish it."

"Holodeck program?  Isn't that something like asking a girl to
your cabin to show her your etchings?"

"Ouch, that hurt, you wound me," he said as he brought his hand
up to his chest in a mock expression of pain, "and besides I'd
never show anyone my etchings, my flight maneuvers maybe, but not
etchings," he concluded with a guilty grin which caused the
corners of her mouth to involuntarily rise.  "Trust me, B'Elanna,
you'll like it and I promise to be a perfect gentleman.  Here,"
he said as he offered her his hand, "come with me and see for
yourself."

She wanted to touch his hand so much and to go with him.  But
should she?  Hadn't Chakotay and the rest of the Maquis and even
some Starfleeters warned her about him and told her to stay away?

"Come on B'Elanna, did I let you down with the Vidiians?  Trust
me," he pleaded as he extended his hand to hers.  "What's the
matter, is your Klingon half afraid?"

"Hardly," she responded and seized his hand her hers and followed
him out of the Jeffries tube.


Chapter 3 - The Hike


Now remember, I'm still working on this one.  It still needs a
little tweak here than there.  Computer activate program Paris
Outdoors Beta Three."  

The door of the holodeck slid opened to reveal a lovely grassy
green hillside edged with tall conifer trees and punctuated with
wild flowers under a brilliant blue sky.

"It's this way," he explained as he took her by her hand and led
her up the hillside and headed for an opening among the trees.  

She followed him through the path in the woods walking on a well-
trod path.  Gradually the terrain changed becoming more steep and
rocky.  When they finally reached the first rest stop in their
hike he noticed that B'Elanna Torres was actually smiling, which
made him return the smile as this was exactly what he had hoped
to accomplish.  

"I take it you like it, you approve?" he asked.

She nodded her head.  "How did you know?  I don't think I ever
told anyone."

"How did I know what?" he asked confused by her response.

"Who told you that I used to go here on weekends when I was at
the Academy to get away.  I can't tell you how many times I've
hiked this trail.  It is the Crestwood Trail isn't it?"

"Well yes it is.  But no one ever told me you knew this place.  I
thought it was only something I knew about.  You see I spent a
lot of time here as well."

"It must have been before I entered the Academy," she surmised. 

"Probably, about the time you started I had graduated."

"Let's go I've got to see if you included my favorite view," she
said excitedly as she made the effort for the first time to grab
him by the hand which he took willingly and followed her further
up the trail.  

They walked a little ways when B'Elanna came to a sudden stop. 
"Tom, you didn't include the patch of wild flowers.  Don't you
remember they were right here," she said pulling him along so he
could see.  "They were right here next to his rock."

'Tom,' she had called him 'Tom' not 'Paris' though she probably
hadn't even realized it, he thought.  "Well tell the computer to
fix it, B'Elanna."

She looked up at him for confirmation of his request.  

"Go ahead, I've programmed the computer to accept your
alterations," he reassured her.

She grinned with glee, like a child who had been given just what
she wanted for Christmas, and nodded.  "Computer, create a patch
of alpine wild flowers approximately three meters wide by two
meters long in an irregular shape," she ordered and in a flash a
patch of multicolored wild flowers were created next to the rock
which she looked upon with satisfaction.  She looked up into
Paris' bright blue eyes.  "Thanks."

"Anytime, B'Elanna.  Anything for you," he replied with complete
sincerity noting the confused but happy look on her bronze face.


Their hike continued, he reminded her of certain rocks and trees
and she complimented him on the program noting occasional
inconsistencies and remarking on items that he had included that
she hadn't remembered.

After about another hour of walking they walked around a boulder
and B'Elanna squealed with delight sounding more like a ten-year-
old than a Lieutenant.  "Oh, you didn't forget!" she said
excitedly as she let go of his hand and crawled up on top of the
boulder and from there pulled herself up upon a nearby ledge.  He
followed her glowing on the inside by the change in her since
they entered the holodeck.  "Oh, Tom, this is probably my most
favorite place of all," she said as she reached a point on the
ledge on the other side of the boulder and sat down with a sigh.

"I'm glad I remembered it," he said, but how could he have
forgotten it, he had spent countless hours on the very same ledge
reading, sleeping, thinking of his future, thinking of ways to
avoid having to go home.

"Oh, but you forgot something," she said with a twinge of
disappointment in her voice.

"What?" he asked he was sure that he had included every little
detail in this part of the hike.

"The view.  The view isn't the same.  See you remembered that far
away mountain range." she said pointing over to her right.  "And
you included the view of the ocean," she added pointing to her
left.  "And you even remembered the orchards and the view of the
horse ranch.  But you didn't include that white building with the
red roof over on that far hillside," she concluded pointing that
direction.

"What's one building?" he asked.

Should she tell him, would it be revealing too much?  Be brave
B'Elanna, she admonished herself.  "It's silly, really.  It is
beautiful even without the building, but . . . "

"But what B'Elanna?"

"Well you see I used to bring my homework from the Academy up
here with me and study on the weekends.  And when I needed to
take a break, I used to look out at the view and daydream.  I
used to imagine climbing those mountains -- how it would be to
sail on the ocean.  I used to wonder how the people lived that
had horses and how they took care of them.  And then I used to .
. . oh, I'm sorry it's really stupid, You don't want to . . ."

"I do want to know B'Elanna, tell me.  I promise, I won't tell
anyone, promise."

"Alright, but I warned you, and if you laugh I could forget what
a good mood I'm in."  She was in a good mood she realized, maybe
the best mood she had been in for a long time all courtesy of one
Tom Paris, God's Gift to Women and Best Pilot in the Delta
Quadrant.  She grinned a little at that thought and continued. 
"I used to look out at that large white house with the red roof,
and four outbuildings . . ."  He raised his eye brows at that
comment.  "Four outbuildings, I know I counted them more than
once," she replied firmly defending her statement before
continuing.  "Oh, this really is silly, but remember you've been
warned, I used to imagine what it was like living in such a
lovely house.  I thought that any family that lived in such a
place had to be ideal, they had to be happy.  I imagined that the
mother was a teacher, the father was a doctor, and their children
liked to play outside and climb trees and go exploring in the
fields."  She paused to see if he would respond, but as she
looked into his face she was surprised by his reaction.  His eyes
appeared to have clouded over and it looked like he was a
thousand lightyears away.  "Tom?  Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." he finally replied.

"I'm sorry, did I say something?" she asked concerned that she
had ruined something special.

"No, B'Elanna, it's not you, it's me.  I'm just remembering
things."

"You were fine until I brought up that white house.  Is it
something to do with that?  Did you know who lived there."  

He turned his back to her.  This excursion had started out
wonderful, but it had all of a sudden come to a crashing halt. 
"Let's go," he suggested and started to push away from her
towards the boulder, but was prevented when she leaned forward
and her hand clasped down upon his shoulder.  

"Tell me, Tom," she said simply as she crawled around and placed
herself in front of him.  His eyes met hers, their faces mere
centimeters apart, and he knew in an instant that she would not
take 'no' for an answer.

"Yes, I knew who lived there.  The mother wasn't a teacher,
before she died was an historian specializing in the early 20th
Century, the father wasn't a doctor he was an admiral in
Starfleet, and . . ."

"And what?"

"And they had a son, a son who liked to go exploring, hiking, and
wanted to fly <to fly away>, but could never live up to his
father's expectations."

"It sounds like you knew them very well," she said instinctively
knowing what he would tell her next.

"You could say that, I was that son, B'Elanna. That's why I spent
so much time up here and why I excluded the house from the
program," he explained softly, his voice almost a whisper.  A
large chunk of his wall fell down.  

"I had no idea," she offered her eyes focused on the crystal blue
eyes opposite her as she moved a little closer to him.  Please
kiss me she thought.  Please let me be brave enough to kiss him,
to comfort him.

"I know . . . " he started to say when he was gently kissed on
his mouth by the full sensual lips of the half-Klingon engineer.

"Oh, B'Elanna," he breathed and pulled her toward him. <I should
stop> he thought. <If this goes too far . . . but I want it so
much, it's all I've dreamed about since the Vidiian mines.>   For
a change though the head ruled the heart and he pulled away from
her.  "B'Elanna, you have no idea how much I want this to
continue, but we shouldn't."

"It's okay, Paris, I understand, I should have known better," she
said brusquely as she snapped her head around.  She should have
known better she thought, why would someone as handsome as him
want to kiss her.  

"B'Elanna, please don't turn away from me," he said as he pulled
her around to face him once again and he could see the
disappointment and humiliation in her chocolate brown eyes.  "I
want to kiss you.  Hell, I want to do more than kiss you, but I
don't want to rush into it.  I care about you too much to not
consider your feelings.  I've done this before, acted on impulse
and went too far, too fast, and it never worked out.  I think we
could have something special and I don't want to spoil it.  Can
you understand?"  

B'Elanna nodded her head. "Oh, I understand perfectly."  She
understood, he didn't want her, he regretted kissing her.

Noticing the solemn look on her face.  He tried to explain once
again.  "What I'd like to do, if you'd let me, is to properly
court you and date you.  Would you let me?" 

The half-Klingon looked into his face trying to see if she could
tell if he was lying to her like Chakotay had always warned her
about, but all she saw was an honest man.  

"Will you B'Elanna Torres, will you let me date you?"

"If you're sure you really want to."

"I've never been so sure about anything else in my whole life."

"Then okay, I suppose . . ."

"Okay?  You mean it I can see you?!" he shouted.

"I mean okay, we'll give it a try, but no one is to know.  The
last thing I need is for my friends to tell me they told me so. 
Can you understand?"

"I understand perfectly.  We'll keep it quiet.  I promise.  And
B'Elanna I do really want to be with you."

End of part 1
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