Tom was still contemplating the seance when the doorbell rang again. Tom sighed, and asked the person to enter. He was surprised to see that his visitor was B'Elanna. He stood up, staring at her, stunned.
"You're surprised to see me," B'Elanna stated as she walked closer towards him.
Tom nodded and sat down, not taking his eyes off her. When he was comfortable, he asked, "So what brings you here?"
B'Elanna smiled. Obviously, he wasn't expecting her to visit him at all. She had caught him off guard, and he was trying his best to compose himself. She liked it, for it was a complete contrast to the fear he had expressed days earlier. She hoped she could see this uncertain side of him more often.
"I wanted to see if you were all right, Tom," B'Elanna answered, "And to continue with my offer to help you."
Tom smiled impishly, *Good. Someone else to sit around a round table and talk to ghosts with. Wonderful.*
"Sure, B'Elanna," the pilot said out load. His eyes sparkled mischievously as he set his trap, "There is something you can help me with. The captain has a plan that should help us find out why this shadow is attacking me and what it is."
B'Elanna's eyes brightened, "Really?"
Tom nodded, "She told me a few minutes before you arrived. I was wondering if you could participate."
"What is it?" The engineer asked cautiously.
"Not so fast, Torres,* Tom thought, *You're not going to back out on this.*
"First, will you participate in it?"
B'Elanna was beginning to get irritated. Something was up, she could tell. He wouldn't be stalling otherwise. She growled inwardly and nodded, "I'll be there, Tom. Now, what as the captain planned?"
Tom laughed inwardly. He knew she would try to back out when she found out. Now, he could toss her promise back at her.
"It's a seance. She believes and so does the Doctor that it is the best way to find out the about this creature and what it wants with me."
B'Elanna's eyes opened wide. Where they insane!?
"So you believe that this being is a ghost?" She almost wanted to laugh. It was ridiculous. B'Elanna didn't think that the captain would suggest such a thing.
"Stranger things have happened, B'Elanna," Tom stated. "Remember, weird is part of the job."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes, "Who's going to be the medium, Tom?"
Tom smiled, "Tuvok."
B'Elanna stood up, "Tuvok!? You must not have told him then. I doubt that he would go along with such insanity."
Tom shrugged, "If he thought it was the most logical thing to do, he would."
Resigned, B'Elanna throw her hands up in the air and went to him. She sat down beside him and stared into his blue eyes. She saw that he was quite serious with this wild idea. The engineer sighed and leaned back into the couch.
"I suppose you think this is a 'logical' course of action," she stated.
"With this being, nothing is logical, B'Elanna. I want to find out why it's doing this. I want to get rid of it, and if a seance is the best way to do it, then so be it."
"What if it's not a ghost?"
Tom sat back on the couch beside her. He sighed, "Then we'll know it's not a ghost, and go from there. I would prefer that it was an alien. At least, I'd know how to deal with it. I don't know how to deal with a ghost."
B'Elanna nodded. She doubted she knew either. An idea suddenly came to her. She sat up and looked at Tom, who stared at her curiously.
"What?"
"You can fight it in your dreams, Tom," B'Elanna said, excitedly, "You can fight it just like you did when you where in that semi-coma."
Tom smiled, "You were there talking to me, B'Elanna. I doubt you would want to sit by my bedside all night, and whisper sweet nothings in my ear."
B'Elanna ignored his last comment and went on, "If the seance doesn't work, this is all we have, Paris. There is something about me that this being doesn't like, and I want to use that to our advantage. If the seance doesn't work, I'm going to sleep with you."
Tom's eyes widened for a moment. He then realized what she was saying and relaxed, most of him anyway.
"Think you can stay up...Nevermind," Tom knew that once B'Elanna put her mind to something, not much could stop her; not even sleep.
"All right, B'Elanna. If the seance doesn't work, I'll let you speak to me all night."
The two smiled. B'Elanna leaned over and kissed Tom's forehead, causing him to smile even bigger. He instinctively, lowered her head down and kissed her gently on the lips. He felt her tense for a moment, but she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him.
B'Elanan broke the kiss and looked into Tom's eyes. She smiled as she ran a hand through his hair.
"So when does Janeway want to have her seance?"
Tom smiled impishly, "The Witching Hour."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes, "Midnight. Figures. I'll see you there."
The two embraced again before the engineer left the pilot's quarters. Tom sighed and looked up toward the ceiling. A smile crept across his face as he realized that B'Elanna loved him, too.
Chapter Eight
The Witching Hour made its prescence known by the sudden quietness of the ship. As Tom Paris walked the corridors of Voyager, he felt the eerie silence. He slowed his pace as his heart rate increased. He was getting the strange feeling that something was about to happen, and it wasn't going to be at the seance. The pilot spun around to see that no one was following him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he closed his eyes.
*Great. Just great,* Tom thought as a sense of dread came over him.
Tom opened his eyes to see the dark figure standing a few feet away from him. The pilot tried to remain calm as he held his ground. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he knew that the shadow could probably hear it. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"What do you want!?" Tom demanded of the figure. He hoped his voice wasn't as shaky as he felt.
The figure moved closer, but said nothing. Tom stood his ground and asked another question, "What are you!? Answer me!"
Tom felt an icy jolt run through his body. He gasped as he felt the coldness seep into every pore of his body. His teeth began to chatter as he wrapped his arms around himself. Tom looked up to see that the figure had moved closer and its left arm was pointing at him. He blinked as he began to feel even colder.
"Damn it! Why are you doing this!?" Tom shouted through chattering teeth. He was getting more and more angry. He was no longer afraid of this being. He glared at it, but his stare had no effect on it. He then remembered what terrified this creature.
*B'Elanna,* Tom thought instinctively.
The cold suddenly left his body and he felt the reasuring warmth of the ship. He straighten and stared at the figure that had moved away. He concentrated on B'Elanna's name again, and the figure continued to retreat until it was completely gone.
*If it won't answer me, I doubt it will answer Tuvok,* Tom thought sadly, *I guess B'Elanan will have to sit up all night with me after all.*
With a sigh, the pilot headed for the turbolift.
~~
"Tom! What took you so long?" B'Elanna asked, going to him.
"I had a run in with the local bully," the pilot answered, looking into the engineer's concerned eyes.
"What happened?" Janeway asked from her seat at the head of the Conference Table. She was also concerned.
"I tried to ask it some questions. The only answer I got was a taste of the Arctic winter. It wouldn't answer my questions."
"Then it most likely won't answer ours," Tuvok stated from his seat beside Janeway.
"I say we should still try," Janeway added, "We don't have any other options."
B'Elanna chose that moment to speak, "I have an idea, Captain."
The others in the room looked at her, expectantly. She stood before them, daring her to think her idea was ludicrous.
"Since this being doesn't like me, I suggest that I stay with Tom while he sleeps. If he shows the slightest hint that he's having a nightmare, I'll talk him through it."
"Can you stay up all night?" Harry asked.
B'Elanna gave him a strange look, "Yes, I can. I've done it before."
"This isn't your engines, B'Elanna," Chakotay stated, "You will barely have anything to do but watch Tom sleep."
B'Elanna stared at him, "I can bring something to work on. Look, if the seance doesn't work, we don't have much else to do. It is afraid of me. I say let's use that to our advantage."
"What happens if you fall asleep and he has a nightmare?" Chakotay asked.
B'Elanna looked at Tom. She hadn't thought of this. She knew she could stay up the entire night. She would stay up the entire night to help Tom. She saw in his blue eyes that he believed she could help him. That was all she needed.
B'Elanna turned back toward the group and said, "I won't fall asleep, Commander."
Chakotay looked at Janeway, who only nodded. The Commander looked around the table and saw expressions that told him they believed she could stay up all night. He sighed in defeat, "If she thinks she can stay up all night, I guess I can believe that."
"Thank you, Chakotay," the engineer said, taking a seat beisde him. Tom sat down on the other side of B'Elanna.
Janeway cleared her throat, "If this seance doesn't work, we'll go with B'Elanna's plan. Tuvok."
Tuvok, who was at first against the idea of a seance, lit two white candles and set them in the middle of the table. He then asked the group to join hands. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He told the group to stare into the candles as they cleared their mind of everything.
When Tuvok believed the group was ready, he spoke, "Voyager is being haunted by something not known to us. We ask that it make itself known to answer questions. We know that you are here. We want to know why."
The room was silent as they waited for the being to make its presence known. They all stared at the glowing candles, telling themselves that the shadow dancing were just their shadows. A couple of them looked around the room as if they could tell the difference between their shadows and the being's.
After a minute had past, Tuvok went deeper into his trance and began again, "We are to learn more about you. Make yourself known to us all. We know you are after Tom Paris. He is here. He wants to ask you some questions. He wants them answered."
At that, the candles flickered and a cold breeze filled the room. The group looked around the room, surprised. Tom felt his heart begin to beat faster as he watched one shadow move apart from the others. He stared at it, but it didn't move any closer to him. He then remembered that B'Elanna was next to him. He sqeezed her hand and whispered to her, "It's here, but it won't come any closer."
B'Elanna looked at him and smiled, "Good. Where is it?"
"Behind Harry. Can you see it?"
B'Elanna looked past Harry. She could see shadows, but not much else. Then she saw it. A flicker of movement to the left of Harry. She stared at it and it moved again. She gasped and squeezed Tom's hand harder.
"I see it, Tom," she whispered, "It doesn't want to come near us."
"Because, you're here," Tom replied.
"Tom, do you see it?" Janeway asked, noticing the two.
The pilot nodded, "It's behind Harry."
Harry spun around, but saw only shadows. He looked back at Tom and B'Elanna. They both nodded that it was behind him. He smiled weakly then got up and moved closer toward them. The two smiled at him.
"You may ask it something, Lt. Paris," Tuvok mentioned, "I will keep it in the room for as long as I can."
Tom nodded and stared at the shadow that was very different from the others. He steadied himself as he asked the questions, and hoped that it would answer them this time.
"Who are you?"
Silence. Tom looked at Tuvok, who continued to stare at the candles. The pilot stared at the shadow as it danced on the wall. He scowled. It had moved. He looked at Tuvok again and noticed a change in the Vulcan's features. Tom's eyes widened as he realized that the figure had invaded Tuvok's mind.
"I am what you fear most," Tuvok spoke, but his voice was deeper, icier, "I am what you keep locked away deep in your mind. You have let me grow inside you. To nourish myself on your darkest fears."
Tom froze. He looked around the room and saw that everyone was looking at him. He shook his head. This was not what he wanted. He stared at Tuvok as he contined.
"You asked what I wanted with you. I shall tell you. I want to show you what you ignore. The nightmares are only the beginning."
"You want to drive me insane!" Tom shouted, barely containing his anger. He now knew what this being was. It was a demon left over from his past. A demon he didn't vanquish when he had joined Voyager.
"Insanity is only an aftereffect. One that I would greatly appreciate. You can not stop me, I will always be around."
The cold breeze vanished from the room, and the flickering candles went out.
"Computer, lights," Janeway commanded.
When the lights came on, all eyes were on Tom. The pilot felt like melting into his chair. They wanted answers and they wanted them now.
"I suppose you want to know what it was talking about," Tom stated, staring at the table top.
"That would help, Tom," Janeway said, knowing that this was going to be difficult for him.
"When I came on board I had a lot of demons to deal with. It took awhile, but I finally dealt with them. I thought I dealt with all of them. Obviously, I didn't. This shadow is a manifestation of that demon."
"What demon is that, Tom?" B'Elanna asked gently.
"Caldik Prime," Tom whispered.
~~
Tom sat on his couch in his dinly lit quarters. He was nursing a cup of coffee as he stared before him. His mind was reliving the horrible event and the following days. He closed his eyes, and fought back the tears that threaten to spill. He knew that this demon would always be with him, no matter how much he had redeemed himself. He knew of nothing that could defeat this.
Tom leaned back on his couch and gazed at the ceiling. He sighed as his mind recalled the past. He closed his eyes, knowing that the events would replay again in complete vividness. Only the chime of the door chased them away.
"Enter," Tom called, not bothering to open his eyes.
The door slid open and his visitor stepped inside. He slowly opened his eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could make out the figure of a woman. He sat up and called for the lights to come on. He blinked back the brightness.
"I was wondering when you were going to turn on the lights," B'Elanna said, as she sat down next to him, "I was thinking of doing it myself if you hadn't."
Tom looked at her, his eyes now focused. He offered her a weak smile, "I'm not going to be much of a host tonight, B'Elanna."
B'Elanna ran a hand through his hair, "I don't expect you to be, Tom. At least, we now what it is and why it's after you."
Tom nodded and sipped his cold coffee. He made a face and set it down on the table. He looked at her, wondering if she could be the answer. He mentally shook his head. This was something he had to do himself.
"It's always going to be with me. I just forgot about it. I didn't try to vanquish it, I guess you can say. I just let it grow and fester."
B'Elanna nodded, "I told you I will help and I will."
Tom smiled and caressed her face. He stared into her dark eyes and felt a sense of peace within them. He brought her face closer to him and he kissed her. B'Elanna ran her hands into his hair as she deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced as Tom ran a hand through her dark hair. For a moment, all the horror of his past seemed to be just that; the past.
Tom felt B'Elanna unfastening his uniform top. He moved his mouth to her jawline then her neck as she slipped the tunic off his shoulders and down his arms. He stopped and looked at her, her expression filled with desire.
"B'Elanna?"
"I'm going to be here all night. I'm going to make sure that ghost doesn't come back."
Tom wanted to laugh, "You think having sex with me will scare it away for good?"
B'Elanna grabbed the front of his undershirt and brought him closer to her, "No, Tom. I know it won't. If you don't want to.."
*That sounded familiar,* Tom thought as he removed his tunic, "It's a bit sudden, B'Elanna. That's all I'm thinking. If you want to stay the rest of the night. That's fine with me."
B'Elanna looked at him, trying to decide what he was telling her. His eyes told her nothing, but the rest of him told her everything. She embraced him and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her. B'Elanna gently pushed him onto his back as his hands explored her body.
The half-Klingon sat up, grinning wickedly at him. He smiled back as she unfastened her uniform top and removed it. She then ran her hands under his grey shirt, causing him to moan. She growled in response as her hands roamed over his chest. She bent down and resumed kissing him as his hands began to remove her undershirt.
The undershirts joined each other on the floor as the couple on the couch continued to explore each other with their hands and mouth. B'Elanna sighed as Tom suckled on her breasts. She left marks on his back as he continued to assault her breasts with licks and kisses. She growled as he moved back up to claim her lips.
B'Elanna began to nibble on Tom's ear when he gasped loudly. She stopped and looked at him, concerned. Fear spread through her as she saw his eyes glaze over. She shook his shoulders and tried to get him to focus on her. She began to shout at him as her fear built.
"Tom! Wake up!"
Tom could barely hear B'Elanna's frantic calls. He tried to ignore the vision that appeared before him, to no avail. It forced him to stare at its horrific state. He tried to shake himself awake, but that didn't work either. He glared at the vision, but it ignored his stares.
"Leave me alone!" Tom shouted at the vision as it neared him. He tried to back away, but a wall stopped him. There was no way out for him and the shadow knew it. It glided closer to him as the pilot braced himself for another attack. Suddenly, the figure vanished.
Tom tensed suddenly. He pushed away the form that was pressed up against him. He stood up and glared at B'Elanna. Trying to catch his breath, he ignored her surprised glare. When he finally could breathe, he looked at the half-Klingon.
"I'm sorry," Tom whispered.
"It was the shadow, wasn't it?"
Tom nodded, "I couldn't so anything. I was frozen in place. It was coming toward me, then it vanished."
"I kissed you," B'Elanna answered, "It was the only thing that came to mind. Nothing else worked."
Tom breathed a sigh of relief. At least, it was still afraid of B'Elanna. He nodded his thanks and sat down beside her. The two embraced each other, comforting the other.
"There has to be a way to stop it," Tom said, "I know it will never go away, but it has to be stopped."
"We'll find it, Tom," B'Elanna whispered as she stroked his hair, "We'll find it."
Tom hoped it would be soon. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer against this demon from his past.
