"For the first time, I am looking in your eyes, for the first time,
I've seen who you are. I can't believe how much I've seen when you're
looking back at me. Now I understand what love is, love is, for the 
first time."(2)

II.

  I shivered and sneezed, wishing I could wrap my uniform jacket
tighter around myself. 
  "You okay?" B'Elanna asked, concern tightening her voice. "I don't
know how long we're going to be here -- it could be hours, it could
be days. With no way to scan the planet from Voyager, the Captain'll
have to send out search teams....If she hasn't given us up for dead."
  B'Elanna, I thought wryly, always knew what to say to keep your
hopes up.
  "I'm fine," I lied. There was no use in giving her more to worry 
about -- she was already worked up trying to get a fire started. All 
the epuipment we'd had -- phasers, tricorders, even our commbadges --
had been lost.
  B'Elanna sat down beside me, dropping her load of wood. She eyed
approvingly the firewood I'd already gathered and stacked.
  "Okay, I need you to put your hand here," she pointed.
  I eyed her warily. "Are sure this is safe?"
  She looked offended. "Of course I'm sure. Sissy. Put your hand
here."
  "You sure have a sophisticated way of building a fire, B'Elanna,"
I joked. "Here?"
  "No, here," she grabbed my hand to guide it to the appropriate 
place, but stopped. "Tom, your hands are like ice!" she exclaimed.
I jerked my hand away, swearing softly. 
  "I'm fine," I said sharply. 
  "No, you're not," she returned firmly. "Tom, why didn't you say
something?" She looked furious, and I did my best to console her.
An angry half-Klingon was not something I had the strength to deal
with right now.
  "B'Elanna, we've got more important things to worry about than 
whether my hands are cold," I told her. 
  She knew I was right and turned away in frustration. "Put your hand 
here," she said dully. 
  I couldn't bear seeing her so downhearted. I gently touched her
cheek with hand, noticing she flinched at my touch. "Hey," I consoled
her, "we're gonna be fine. They're going to find us, soon."
  She touched my hand with her fingers reassuringly. "I know."
She looked up at my face and half-smiled, though her smile was
tinged with sadness. "Blue lips don't suit you, Tom."
  I smiled. "Thanks. You're beautiful, too."
  She laughed. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Paris."
  "I know," I replied honestly, trying to stifle a sneeze. Somehow
it seemed ludicrous in light of recent happenings, so I gave up
and sneezed anyway. She looked over at me, mouth puckered in a frown,
but didn't say anything. Good.
  She did finally manage to get the fire built -- without any help
from me. I contented myself with just keeping in motion, gotta keep
moving to stay warm. C'mon, Tom, keep moving. Don't stop.
  I'd walked around our makeshift camp when suddenly there was a
rustle in the bushes and B'Elanna was right beside me. "What is
it?" I asked. 
  Her eyes were wide and her teeth were showing. "Quiet," she hissed.
  "What is it?" I asked again, quieter this time. She shook her head
quickly. 
  "I don't know, Tom."
  "Search team, maybe?"
  "I don't think so," she said doubtfully. There was a noise behind
us and we both whirled to see half a dozen creatures staring at us
excitedly. They carried very long, very sharp-looking spears and 
jabbered in an untranslatable language. 
  "What do we do?" I asked B'Elanna. I might be in charge of the
mission, but she would be better at survival training. She'd been
in the Maquis longer than I had.
  "Wait."
  "For what? Them to spear us?"
  "Be quiet, Tom," she whispered, but I caught the small smile that
had flashed across her face. I smiled, too.
  "Yes, ma'am."
  She ignored that.

  "Quick, B'Elanna. I think they covered this situation in the
Academy training. What was the correct thing to do?"
  "Be quiet, Tom."
  "I can't. My brain says `shut up' but my mouth keeps moving."
  "Do you always talk incessantly when you're afraid?"
  "Always," I confirmed.
  She rolled her eyes. "Great."
  We were being prodded along at a leisurely pace. Our hands
were bound, but our mouths were free for talking. I had been 
feeling progressively worse as the day wore on, and even B'Elanna
was looking pale.
  "Acheeiya!!" 
  My head whipped around at the war cry that had come from somewhere
behind us. A barrage of arrows began pelting the area around us.
Immediately our captors dropped to the ground, spun around, and began
pulling out their own assorted weaponry.
  B'Elanna shouted, "Tom, run!" 
  With no hands to defend ourselves, running was the only option 
we had. B'Elanna raced through the underbrush, plowing her way,
and I did my best to keep up. Something struck me in the middle
of my back, and I staggered, then jerked myself upright and followed
B'Elanna. The sounds of fighting had dimished behind us, and I could 
see that I was lagging behind, my vision was narrowing down to a dark 
tunnel. B'Elanna was getting further and further ahead.
  "B'Elanna!" I called desperately as I stumbled. I could see her
turn, shock flashing across her face. 
  "Tom!" In an instant she was by my side, helping me to my feet.
  "Can't run," I panted. "Go on,"
  She ignored me. "Come on, Tom. We're almost there. I'm sure I saw
the shuttle."
  "`Lanna," I stressed, words slurred. "Go,"
  "C'mon," she urged. "Almost there. Then you can rest."
  I stumbled along with B'Elanna's help. Almost there. 
  "Harry!!" she called suddenly. "Tuvok!!"
  More voices entered my rapidly dimming world and I thought I might
have recognized Harry Kim's voice before my vision went black.

End chapter two....

-- 
**************************************************************
Jessica Ferroni   *  jessica@p24818.cle.ab.com
Official Paris-ite  *  Star Trek: Voyager