A Time to Remember
By Erin Alpert

Author's Note: This is my first story in a while. I began thinking, and I had
a song stuck in my head, and things just clicked...

Standing in Tom's quarters, B'Elanna had no idea why she was here.  "Close
your eyes, and open your hands," Tom instructed her. She didn't know what was
happing, but obeyed silently. 
Tom placed a medium sized, elegantly decorated box into her arms. 
"Open your eyes... and your gift," he had a deceitful look on his face.  She
carefully lifted the lid off the box, half expecting something to pop out at
her. Softly resting in red tissue paper were a pair of sandals. They were
mostly black, with a little bit of eggplant-purple trim. They strapped around
the back of her foot, and twice over it.  "Tom, how..." she didn't quite know
what to say. "Thoughtful."
"You don't like them?" He looked hurt. 
"No, Tom. I like them but... They're... interesting."
"They can't be that bad!"
"I just wasn't expecting them." It wasn't the type of gift Tom usually got
Her. Actually, he never really bought her anything.  "Well, they're actually
for a holodeck program I designed. It's going to be sunny, warm, and you might
get wet. Wear these also."
As she left his quarters, she thought, *There's the Paris we all know and 
love.* 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"We walked on the beach 
beside the old hotel..." -
"A Time to Remember"
By.... someone...
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
B'Elanna Torres cautiously walked into the holodeck. She never knew what to
expect with Paris making these programs. The first thing she felt was sunlight
beating down on her face and bare shoulder. She had decided to wear a navy
blue tank top, jean shorts, and, of course, her new sandals.  The program was
a beach, warm sand, and calm blue waves, an ocean breeze, and what appeared to
be an old hotel. B'Elanna saw Tom standing down closer to the water. She ran
over to him, and greeted him with a warm embrace. 
"B'Elanna! I'm so glad you made it." He kissed her cheek, and took her hand.
"So, Tom, where are we this time?" Torres asked.
"Just an imaginary place I created from my heart," he smiled sweetly.
"I see," she nodded, as they began to walk down the beach.
After a few minutes of walking and enjoying the scenery, tom broke the
silence.
"B'Elanna?"
"Hmmm?" she turned her head, and looked into his eyes, which nearly matched
the crystal waters.
"I'm going to say something I haven't said in a long time, if ever. I've been
chasing you for over a year now, but I've always felt that you've turned me
down. The one time we went to that tropical party together, you went off with
Vorik, and that hurt me. But I got over that. Then there was that little
incident with the ponn far, which we both agreed to forget, but I know I never
will. You admitted feelings that I didn't think you had, so I denied them, but
know I believe you. I really do. It may seem weird, but I have feelings to. I
try to hide them behind some tough guy image, but they're there. B'Elanna,
I.... I know how hard this is to say but I... I..." B'Elanna blinked up at
tom, she knew what he wanted to say, but she also knew how hard it was. She
took both of his hands in hers, and gave him pleading eyes.
"B'Elanna.... I... I love you," Paris admitted, finally.  Torres took Tom into
her arms, and hugged him tightly. "That wasn't so hard, was it" she whispered.
Once more, he repeated, "I love you." and ran out into the ocean water,
pulling B'Elanna into the waves with him. The water was freezing, and as it
first hit her legs, she nearly dug her nails through the fabrics of Tom's
shirt.  "This is COLD!" She practically screamed.
"I know." Tom had a wicked grin on, as he held her close, and kissed her.
Still together, they backed carefully out of the ocean, and sat down on the
beach, just at the tide line, so that the water splashed up on them.  "Thank
you," B'Elanna told Tom, resting her head on his shoulder, and curling up her
legs, resting in his arms. "I love the sandals..." He held her to him, and in
the background, music played...
"This is the time to remember,
For it will not last forever.
These are the days to hold onto,
If we don't hold on, we'll want to.
This is time,
The time is gonna change..."

The End....
Copyright Erin "Eggy" Alpert  Eraalpert@aol.com  peoples and the box belong to
all high via-dudes, and story and sandals belong to everyone's favorite queen
of da eggplants.