Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek every little bit of it.  I'm just
taking them out on a joyride now and then.  I promise they'll be back
before bedtime... :)
The song "At the Beginning" belongs to these people.  Music by Stephen
Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahren, Performed by Richard Marx and Donna
Lewis.
Dedication: To the Ites, especially Erin my sis, Laurie Lou my twin, and
all the Borg for not assimilating me...yet...:)  Kayci, Harry, Tommy,
Dax, you know who you are.  And to Robbie McNeill and Roxann Dawson who
make these characters so real.  And for giving me something to do in my
spare time. (Watching reruns, writing fanfic, and looking forward to
Wednesday nights :))

Authors Note: This takes place eight years after Caretaker.  Do your
math, three years after this one. :)  Some things are  from the
novelization of "Caretaker" by L.A. Graf and "Day of Honor" by Michael
Jan Friedman.  

"Another Beginning"
By: Krystal Banzon

**We were strangers,
starting out on a journey.
Never dreaming,
What we'd have to go through.**
     "I see them!" Tom Paris yelled.
     He climbed down the stairs leading to his crewmates.  Well, one of
his crewmates, Harry Kim.  That's when her saw her.  *Shes one of the
Maquis crew.*  He noticed her brow ridges and knew that she probably was
of Klingon ancestry.  He stared down at her, like an angel floating from
above.  Their eyes met, his blue, blue eyes and her dark chocolate ones.
Mixing like an odd harmony, from a new tune.  *She is so beautiful*, he
thought.  
     B'Elanna Torres was looking up, at a human man.  He has such blue
eyes.  Eyes that shine even in complete darkness.  She thought, *He is
so handsome...*
     *I wonder if I'll ever get to learn his name..*
     *I wonder if I'll ever get to learn her name...* 
     They thought in unison, as they climbed up the long staircase in
this planet, up toward the bright sun...
**Now here we are,
And i'm suddenly standing
at the beginning with you...**
     Tom Paris stood in front of the crowd of people in the Holodeck.
It was a bright sunny day, in the middle of a field.  Blue sky, patched
with white clouds.  Clouds as white as the wicker chairs the audience
sat in.  A large arch with ivy hanging from it stood behind him, and
under it, smiling patiently at the nervous Tom Paris, was Captain
Janeway.
     Janeway looked at the nervous man dressed in a black tuxedo.  This
would be the happiest day of his life.  In a way, she envied him...he
had something she didn't, someone to spend the rest of his life with.
     Tom smiled.  Though he was nervous, he thought of the first time
they had met.  In those caverns, on the Ocampan Homeworld.  The way
their eyes met in the semi-darkness, her beautiful, beautiful eyes.
Happiness overflowed his senses, this day would be the beginning of the
rest of his life.
     Then the music started.  The piano was playing "The Rose" instead
if the usual wedding melody.  And that was perfect.  She was a rose, a
rose that would live on forever.
     The audience stood up, and said a few "awws" when Niomi Wildman
came down the aisle in her cute pink dress, trying to eat the rose
petals.  The Doctor scooped her up and examined her, while saying, "The
cake comes later, my dear..." 
     Down the aisle came Ensign Hayes, and Lieutenant Parker.  The
bridesmaids beautiful in their white dresses, revealing the shoulders.
Then Seven and Harry,  and Nicolletti and Carey.
     Then, she appeared in the doorway.  She wore a white dress with no
straps, her dress touching the ground, and her train, though not long,
dragging behind her.  Her hair was down, lightly touching her shoulders,
her eyes shining, Chakotay at her side.  Water formed in Tom's eyes.  He
had never seen anything so beautiful...
     B'Elanna stared at Tom, he was so beautiful.  Joy filled her heart,
eight years ago, who would have guessed she'd be marrying the most
wonderful man in the world...
**No one told me 
I was going to find you.
Unexpected 
What you did to my heart.**
     B'Elanna sat in the dark, crying.  They took away a part of her.
Ironic, she always thought this happening would be a good thing, but no.
It left her torn.  A half of her was gone.  The Vidiians did it, they
took her Klingon side.  Leaving her with what she always wanted to be
Human.  But now she didn't feel whole.
     "B'Elanna?" She heard Tom's voice say out loud.  "Tom?  I'm right
here." she answered putting her face in the light.  Tom stared, it was
B'Elanna, but Human.  After she explained, he comforted her.  Told her
everyhing would be all right.  With his endless eyes, and comforting
voice, she believed him.  And in the end, everything turned out all
right...
**When I lost hope,
You were there to remind me,
This is the start...**
     B'Elanna walked down the aisle, arm in arm with Chakotay.  Closer
to Tom, closer to the future, closer to a new beginning...
**Life is a road
I want to keep going.
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing.
Life is a road
Now and Forever
Wonderful Journey
I'll be there 
When the world stops turning.
I'll be there,
When the storm is through.
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you.**
     "I was just too afraid to tell you." B'Elanna's voice said.  Her
face was close to his.  The light of his wrist beacon shing on both
their faces.  Tom knew B'Elanna was suffering from an illness, but oh,
how much he wanted to belive that.  She was so close to him, he wanted
to hold her forever.  He didn't know exactly what his feelings were
exactly then, but he knew for certain he loved this woman.  He knew that
when he refused to take advantage of her.
     When they were back on the ship, and everything was all right,
well, almost everything, B'Elanna and Tom had to talk.  He told her what
he felt, but she couldn't tell him what she felt.  She had forgotten due
to the Pon Farr.  Tom told her the truth.  That he liked her Klingon
side,and wanted to see more of it. 
     "Be careful what you wish for, Lieutenant." she replied smiling.
**We were strangers
On a crazy adventure.
Never dreaming
How our dreams would come true**
     *I got exactly what I wished for.* he thought, as B'Elanna stood
next to him.  Chakotay gave a kiss before stepping aside.  Tom smiled,
and looked B'Elanna in the eyes.  Joy filled both of them, they held
hands, and faced Captain Janeway, heads up high, ready to face the
future together.
**Now here we stand,
Unafraid of the future.
At the beginning with you.**
     Janeway looked at the young couple.  Brave, and hopeful.  The
future shone in their faces.  The bright road leading to happiness
reflected in their eyes...
     Janeway started "We weclome you to the joining of Tom Paris and
B'Elanna Torres into marriage..."
**Life is a road
I want to keep going.
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing.
Life is a road
Now and Forever
Wonderful Journey
I'll be there 
When the world stops turning.
I'll be there
When the storm is through.
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you.**
     "Tom, there's something I have to say..." B'Elanna said inbetween
gasps of air.  They were stuck, in the vaccum of space, floating, in
their enviromental suits.       Tom looked into B'Elanna's eyes, where
the stars and the darkness of space were reflected.  Tom didn't think
the stars were reflected, he knew they belonged there.  The stars in her
eyes.
     "Me too," he said. "I'm glad the last thing I'll see is you..."
     B'Elanna hugged Tom, tightly, never wanting to let go...
     B'Elanna wasn't a coward, Tom thought.  Not really paying attention
to the words.  More to her face, her beautiful face, *the last thing
I'll see...* he thought.  *are the stars in her eyes...*
     Then he heard her say something...
     "I love you, Tom"
**I knew there was somebody,
somewhere.
Like me alone in the dark.**
     "I do."
     "Do you B'Elanna Torres take this man to be your husband, to love
and to serve, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, til'
death do you part?"
     "Not even death will keep us apart.  
I do."
**Now  I know my dream will live on,
I've been waiting so long.
Nothing's gonna keep us apart...**
     Janeway smiled.  *yes, the future certainly is bright for these
two.*  Since B'Elanna and Tom's backs were to the audience, they
couldn't see half of the crew was smiling, and the other half crying.
**Life is a road
I want to keep going.
Love is a river 
I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road,
Now and Forever
Wonderful Journey
I'll be there
When the world stops turning.
I'll be there 
When the storm is through.
In the end I wanna be standing,
At the beginning with you.**
     "By the pow.."Janeway choked.  "I'm sorry." she said as she smiled,
while a tear freely ran down her cheek.
     "It's all right, Captain." B'Elanna said softly as her own eyes
began to water...
**Life is a road,
and I wanna keep going.
Love is a river I wanna keep going on.
Starting out on a Journey.**
     They wiped the tears from their eyes, and Janeway began again.
     "By the power in-invested in me, I now pronounce you Man, and
Wife."
**Life is a road I wanna keep going,
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing...**
     In that moment, all time stopped.  It was only two of them and
their happiness. Points in time collided.  The Past becoming the
present.  All points lead up, made up this point in time...
     "B'Elanna?"
     "Tom?"
     "I have something to tell you."
     "Be careful what you wish for."
     "I can't take advantage of you."
     "I was just too afraid to tell you."
     "I'm glad the last thing I'll see is you."
     "I love you."
     This point in time, made up of the past. The past brought them
together.  But they need not worry about the past now.  The road toward
the future lay right in front of them.  This would be the beginning of
the rest of their life.
**Life is a road I wanna keep going,
Love is a river i wanna keep flowing,
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you.**
     "You may now kiss the bride."


  
 
     
Copyright Krystal Banzon
April 2, 1998
Can be archived anywhere just tell me first!
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