Curiosity
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters. I just like playing with them for a while.
"So, was it a boy or a girl?"
B'Elanna Torres glared at Tom Paris as he followed her back to her quarters. Somehow, she knew he wouldn't let her forget the fact that she was portrayed as a pregnant Resistance fighter during the Hirogen occupation of Voyager. For the most part, she could put up with his teasing because the nature of the character of Brigitte was close to her own. It was the pregnant part that she wasn't too thrilled with.
"Neither, Tom. It was a holographic projection, remember?"
They arrived at her quarters and Tom followed B'Elanna inside. "Oh, come on," he cajoled. "Weren't you the least bit curious?"
B'Elanna stalked to the replicator. "Two waters, cold." As the computer complied with the request, she answered, "What does it matter? It wasn't real."
"Disappointed?"
She hesitated slightly before retrieving the two glasses from the replicator. She turned and headed to the couch, handing Tom one of the glasses as she sat down. "No," she said, before taking a sip.
Tom studied her for a moment before sitting next to her. "Oh, I don't know," he began, sipping at his water. "I think you are. I think towards the end, you were getting into it. You were looking all warm and maternal..."
B'Elanna snorted. "Right. I was not looking maternal."
"Actually, I thought you looked very beautiful."
Startled, she glanced at his face. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she quickly turned away, embarassed. "It was uncomfortable," she muttered.
Tom put his glass on the table in front of them. "So you said. Was it really that bad?"
Sensing something else behind the question, B'Elanna sipped at her water as she thought it over. "It was surprising," she began, leaning forward to place her glass next to his before leaning back and placing her head on his shoulder. "I think what was so unsettling was that I had no choice in the matter. And even though that p'tahk was just a holographic image, the thought of carrying his child, even a holographic representation, is enough to make me ill."
"You and me both," Tom muttered in agreement. "But, you aren't ruling out the possibility entirely?"
B'Elanna shifted slightly to stare at him, a puzzled look on her face. "What, of having a baby?" She gave a small laugh. "Oh, come on, Tom. Can you see me as a mother? I don't exactly have a lot of 'motherly' qualities."
Tom looked at her seriously. "I think you would make a great mother."
She regarded him skeptically for a moment. "Even with my temper?"
"Yes, even with your fomidable temper." When she continued to give him a skeptical look, Tom shrugged. "Well, it's not like you would raise the kid on your own. You would have someone to help channel those Klingon instincts into a more productive use."
B'Elanna raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you want to be a father?"
Tom's expression turned nonchalant. "You would consider me? I'm flattered."
B'Elanna smiled. "Smartass. Who else would I consider?"
"Well, I just wanted to be sure."
B'Elanna settled back with her head on Tom's shoulder, this time with his arm encircling her, holding her close. They sat quietly for a few minutes, then she broke the silence. "Nope, it wouldn't work."
"What?"
"Us being parents," she said. "I'm Chief Engineer, I've got too many responsibilities. And you pull double duty in Sickbay and on the Bridge. We barely have time for ourselves now, let alone a child."
"Who said anything about having a kid right now?"
"Think about it, Tom. All that extra work, the diapers, feedings..."
"Oh, yeah," Tom agreed, voice bordering on sarcasm, "We wouldn't want the Chief Engineer to dirty her hands with something other than engine parts. And, don't forget the constant need for attention..."
B'Elanna bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I thought we were talking about a baby, not you."
Tom gave her a mock wounded look. "As I was saying, never mind the added benefits of having a kid, like sleepless nights, constant worrying about their safety, the noise, the crying..."
B'Elanna reached up and covered his mouth with her hand. "Okay, you convinced me. No kids."
Tom looked surprised. "Oh. I was kinda hoping for another answer."
"I know," B'Elanna smiled mischeviously. "Seriously, Tom, we just started this relationship. I'm not ruling out the possibility of us becoming parents, but given our resective pasts with parental figures, don't you think we're jumping ahead of ourselves?"
Tom nodded, slowly. "I see what you're getting at. I understand completely. I have thought about it ever since we admitted our feelings for each other, though."
B'Elanna sat up and stared at him in surprise. "You have?"
Tom stared back, his expression serious. "B'Elanna, I love you. I know we've joked about how far to take this relationship before, but I also know that I do want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to raise a family with you. Yes, it may be a while before we're ready to have children, but I have thought about it. I can't think of any good reason why we can't be good parents."
He saw the hesitation in her eyes, and reached out to caress her cheek. "We can't change the past, B'Elanna. God knows I'd like to, if only to spare you your pain. The only thing we can do is plan for the future, our future together."
B'Elanna lowered her eyes, thinking over what Tom just said. She looked back up and into the loving, sincere gaze of the one person in the entire galaxy she could never hide from. She knew he was right, and the thought of having a family with this man no longer terrified her. "I love you, Tom."
The smile he gave her made her heart melt. "And I do love you, B'Elanna." And as his smile turned into a grin, he added, "My little resistance fighter."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes and groaned. Tom laughed. "Actually, it's kind of fitting. Do you know what the French Resistance was called in World War Two?"
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "What was it called," she asked, warily.
Tom grinned again. "It was called 'The Maquis.' Sound familiar?"
Her eyes widened. "You're joking!"
Tom shook his head. "Nope. In fact, all their efforts went toward liberating Paris, which they loved the most."
Catching the double meaning, B'Elanna gave him a predatory smile. "Really?" she purred. "And how did they go about 'liberating Paris?'"
Tom drew her closer and began nuzzling her neck. "You're the Maquis, you tell me," he murmured.
With a low growl, B'Elanna pushed him onto his back on the couch. Hovering over him, she kissed him deeply before replying, "Perhaps I'll strike from the north and work my way south."
Eyes wide with desire, Tom groaned and whispered, "My fate is in your hands, mon cherie."
B'Elanna grinned at him. "Not yet, but soon enough."
Comments, feedback? Email at CFBFagan@prodigy.net
--------------------
Curiosity
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters. I just
like playing with them for a while.
"So, was it a boy
or a girl?"
B'Elanna Torres
glared at Tom Paris as he followed her back to her quarters. Somehow, she
knew he wouldn't let her forget the fact that she was portrayed as a pregnant
Resistance fighter during the Hirogen occupation of Voyager. For the most
part, she could put up with his teasing because the nature of the character of
Brigitte was close to her own. It was the pregnant part that she wasn't
too thrilled with.
"Neither,
Tom. It was a holographic projection, remember?"
They arrived at
her quarters and Tom followed B'Elanna inside. "Oh, come on," he
cajoled. "Weren't you the least bit curious?"
B'Elanna stalked
to the replicator. "Two waters, cold." As the computer complied with
the request, she answered, "What does it matter? It wasn't
real."
"Disappointed?"
She hesitated
slightly before retrieving the two glasses from the replicator. She turned
and headed to the couch, handing Tom one of the glasses as she sat down.
"No," she said, before taking a sip.
Tom studied her
for a moment before sitting next to her. "Oh, I don't know," he began,
sipping at his water. "I think you are. I think towards the end, you
were getting into it. You were looking all warm and
maternal..."
B'Elanna
snorted. "Right. I was not looking maternal."
"Actually, I
thought you looked very beautiful."
Startled, she
glanced at his face. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she quickly turned
away, embarassed. "It was uncomfortable," she muttered.
Tom put his glass
on the table in front of them. "So you said. Was it really that
bad?"
Sensing something
else behind the question, B'Elanna sipped at her water as she thought it
over. "It was surprising," she began, leaning forward to place her glass
next to his before leaning back and placing her head on his shoulder. "I
think what was so unsettling was that I had no choice in the matter. And
even though that p'tahk was just a holographic image, the thought of
carrying his child, even a holographic representation, is enough to make me
ill."
"You and me both,"
Tom muttered in agreement. "But, you aren't ruling out the possibility
entirely?"
B'Elanna shifted
slightly to stare at him, a puzzled look on her face. "What, of having a
baby?" She gave a small laugh. "Oh, come on, Tom. Can you see
me as a mother? I don't exactly have a lot of 'motherly'
qualities."
Tom looked at her
seriously. "I think you would make a great mother."
She regarded him
skeptically for a moment. "Even with my temper?"
"Yes, even with
your fomidable temper." When she continued to give him a skeptical look,
Tom shrugged. "Well, it's not like you would raise the kid on your
own. You would have someone to help channel those Klingon instincts into a
more productive use."
B'Elanna raised an
eyebrow. "Are you saying that you want to be a father?"
Tom's expression
turned nonchalant. "You would consider me? I'm
flattered."
B'Elanna smiled.
"Smartass. Who else would I consider?"
"Well, I just
wanted to be sure."
B'Elanna settled
back with her head on Tom's shoulder, this time with his arm encircling her,
holding her close. They sat quietly for a few minutes, then she broke the
silence. "Nope, it wouldn't work."
"What?"
"Us being
parents," she said. "I'm Chief Engineer, I've got too many
responsibilities. And you pull double duty in Sickbay and on the
Bridge. We barely have time for ourselves now, let alone a
child."
"Who said anything
about having a kid right now?"
"Think about it,
Tom. All that extra work, the diapers, feedings..."
"Oh, yeah," Tom
agreed, voice bordering on sarcasm, "We wouldn't want the Chief Engineer to
dirty her hands with something other than engine parts. And, don't forget
the constant need for attention..."
B'Elanna bit her
lip to keep from laughing. "I thought we were talking about a baby, not
you."
Tom gave her a
mock wounded look. "As I was saying, never mind the added benefits of
having a kid, like sleepless nights, constant worrying about their safety, the
noise, the crying..."
B'Elanna reached
up and covered his mouth with her hand. "Okay, you convinced me. No
kids."
Tom looked
surprised. "Oh. I was kinda hoping for another answer."
"I know," B'Elanna
smiled mischeviously. "Seriously, Tom, we just started this
relationship. I'm not ruling out the possibility of us becoming parents,
but given our resective pasts with parental figures, don't you think we're
jumping ahead of ourselves?"
Tom nodded,
slowly. "I see what you're getting at. I understand completely. I
have thought about it ever since we admitted our feelings for each other,
though."
B'Elanna sat up
and stared at him in surprise. "You have?"
Tom stared back,
his expression serious. "B'Elanna, I love you. I know we've joked
about how far to take this relationship before, but I also know that I do want
to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to raise a family with
you. Yes, it may be a while before we're ready to have children, but I
have thought about it. I can't think of any good reason why we can't be
good parents."
He saw the
hesitation in her eyes, and reached out to caress her cheek. "We can't
change the past, B'Elanna. God knows I'd like to, if only to spare you
your pain. The only thing we can do is plan for the future, our future
together."
B'Elanna lowered
her eyes, thinking over what Tom just said. She looked back up and into
the loving, sincere gaze of the one person in the entire galaxy she could never
hide from. She knew he was right, and the thought of having a family with
this man no longer terrified her. "I love you, Tom."
The smile he gave
her made her heart melt. "And I do love you, B'Elanna." And as
his smile turned into a grin, he added, "My little resistance
fighter."
B'Elanna rolled
her eyes and groaned. Tom laughed. "Actually, it's kind of fitting.
Do you know what the French Resistance was called in World War
Two?"
She narrowed her
eyes and shook her head. "What was it called," she asked,
warily.
Tom grinned again.
"It was called 'The Maquis.' Sound familiar?"
Her eyes
widened. "You're joking!"
Tom shook his
head. "Nope. In fact, all their efforts went toward liberating Paris,
which they loved the most."
Catching the
double meaning, B'Elanna gave him a predatory smile. "Really?" she
purred. "And how did they go about 'liberating Paris?'"
Tom drew her
closer and began nuzzling her neck. "You're the Maquis, you tell me," he
murmured.
With a low growl,
B'Elanna pushed him onto his back on the couch. Hovering over him, she kissed
him deeply before replying, "Perhaps I'll strike from the north and work my way
south."
Eyes wide with
desire, Tom groaned and whispered, "My fate is in your hands, mon
cherie."
B'Elanna grinned
at him. "Not yet, but soon enough."
Comments, feedback? Email at CFBFagan@prodigy.net