Note: Whenever TPTB introduce a new holoprogram, we fanfic writers go crazy.  "Fair Haven," I'm sure, will be no exception.  This is my fluffy little take on what happened sometime during those "three days" that Michael mentioned.  Archiving is fine as long as you ask me first.  Send any and all feedback to 
Zorb17@aol.com

Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything.  I own nothing.  Unfortunately.

End of the Rainbow

	"Good marning, laddie," called an old man, tending his fruit cart.
	"Top o' the marning to you, Patrick," replied the young man, handsomely clothed in a white shirt and vest.
	The young woman on his arm gazed around in awe. "Tom Paris, this time you have really outdone yourself."
	"Thanks.  I was hoping you'd like it."
	"I love it. Except for this dress."
	"Really?  I think that might be my favorite part."  B'Elanna slapped him lightly on the arm.  "What?  It's true!"  She was dressed in a light calico dress whose color walked the line between purple and blue.
	"Whatever."  They strolled the streets, Tom greeting people and B'Elanna admiring the quaint Irish town.  A lovely redheaded woman smiled in their direction - specifically, at Tom.  Much to B'Elanna's chagrin, Tom steered them towards her.
	"Good marning, Miss Maggie," he greeted her, doing a good job faking an Irish brogue.  "May I introduce Miss B'Elanna Torres.  B'Elanna, this is Maggie O'Halloran."
	B'Elanna smiled at the woman and gripped Tom's arm possessively.  "Pleased to meet you."
	Maggie's smile waned somewhat.  "Charmed."
	As Tom purchased some of Maggie's flowers, B'Elanna felt a smugness creeping over her face.  *So what if I can't do an Irish accent?  This program suits me just fine. *  She voiced her thoughts to Tom as they continued down the street.
	Tom smiled, oblivious to the women's silent exchange.  "It'll be even better if you'd do me the honor of putting these in your hair," he said, handing her the blue, purple and white blossoms.  She did so as a familiar figure rode up on a bicycle.
	"Father Mulligan!  Fancy meeting you like this," Tom greeted the bald priest.
	"Good morning, Mr. Paris, or should I say, good afternoon?  I see you're finally introducing Miss Torres to Fair Haven.  What do you think so far?"
	"It's lovely, Doc-I mean, Father," she corrected.  "I just can't get used to the idea of you being a man of religion."
	"I like to think of myself as a healer of the body and of the soul.  So, where are you two headed?"
	"I thought we'd pay a visit to Sullivan's, then hike up around the bluffs, and top it all off with dinner at The Ox and The Lamb," Tom replied.
	"Sounds wonderful.  I must return to my work now; I have a wedding to arrange."  He waved and rode off.
	"I didn't know you had so much planned," B'Elanna remarked as they continued walking.
	"I want you to experience every aspect of Fair Haven.  After all-"
	"Tommy-me-boy!"  A portly older man interrupted Tom, hurrying across the street to catch up with the couple.
	Tom rolled his eyes and shot B'Elanna an amused look.  "Why Seamus, what a surprise to see you."
	"Aye laddie, that's usually how it goes, don'tcha know.  I'm a married man who's got to spend a lot o' time lookin' after his wife.  But - well, I seem to have a wee bit more free time nowadays, ever since..." He broke off, noticing Tom had a companion.  "And who's this lovely lady?"
	Tom's smile broadened as he noticed B'Elanna's light blush.  "Seamus, this is B'Elanna Torres.  She's-"
	"Say no more, lad, say no more.  This may come as a surprise, but old Seamus was once a young man like yourself.  Ah, the sight of you two brings me back to my youth, when I was carefree.  I recall the very day I met me wife.  She's a wonderful woman, you know, always has been.  But I must be frank with ye, Tommy-me-boy, ever since a few days ago - I believe that was the day your friend beat Liam - ah, there never was a stronger man.  But when I was a boy, I could've beaten him anytime, anyplace.  Strategy, don'tcha know, it's all how you go about it."
	Tom spoke before he could continue, as B'Elanna looked on in amusement.  "Listen, Seamus, we've got to be going."
	"Oh, a thousand pardons.  Perhaps we'll meet again?"  He gallantly took B'Elanna's hand and kissed it.  "Good day to you both."  Spying a friend, he took off.
	"Sorry about him."
	"Don't be.  I think Seamus is my favorite character so far."
	"Just wait until he tries to get money from you.  I'm surprised he left without asking for any."  He grinned impishly.  "It was probably because of the lovely lady accompanying me."
	"Stop it," she said, slapping his arm lightly.  
	A few minutes more brought them to the crowded pub.  As usual, the occupants were engaged in eating, drinking, and making very merry.  With some difficulty, they found a free table.
	"Hey," Tom called to one of the men gathered around a table.  "What's all the fuss about?"
	"Liam's regained his rank as Fair Haven's arm wrestling champion.  And now he's proving his worth."  The man cheered as Liam downed yet another opponent.
	"I'm curious about this Liam.  Have you ever wrestled him, Tom?" she asked.
	"Uh, yeah.  Once," he said, wincing.  "I can still feel the peculiar crushing sensation in my hand.  I'm not eager for a repeat experience."
B'Elanna looked at him incredulously.  "You mean Harry beat him and you couldn't?"
Tom desperately tried to change the subject.  "Look, the rings are free.  Want to play?"
"Maybe some other time.  I'd like to check out the wrestling."  She rose and approached the crowd.  Tom stared after, hoping she wasn't about to do what he thought she was.  He saw her tap the man holding the wagers.  It was too noisy to hear what she said, but the man seemed to be trying to dissuade her from something, and B'Elanna, of course, was refusing to back down.  Finally, he reluctantly agreed.  Tom watched in horror as she approached the wrestling table and sat down.  He quickly dashed up.
"Next match: Liam versus B'Elanna!  Betting is open!"  the man cried.
Tom elbowed his way through the crowd.  "B'Elanna, you can't do this!"
"Why not?  I can take this guy."
"I don't want you to get hurt."
"Tom, that's very sweet, but I can take care of myself."  She was right, and they both knew it.
He tried a different tack.  Bending down, he whispered in her ear, "You realize you have a genetic advantage over him.  I wouldn't exactly call that 'fair play.'"
Slowly, she turned to face him, whispering equally softly.  "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."  
She smugly faced her opponent, aware of the astonished look on Tom's face.  Then he smiled broadly and stood up.  "I'll place all my money on B'Elanna!"  Putting his wager in the hat, he vaguely heard everyone's incredulous murmurs and bets on Liam, but he felt so proud that he didn't care at all.  
Liam was having doubts of his own.  "You sure you want to do this, miss?"
She nodded confidently.  "Positive."
"I'll go easy on you, if you'd like."
"No.  Play just like you would with anyone else."
He was still uncertain, but the clamor to begin rose and he positioned his arm.  B'Elanna assuredly matched him, and he seemed a bit surprised at her grip's strength.  "Go!" someone yelled, and the match was on.  At first, Liam barely pushed, but when he felt his arm easily being forced down, he fought back, increasing his effort as B'Elanna upped the playing field.  Soon he was at full strength, struggling mightily to bring B'Elanna down.  They went into a stalemate at the center for a few seconds, then she let out a fierce yell and swiftly pinned Liam's arm.  The crowd cheered joyously, praising her and teasing Liam, who was in shock.  Tom lifted B'Elanna into a bear hug and swung her around, causing further cheering.
They finally managed to escape the pub half an hour later, not without difficulty.
"When I said I wanted you to experience every aspect of Fair Haven, I didn't mean for you to become the town celebrity.  Not that you don't deserve it, of course."  She laughed.  "Come on.  I want to show you what's waiting outside of town," he said, setting off for the hills.
They explored the rolling green bluffs of Fair Haven for hours, sometimes chasing each other, sometimes sitting on the rocks overlooking the sea.  It was pure pleasure; no stress, no work; nothing existed except Tom, B'Elanna, and Fair Haven.
As afternoon turned to evening, they returned to town and entered the inn.  True to its historical setting, The Ox and The Lamb only had seven or so tables.  A redheaded waiter seated them at a cozy booth in the corner.  They had to listen to five minutes of blarney about how the widow Moore bewitched his parent's cows so that they only gave milk on Tuesdays before he gave them menus, but B'Elanna didn't care.  She was madly in love with Fair Haven, and it had only gotten better as the day went on.  Its creator wasn't that bad, either.
"Tom, I have no idea what to order.  The only thing on the menu that I recognize is water."
"Let me do the ordering, then."  He summoned the waiter and spoke before the Irishman could.  "We'd each like the corned beef and cabbage.  And a bottle of your finest wine."  The man nodded and took off.
"Mind telling me what we're eating, exactly?"
"Trust me, it's not nearly as unique as gagh.  Don't worry."
"You didn't answer the question."
"So what did you think of the view from the hill?"  She continued peppering him with questions, and he continued avoiding them until the waiter returned with their food.
"Thanks.  All right, B'Elanna, give it a try."
She raised an eyebrow but acquiesced.  "This is...really good."
"I told you so."  She raised an arm as if to punch him.  "Hey! No fighting at the dinner table."
"Just you wait till I get my hands on you..." she teased.
"With bells on, my dear," he replied, mirroring her grin.
They ate quietly, savoring the food.  Tom made sure to tip the waiter extra for his tales when they finished.  Exiting the inn, the couple promenaded through the streets of Fair Haven, enjoying the silence and the warm light emanating from the residential windows.  They caught sight of another happy couple wrapped in a tight embrace under a street lamp.
"That looks like the bartender, Michael Sullivan.  I guess he's with his wife; I can't really see her," Tom remarked.
"Let's let them have some privacy," B'Elanna responded, and they continued their stroll.
Finally, they were alone underneath the star-lit sky.  
"So, what do you think of Fair Haven?"
"I adore it."
"I hoped you would.  Everyone's been complimenting me on it, but I couldn't care less what they think.  The only opinion that matters to me is yours."
She didn't know what to say, so she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. 
As they exited the holodeck, Tom smiled to himself.  It had taken him years, but he'd finally found his pot of gold.

Fin

E-mail makes people happy.  Send it to Zorb17@aol.com