The Rose
 by JoAnna Walsvik
        B'Elanna Torres, chief engineer of the Starship Voyager, slumped
down in her chair and sighed.  What a depressing day.
        The entire ship seemed to be celebrating the Earth holiday of
Valentine's Day.  All during her shift, her staff was chatting about who
had gotten flowers, or chocolates, or other gifts from special friends or
significant others.  It seemed that the entire ship had received a
Valentine from someone.
        Except her.
        Sue Nicoletti had gotten chocolates from Harry Kim.  Kes had
gotten a new dress from Neelix.  And the captain had discovered a bouquet
of a dozen white roses on her chair on the bridge this morning--a present
from Chakotay.
        She had gotten nothing.
        It made her feel depressed and a little bit lonely.  It sometimes
seemed like she'd be alone for the rest of her life--and now even more so.
As...someone...had once told her, her choices for dates on this ship were
limited.  The men were either already married, had "significant others" in
the Alpha Quadrant, or just weren't interested in her.
        It was very depressing.
        Just then, she noticed something on a nearby table that shouldn't
have been there--a single, blood red rose with a white card attatched to
the stem.
        Curious, she picked up the flower.  The thorns had been removed,
she noted absently.  And the blossom was exquisite, one of the biggest and
most fragrant she had ever seen.  
        *Who in Kahless's name would send me a rose?* she wondered,
picking up the card.  Glancing at the unfamiliar handwriting, she
read the short message aloud.
        "Q: How is B'Elanna Torres like a rose?"
        She flipped the card over.
        "A: Once you get past the thorns, you find a beautiful flower.
Happy Valentine's Day!"
        B'Elanna sat back, stunned. There seemed to be no signature, so
she didn't know who it was from.  But who would do such a--such a sweet
thing for her?
        Suddenly, she noticed there was a postscript at the bottom of the
card.
        "P.S. Open your door."
        *Open my door?* she thought puzzledly, even as she rose to do so.
She pressed the opening mechanism on her door, and waited.
        The doors slid open to reveal--
        "Tom Paris!"  B'Elanna gasped.  
        The pilot stood there with a rose in one hand and a goofy smile on
his face.  "Happy Valentine's Day!" he proclaimed, bowing grandly and
brandishing the rose.  "Ms. Torres, would you do me the honor of dinner
tonight?"
        B'Elanna said the first thing that came into her mind.  "How did
you get into my quarters?"
        Tom blinked startledly, but answered her.  "The captain let me use
her access code.  We've had this planned for weeks.  Do you mind?"
        B'Elanna shook her head.  "How could I  mind?"  she answered
honestly, "when you've given me flowers...and that card..."
        "Aw, Torres, you're not gonna get mushy on me, are you?" Tom
grinned.  "So, dinner tonight?"
        "How could I refuse?" B'Elanna replied.  "It's a date."
        "Great! I'll pick you up in an hour!" And Tom walked away,
whistling jauntily.
        As B'Elanna turned to get ready for her 'date', she laughed
softly.  She had recognized the song he had been whistling--an old Terran
tune called "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose."