SACRIFICESBy: Lauren Taylor"Harry, run a scan on the wormhole." Janeway commanded him. The entire bridge crew was silent as they awaited news. They'd found a wormhole that led to the Alpha Quadrant. After four years, they might actually make it home. The captain was a bit skeptical, though. They'd run into this sort of thing many times. A chance to get home, a chance that was always ruined at the last minute. After so many failed attempts, her hopes weren't as high on this as they used to be."Captain, the wormhole *is* unstable, but I think there could be a way we could fix that." Harry announced from his console. Janeway's heart sank. Judging by the tone of his voice, she could tell what he was talking about. A suicide mission."We could send someone in a shuttlecraft into the wormhole. The problem is, the shuttle would be destroyed, killing whoever was in it. But, with the energy from the destroyed craft, the wormhole has a good chance of becoming stable," Harry explained. B'Elanna Torres stared at Harry for awhile from her engineering console, and then drifted her eyes over to Tom, who was just in shock as she was. The thing was, B'Elanna didn't even *want* to go to the Alpha Quadrant. There was nothing there for her. No life there like the one she had on Voyager. And, now, she might lose a close friend for something that she didn't want to begin with. She knew what she had to do."I volunteer," she said quietly, breaking the silence on the bridge. "B'Elanna, no." Tom told her from the helm, the hurt in his face looking to turn into tears at any second now."B'Elanna, may I see you in my ready room?" the captain asked.B'Elanna nodded her head, and followed the captain.****************************************************"You don't have to do this," the captain told her."And if I don't, who will? Someone who has family back there? Someone just the opposite of me. Captain, I want to do this," B'Elanna told her. Janeway stood up from her desk, and sat down beside B'Elanna on the couch. "B'Elanna, you have always been one of my finest officers. There are a lot of people here who will miss you terribly. I'm one of them," the captain told her, her voice getting teary. "Thank you, captain," B'Elanna said, with a bit of confusion in her voice. She wasn't used to getting such praise from people. Except Tom. Ever since the two of them started dating officially, he was constantly telling her how beautiful she was, how great she was, how much he loved her."B'Elanna, I'm not letting you go just yet. The mission will start in one hour. I want to give you some time to say... to say your goodbyes," Janewaytold her.B'Elanna and the captain embraced, and then B'Elanna left the room, seeing that the captain wanted to be alone right now. The second she stepped onto the bridge, all eyes turned to her. She just nodded her head slowly and told them that she leaves in an hour. Chakotay got up from the captain's chair, and walked over to her. "I feel like I'm losing a daughter. I'm going to miss you, B'Elanna,"Chakotay said. She could tell that he would have said more, had he had a chance to prepare. Chakotay looked at Tom and Harry, who looked so in shock at the recent happenings."Tom, Harry, you're dismissed. Report back here in one hour." Chakotay told them. B'Elanna walked silently over to the turbolift, with everyone staring at her, for the last time. Harry and Tom joined her, just as silently. The second the doors closed, Tom turned to her."Why in the hell are you doing this?" he demanded."Because I'm the one who's right for this," she said sullenly."B'Elanna, I'm sure we could find another way through this wormhole," Harry told her."Damn it, Harry, there is no other way. You said so yourself!" she screamed, and leaned against the back of the turbolift. She closed her eyes, and slid to the floor, knees to her chest, and her head down on her knees."Deck two," Harry said quietly, figuring that they could go to the mess hall, where no one would probably be at this time of day. Tom bent down next to B'Elanna, and put his arm around her. She didn't acknowledge it, but Tom didn't care. The doors opened, and Tom helped B'Elanna up. The three of them walked silently towards the mess hall, Tom's arm still around B'Elanna, and Harry lagging behind. B'Elanna took Tom's arm off from her, and walked back to Harry."Look, Starfleet, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," she apologized. He smiled at her, and put his hand on her shoulder."It's alright. I know you're going through a lot right now. I'm going through a lot, too. I'm losing my best friend today." he told her, the tears threatening to fall. She reached out and hugged him. He hugged her tightly, and they stayed that way for what seemed like forever. The two of them broke apart, and they walked towards the mess hall, where Tom was waiting in the doorway. Tom took B'Elanna's hand, and gave a sympathetic look to Harry. As they had guessed, the mess hall was completely empty; not even Neelix was there. The three of them went to their usual table, and took their usualseats for the last time. They just looked at each other, not wanting to say anything, but, yet, wanting to say *something*. Harry looked at Tom, who was looking at B'Elanna. He could tell that Tom wanted some time alone with her, so Harry stood up."I think I'll leave the two of you alone," he said to them. B'Elanna stood up and hugged him again. They broke apart, and he kissed her on the cheek."Goodbye, B'Elanna. I'll never forget you," he whispered into her ear, then walked away. He stopped in the doorway and looked at them, then left the room."B'Elanna, please. I'm begging you not to do this." Tom finally said when the doors closed."Tom, I'm doing this. The crew is going to get home, and I'm not going to back out on them now. I have to do this," she told him. She sniffled, fighting back tears, and looked over at Tom. He looked scared to death."I don't know if I... if I could make it... without you here, B'Elanna," he managed to say. She leaned towards him, and the two of them kissed.****************************B'Elanna stood in the shuttlebay in front of the shuttle Earhart. She looked around the shuttlebay, and then hit her comm badge."Torres to the bridge. I'm ready, captain," she said. The entire bridge crew felt their hearts sink as it was confirmed that the shuttle had left Voyager. One person was missing from the bridge, though. Tom Paris. Janeway didn't think anything of it, she let Tom's lateness slide this time, considering the circumstances. "Captain, I'm detecting two lifesigns on the shuttle," Harry announced, sounding a bit confused. "Hail the shuttle," Janeway commanded.******************************************************"I can't believe you're doing this. Tom, I'm going to beam you back toVoyager!" B'Elanna exclaimed when she found him hiding on the shuttle."I won't let you. B'Elanna, I have no life without you. Your life ends, so does mine. We're doing this together," he told her as he climbed out from one of the compartments."Tom, please. Please don't make this any harder than it already is," she told him. A button beeped on the shuttle, and Janeway's face appeared on the viewscreen."B'Elanna, who's in there with you?" she asked."I am, captain," he told her as he moved so that he was visible."Lieutenant, prepare to be beamed back to Voyager. This is Lt. Torres'mission," Janeway told him. "Captain, they're too close to the wormhole now. We can't beam him back," Harry told her, sorrowfully. She sighed, and fought back a tear."Goodbye, Voyager. Thank you for everything. Have a nice trip home," B'Elanna said just before the shuttle entered the wormhole. Janeway felt the life drain from her body as she watched the shuttle carrying her pilot and chief engineer explode in front of her eyes. "He couldn't live without her," Harry said quietly, voicing what the others were all thinking. THE ENDComments can be sent to Tomlover@aol.comParamount owns 'em, we just borrow 'em