TO WIN, LOSE, AND LOVE By Betty Phipps (Aries4116@aol.com) Disclaimer: Paramount owns what Paramount owns. This is for entertainment purposes only..I'm not making money from writing. (I already have a day job!) This story falls a couple of months after Revulsion. (I haven't seen Scientific Method yet...so..). Another one of my random thoughts that demanded to be put on paper...or on computer in this case. This is what happens when you start listening to songs over and over. They get stuck in your mind and you begin to think how they fit in with Paris and Torres. Rated G (goofy) Tom gently framed her face with his hands. Looking into the eyes of the woman he loved deeply. He would never grow tired of B'Elanna's eyes, her smile or her lips. B'Elanna smiled as his lips descended upon hers and a passionate kiss resulted in a slow fire to burn. The meeting of their lips awakened new feelings in both of them. Feelings long forgotten. It all ended in a bright flash of light. "Crying, doesn't ease the pain. When the fire is gone." Tom woke up crying. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hands, he stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't remember ever crying in his sleep, but he could remember crying himself to sleep. Waking up crying was a first for him. He pulled the pillow out from under his head and saw dark wet spot there. One from his tears. His crying from what? He had no idea why he was crying. He didn't even remember what he was dreaming when he woke up. Tom stuffed the pillow back under his head and continued to stare at the ceiling. "When the weak break the strong" "Where did that thought come from?" He asked himself. The room was empty, he was the only one in there. But he had no answers for himself. Maybe he was having a dream that his mind chose to block out? He heard the thought just like someone was talking to him.....but it was his voice he heard. Whatever the reasons, he pushed the questions to the back of his mind and got out of bed. He padded to the bathroom to give himself a scare by looking in the mirror. His reflection was that of someone who had been crying. Normally his blue eyes were bright and clear. Now they were red and puffy. His face was streaked with the tracks of the tears that fell. He rolled his eyes and turned to the sonic shower. He stripped off the black shorts he wore to bed and stepped in. He had duty in 20 minutes. Tom stepped off of the turbo lift and made his way to conn. Harry Kim was already at his station at Ops, Tuvok was at Security and Janeway and Chakotay were sitting on the bridge. He smiled at them as he sat down and began running his own diagnostic of helm control. Janeway glanced at Chakotay with a smile. "He cuts it so close sometimes. I don't know whether to promote him or demote him." "I think he enjoys being "demoted" three times a week during his sickbay duties." Chakotay chuckled. "Then again, he might be enjoying it more than he lets on." "Tom? Never!." She laughed. Chakotay smiled in agreement. "Captain." Harry called out. "I'm picking up intense omicron readings. 34 Mark 100." "On screen." Janeway demanded. Harry activated the view screen. There was a expansive cloud like nebula colored in hues of red and orange. Tom's eyes widened at the sight. It was a beautiful and peaceful sight. All other voices were drowned out as he fell into the beauty of this sight before him. He felt warm, almost hot. It was as if someone reached out to him and touched him with a flame. "It is a standard Nebula. Approximently four hundred years old." Harry called out. "Composed of Hydrogen, Neon and Omnicrom particles." "That is unusual." Janeway said standing up and walking to stand behind Paris. "Hold position here Tom. I'm sure astro physics is having a field day with this." The ship lurched forward suddenly and Janeway fell into a unconscious Paris. She was about to reach the helm control panel when Harry shouted, "Helm control rerouted through Ops. Returning to previous position." Chakotay quickly jumped up and helped Janeway lowered the unconscious pilot to the floor. Tom was covered in sweat. "He is burning up." Janeway said touching his face. "Bridge to sickbay. We are beaming Lt. Paris to you." Chakotay said. "Acknowledged." Came the reply. Just then Paris disappeared. The holographic doctor was watching his patient materialize on the diagnostic bed. Seeing a unconscious Tom Paris as a patient was a routine thing. With tricorder in hand, he began to assess his patient. Engineering was just picking themselves off of the floor and walls. B'Elanna Torres was using a hydrospanner when the ship jumped forward, causing some damage on the system she was working on. She got up and made her way around engineering checking for possible injuries and damage. The staff had returned to their work without any problems. One or two people were like B'Elanna, working on a system and causing more damage than before. She sighed. It was going to be a long day. B'Elanna returned to her work thinking about dinner with Tom tonight. They have had dinner three times this week together. She couldn't stop thinking about the moment that she told Tom she loved him. She did love him. It was a relief to finally tell him, but it was the wrong time. Knowing they were going to die, not giving him a chance to tell her he loved her in return. She laid the tool down and stared at the wall. He never told her that he loved her. Her heart began to pound loud enough that she could hear it in her ears. Her mind began to sift through events and feelings. Searching for an answer to her questions, to her fears. In a whisper she asked, "What have they done to you that you can't let go and take the love that is in my hands?" There was no answer. Only the pounding of her heart. Her Klingon side demanded to be acknowledge. It wanted to find Paris and confront him. To demand an answer to the question. It wanted to know if this was a act, a fleeting moment. Or worse yet....a game. A game in which he would die. B'Elanna could feel a headache coming on. Usually she could deal with the Human/Klingon urges, but this time she couldn't. Tom woke up to find the doctor looking down at him with a smile. "Mr. Paris. Welcome back to the land of the conscious. I'm sure you have no idea what had happened as usual. But I assure you, I can help you out." "What am I doing in sickbay?" He asked sitting up. Wow...what a headache. " You passed out on the bridge, throwing the ship towards a nebula." The doctor replied running another scan on his patient. "After running some tests on your unconsciousness....I've come to the conclusion that your hard head is not telling me a thing as to what happened. Now that you are conscious, maybe you could fill me in." "Your bedside manner is getting better Doc." Tom replied just as sarcastically. "I was on the bridge, we came across the nebula and.....I remember feeling warm. Like on a cold winters night, curled up in front of a fire." "Eloquence not withstanding, that is not what I was looking for. Have you had any trouble sleeping?" "No....nothing out of the unusual." "In your case, I'm not sure what usual is for you Mr. Paris." The doctor replied. "That makes two of us Doc." Tom sighed. He didn't want to tell him that he couldn't remember what he dreamed. "Well Mr. Paris...I'm relieving you of duty for the rest of the day. I want to be notified if anything changes. I assume you will be in your quarters resting and not in Neelix's holoprogram?" "You could." Tom replied. Lt. Carey had finished running a diagnostic on the system he had just repaired. He was making his way to help Lt. Torres finish the system she was repairing. He had just turned the corner when the explosion pushed him back against the wall. He fell to the floor, dazed but unhurt. He got up and began to make his way through the plasma vapors that began to fill the air. He had to get to the valve before the fumes became toxic. He stumbled over something as he reached up to shut the valve off. Once the vapors began to clear, he looked down to see what he stumbled upon. He dropped to his knees as his hand had hit his combadge. "Carey to sickbay................" "There's no danger when a heart is cold. But if I stay alone mine will soon turn to stone." Tom Paris was in his quarters laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. His mind was filled with thoughts, feelings, and uncertainties. His headache was still there. It hadn't gone away and it wasn't any worse. It was a dull throbbing that just made him feel uncomfortable. Captain Janeway had dropped by to see how he was doing. He could see the concern in her face but didn't say anything. The captain had just sat down when she was summoned to sickbay. Now he was alone. He was never really alone. There were people on the ship, his friends. Harry and B'Elanna were his closest friends. Harry was the little brother he never had. Tom was protective of Harry, always will be. B'Elanna, there was another story. First they started as friends then it turned into something more. More than he had ever dreamed of. More than he ever should have had. Most of his life had been lived on the edge of right and wrong. Lived wondering along a path of pit falls and failures. That was until he came to Voyager. Once again he was given a chance to make a change. To prove he was more than a failure, to prove to himself and to those who didn't trust him, that they could. His father would probably pass out if he knew how much he had changed. Captain Janeway looked at the lone figure on the bio-bed. Her chief engineer lay in a coma from the explosion just minutes ago. The plasma burns were still visible on her now pale face. B'Elanna was on full life support and not expected to live. Sometimes life could be so cruel. Space exploration was just as. Janeway laid her hand on B'Elanna's arm, "Fight B'Elanna. Fight this shadow of death that threatens to consume you. Show death that you are not ready to go." "Captain." Came the monotone voice of Seven of Nine. Janeway jumped and turned around to see the former Borg regard her with a questioning look. "I have the report from engineering." Janeway took the report and scanned it. Seven, which was shortened by Janeways suggestion, walked over to the bed where B'Elanna was. She looked down at the unconscious engineer. "Something wrong Seven?" Janeway said from beside her. "I am not sure." She replied evenly. "You seemed preoccupied by the shadow of death. I do not see it." "A figure of speech." Janeway replied. "Some think that death is a dark shadow that falls over those who are about to die." "Interesting." Seven said. "I do not think she can hear you." Janeway didn't answer. Somethings couldn't be explained only experienced. Seven had a long way to go. "Sleeping on a bed of lies. I've been lonely too long." Tom rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face into the pillow. Getting comfortable was impossible. He couldn't seem to relax. It was like he was waiting for something to happen. He was afraid to dream because he couldn't remember what he dreamt. He stared at the far wall, thinking about B'Elanna. The woman who somehow captured his spirit and told him that she loved him. Loved him. The words made him feel protected yet, incomplete. He turned over on his back and laced his hands behind his head. Could he possibly love someone? Was he capable? He did admit to himself that he treated love like a drink. He tasted it when his thirst need to be quenched. He never became intoxicated to the point of committing himself to it. What made this time any different? B'Elanna Torres. It was the only real and true reason his mind could gather. She knew about his past, his mistakes and his family. She also knew he would never amount to anything in anyone else's eyes. The kisses, the touches that they shared told him different. Told him that she had no problem with his past, she just wanted him. "Now the hurt is all gone." The hurt was like a empty room. Nothing. There was nothing there. It was quiet enough that he could hear his own breathing and heart beating. Each one was out of sync. The headache pounded down on him in a frenzy. It was like someone put his head out of the air lock and closed it. He closed his eyes and tears fell from beneath his closed eyes. He blindly got up and ran out of his quarters. "You were waiting. For me to come around." Sickbay was quiet. The holo doc was in his office going over the current reports of B'Elanna Torres. Sometimes knowledge couldn't help. He quietly laid the padd down. He missed having Kes around. Her bright smile and her infectious laughter always made the bad days go faster. Although she was gone, he would remember her for time to come. His reverie was broken when Tom Paris stumbled into sickbay. He jumped out of his chair and ran to Tom. "B'Elanna!?" Tom cried out as the doctor tried to calm him down. "B'Elannnnnnna!" "Mr. Paris please calm down." The doctor said. "What is wrong?" "What is wrong with her!?" Tom cried out. "Why?!" He fell into the doctors waiting arms, sobbing. The doctor was taken back for a moment. Not too many people fell into his arms crying. But he helped the crying Lt. to a bio bed, and reached around to get a mild tranquilizer for him. As the hypospray emptied into Tom Paris system, the doctor heard him whisper, "Save her please.....I....l......." He watched as Paris succumbed to the tranquilizer and sighed. The day had just got longer. Harry Kim slumped down on the couch. The day was filled with all kinds of bad news. The headache was beating a rhythm that only a drummer could beat. Running his hands through his hair, he locked his hands behind his head. B'Elanna ran through his mind. The accident, her dying, it all pounded over and over in his mind. The last time they talked and laughed. The last time. He could clearly remember her laughter as she told him, "Serious is when the warp core is about to breech. So far I haven't seen any warp core breeches where your love life is concerned. But there is hope for you Harry." Hope. He believed in it with all of his existence. And now, Tom was in sickbay. The holodoc couldn't find out what was wrong with him. Was Tom going to die too? Was he going to loose his best friends in one day? Life was not suppose to be like this. It was not suppose to fall apart so far from home. Standing up, Harry kicked his boots off and began pealing his uniform off on the way to the bedroom. He decided to waste a few replicator credits on a real shower, a shower with real water. He stepped into the small shower stall and let the hot water beat down on him. Turning his face toward the path of the shower, he gritted his teeth. Trying to hold back his feelings, his tears. Tom and B'Elanna were not gone yet. He would not let go of them. Grabbing a towel, Harry stepped out into the steam filled bathroom. The air was thick and relaxing. He wiped the condensation off of the mirror and stared at his reflection. Staring back at him was no longer a naive boy, but a man who had seen way too much of life too quickly. A quick smile crossed his face. "At least I still have a hair line." He laughed as he walked out of the bathroom remembering how he and Tom compared hair lines. He walked back out into the living room and plopped down on the couch. The room was silent as was his thoughts. Silent like the space they traveled in. "Greetings there strange one." A weenzed voice stated. Harry heard the voice, but dismissed it. His thoughts were taking on life of his own. It was becoming too real. "Hello? Am I talking to hear myself talk?" The small voice asked again. Harry froze. It wasn't his imagination that was talking to him. Something was talking to him. And it always happened when one was wearing nothing but a towel. He started thinking that the hot shower might have been a little much. "You do have a voice, do you not?" The voice prodded. "I'm sitting over here." Harry slowly began to look around the room to find out where the little voice was coming from. "Where are you?" Harry asked. "I can't find you." "I'm right here in front of you. Look down." The little voice laughed. Harry looked down. There sat a very small person with translucent wings. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. "Your a fairy!" Harry replied. "Just like the ones from Earth's history!" "I'm not sure about that, but if you say so." The tiny one said. "Where did you come from?" Harry finally asked. "I've never seen a species like you before." "I'd say from your reaction you haven't. I am known as Kraylor. My species is called Talmors." "I'm Harry Kim and I am a Human. One of many different species on this ship." "Harry Kim....." Kraylor repeated his name. "You are a fascinating species." "Thanks...I think." Harry responded with a smile. "Why are you here?" "I live here in the nebula. I am many of billions who live here." "Billions?" Harry repeated. "We usually destroy those who come through this part of space. But we realized you were not going to harm us." "Destroy?" Harry repeated again. "Always answer with questions?" Kraylor said scratching his little beard. "Not always. I'm just confused as to why you are here?" Harry said noting the little yellow suit he wore. "Does it matter to you?" Kraylor asked. Harry only looked at the small Talmor. Tom slowly began to climb up from the arms of sleep that surrounded him. He was aware that his headache was still pounding away. Sounds began to stir his sleeping mind into functioning. He turned his head towards the bio-bed, the one that B'Elanna was on. He could see the paleness of her skin and feel the ache in his heart. Slowly he swung his legs over the bed and pushed himself off. Tom walked the few steps to where B'Elanna was and picked up her limp hand. He looked down at her slender but strong fingers in his large hand. The difference in skin color was amazing. She was like the color of the earth and he was the color of the clouds. So different, yet so much alike. His eyes traveled up to her face as his hands followed suit. Her skin was cool beneath his warm touch. He slowly traced the shape of her face with his fingers. Feather light touches across her forehead, her lips and her jaw. Etching into his memory the feel of her skin. Slowly he leaned over to capture her lifeless lips, closing his eyes, remembering the last kiss they had shared. His lips left hers and rested against her forehead. "B'Elanna you have to hear me. You have to hear me talk to you. I won't let you leave like this. Not like this. I need you here with me. Only you understand, only you can......" His words trailed off as the blackness engulfed him. Janeway watched with quiet amusement as Seven gave Chakotay the typical response. "Irrelevant." Chakotay only looked at Seven and saw Janeway stifle a laugh. "Humor can be irrelevant at times." Chakotay replied. "Only if the Commander is giving lessons." Janeway said walking to sit down in her chair. Seven watched her and raised a eyebrow. Humor was not easily understood at times. "Don't worry Seven." Chakotay said turning away from her, "Sometimes humor escapes me also." Seven only nodded and stepped into the turbo lift. "Commander, humor comes naturally." Janeway said with a smile. "I didn't realize you were a comedian." "Well, guess I will never cease to amaze you." He grinned at her. They shared a laugh. "Captain, we have changed course. Helm is not responding." Ensign Michaels replied. He began running a diagnostic on navigation. Janeway walked over behind the ensign and looked at the diagnostic that was being runned. "Helm control is being rerouted to engineering." Janeway said. "We are going back to the nebula." "Engineering to the bridge." Carey's voice came through. "Bridge here." Chakotay responded. "Commander we have a problem. Ensign Kim has erected a force field around the warp controls. He has locked us out of the main computer." Carey said. "Understood." Chakotay replied. He looked at Janeway and saw the same question on her face that he had. Leaving Rollins in charge they headed to Engineering. Tuvok was already on his way. The holodoc snapped shut the tricorder and looked at his two patients. One was dying from an explosion and the other was dying from nothing. He still could not find what was causing Tom Paris to lose consciousness. Still, he couldn't help B'Elanna Torres who was going to be gone in a few hours. He ran every test he could think of on Mr. Paris short of a pregnancy test. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Janeway, Chakotay and Tuvok were working on getting the force field down. Harry had put traps and road blocks into every solution they could possibly come up with. Janeway paced back and forth in front of the force field. She was getting ticked at this game. She had to wonder if Harry was under the influence of something. She just couldn't understand why Harry Kim was wearing only a towel. Chakotay and Tuvok stood in front of Janeway, stopping her pacing. "Captain, I have no idea what in the hell is going on." Chakotay said. "Harry has literally taken control of the ship." "We have to get control of the ship back." Janeway said with a hint of anger. Tuvok stepped around Janeway to stand infront of the force field. "Mr. Kim." Tuvok calmly stated. "Could you please tell us why you are doing this?" Harry looked up from the controls and stepped closer to the force field. "I have to save them." Harry said with feeling. "I will not let them die." "Are you referring to Lt.'s Paris and Torres?" Tuvok questioned. "I was not aware of Mr. Paris dying." "You should be!" Harry yelled. "He is dying and so is B'Elanna. I forgot, you don't feel." "Mr. Kim. I am capable of understanding how you feel. I am not capable of the emotion that goes with it." Tuvok said not being offended by Harry's outburst. "What will erecting a force field around the warp engines do?" Chakotay and Janeway stood on opposite sides of Tuvok trying to make sense of this madness. "Time is running out. I have to try." Harry said and turned back to the controls. Janeway could feel a headache begin behind her eyes. It was going to take some replicator rations and a couple of days off. The ship suddenly stopped and Janeway, Chakotay and Tuvok went to the nearest monitor. They were back at the nebula. "What is it about this nebula?" Janeway said out loud. "Captain, Tom passed out at helm when we encountered the nebula. Then the explosion in engineering that injured B'Elanna." Chakotay said recalling events. "Coincidence?" Janeway questioned. "Don't forget Harry's strange behavior." Chakotay said indicating to the towel clad ensign. "How ever unlikely, I think we should not over look this...situation." Tuvok added. Harry's hands began to fly over the controls. The warp engines began to whine with power...force. "He is heating the warp engines." Janeway said running to the console. "What the hell is going on?!" Tom Paris began to wake up. His head wasn't banging like a drummer and he had a tighter hold on his emotions. He got up off the bed and walked back over to the bed where B'Elanna was. He picked up her hand and held it between his own. Tears filled his eyes. He remembered the dreams, the crying, the feeling of being alone. "B'Elanna.....I know you are dying. I couldn't deal with knowing that you were going to leave me. We had just discovered our feelings for one another. I never dreamed it would end like this. End without a last word, or a touch. I have been running my entire life. Running from things that hurt. Then I ran into you and running didn't seem to be a good idea any more." He said as a tear splashed on her face. "How could I be so blind not to see in your mind and your heart?" The holodoc came out and saw Paris. "Your suppose to be resting. What are you doing up?" Tom looked down and looked back up. "I feel better. I remember the dreams and my head doesn't hurt." Tom said quietly. "I can trust you to stay here until I can determine this for myself." The doctor replied. "Ensign Kim has barricaded himself in Engineering and is wearing a towel. Another case of cabin fever." "Harry?" Tom questioned. "A towel?" "Is your hearing impaired also?" "Can I come with you?" Tom asked. "What about Ms. Torres?" "Our engineer is a fighter. She doesn't give up that easily." Tom said with a smile. "Harry Kim, you are a life saver." Kraylor said flying little circles around Harry's head. "I hope the Captain thinks so." Harry said gesturing to the trio on the other side of the force field. "Truth. It is the only way to go." Kraylor said. "I will return." He vanished into thin air. Harry began to feel sick now. "Harry....what the hell are you doing?" Tom Paris said walking right up to the force field. Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Tom!!" Harry yelled. "Your alive!" "Yeah...I am. Feeling better." Tom replied. "I can't say the same for you buddy." Harry looked down at his attire and looked back up to see the freezing look Janeway was giving him. He looked back at Tom. "Any chance I can plead insanity?" Harry asked. "Possibly." Tom replied. The force field came down and the arctic chill came in. It was going to be a long night. Tom returned to sickbay to find B'Elanna gone. His heart stopped beating in his chest. He stared at the now empty bed. Everything ceased to exist in his world, because his world had stopped turning. Tears began to fill his eyes as he stood by the empty bed. B'Elanna Torres once occupied the bed. He questioned himself about leaving her. He shouldn't have left her. He believed her and knew she wouldn't give up with out a fight. He knew she fought to the end. The emptiness of the room was like a cold wind blowing through his heart. It chilled him deeply. "B'Elanna." He said above a whisper. "I will love you always. There will be no other to love me like you do. Forgive me for being blind. For not seeing what I had. All I really needed was you." Tom stood there, not moving. He wanted to stay there forever. B'Elanna Torres stood in the door way to the office that was behind Tom. She couldn't move. He thought she was dead. She listened to what he had to say. He did love her. She sighed mentally and quietly walked up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Tom didn't turn around, he knew who it was. Captain Janeway knew he had deep feelings for B'Elanna and was glad she didn't break the silence with words. Soon the sadness over took Tom and he began to sob. B'Elanna didn't think he would start to cry and wrapped her arms around him. Tom began thinking that the Captain was being awful friendly and decided to turn around. It took a second or two to register that it was B'Elanna Torres and not Captain Janeway that was holding him. "Great Gods B'Elanna!!" Tom squeaked. "Don't do that! You scared..........." "Tom....I didn't die." She said seeing the confusion consume him. "I don't understand, but I'm fine." Tom just stood there and stared at her. His blue eyes were wide with shock and he began to babble and back away from her. "Umm...you can't..you..be.um...bcan't." He laughed nervously and then began to fall to the floor like a rag doll. B'Elanna was quick and caught him before he hit the floor. She gently laid him down on the floor and patted his face. "Tom....Tom...wake up." She said softly holding his head in her lap. A smile broke out on her face. Talk about being putty in ones hands. She brushed his hair off his forehead. He was never going to hear the end of this. Harry Kim, now fully dressed, stood before Captain Janeway. He told her the story about Kraylor and why he did what he did. He kept eye contact with her until he finished his reasons. Janeway stood up and walked over to the view port. The nebula was now a fiery red with bright points of blue lights. She turned back to him and watched him. Harry stood at attention and was ready for a chewing out. In a strange way, she couldn't blame him for doing what he did. "Harry Kim!" Kraylor popped into the room. He flew over to Janeway. "Hello there Human. I'm Kraylor." "Mr. Kim's partner in crime." She said dryly. "Is saving lives a crime then?" Kraylor said with seriousness. "Only when my ship is put in danger." Janeway replied with a hint of anger. "Please Captain." Kraylor said. "Don't blame Harry. Blame me. I was the one who made him do what he did. I was trying to save my race from dying. Your warp particles saved us. We were desperate. Please forgive me. In return, I did what I could for Harry Kim's friends." "You had something to do with healing Paris and Torres?" She asked. Kraylor flew in front of Janeway. "Yes, at one time we were healers. We evolved into our present form. Many races had destroyed us, making us almost distinct." Kraylor finished with a soft tone of voice. "You did not threaten us. You studied us and went on." Janeway looked at Harry and Kraylor. Who said life was suppose to make sense? And in the Delta quadrant. She sat down on her desk and folded her arms across her chest. "I will agree certain circumstances has caused...events to unfold like they have." She grinned. "Next time Mr. Kim, come to me before you over take engineering in a towel again, okay?" "Yes Captain." Harry smiled. "Dismissed." Janeway said. Tom woke up to find his head resting on B'Elanna's lap. She was looking down at him with a smile. "Welcome back. Always stammer like a child?" "Not always. I just...I wasn't expecting to see you again." He sighed. "Thought you were dead." "That will teach you to think." She smiled down at him. Tom gazed dreamily into her eyes, drinking in her beauty. She gave him a funny look. "Are you okay? Your getting that goofy look on your face." Her hands framed his flushed face. "Goofy look?" He said. "Do I really look goofy?" "Yes...but it will never replace the pig I see in you." "Ah....I'm the pig of your eye." "Don't you ever forget it." She stated firmly but gently. "Don't think I could if I wanted to" He replied seriously with a smile. "There's no holding back. Because with you I have nothing to hide." "What a sight to see, right Kralyor?" Harry said crossing his arms and rocking back and forth on his heels. "Love is always a sight to see. It is always there." Kraylor said flying looping circles around Harry. B'Elanna turned to look over her shoulder at Harry and the flying thing. She smiled at him. "Harry...what did you do this time?" "Umm...nothing...out of the unusual." Harry stammered. "Taking over engineering in a towel is nothing out of the unusual, I'd say." Tom chimed in as he picked himself up off the floor. He reached down and helped B'Elanna up. "Take over engineering in a towel?" B'Elanna said walking over to Harry. "Well...umm...yes." A nervous laugh escaped him as she stood mere inches from him. "I couldn't let you and Tom die. Your my best friends." His brown eyes were fresh with tears. B'Elanna could feel her eyes get a little damp too. She put her arms around his neck and gave Harry a hug. "Your the best friend I've ever had. You will always be." Harry closed his eyes and returned the hug. Tom stood there with a grin on his face thinking *I wonder if I could get away with taking engineering in a towel?* "Remember your dreams." Kraylor said hovering around Tom. "With her, you will never need to hide." "It was you? It was you that was saying those words to me?" Tom questioned. "Yes...they were words from your own thoughts and fears." Kraylor smiled. "This thing you call music, is a strange way to arrange words. Why not just show how you feel about her?" "There are something's that can be said with words, Kraylor." Tom replied. "Showing is a different thing together." "I see." Kraylor smiled. "Now it is time for me to go. I have places to go." "Why me? Why B'Elanna? Why Harry?" Tom quickly asked. Kraylor stared at Tom and then at Harry and B'Elanna who walked over to where Tom was standing. Curious they were. "Relationships are very unique, each different for reasons." Kraylor said. "Time has just begun to show you all the meaning of life." Then he was gone. Tom, Harry and B'Elanna exchanged looks. "I don't know about you two, but I could use a good game of pool." Tom commented. "With my friends." "I agree." B'Elanna said looking down at her attire. "Not to mention a change in clothing." "Good. Maybe you all can explain to me why I'm like the little brother of this ship?" Harry asked. Tom and B'Elanna began laughing and threw their arms around Harry and led him out of sickbay. They passed the Captain and the holodoc in the corridor, who stopped to watch them. "I wish I had an explanation." The holodoc supplied. "Unfortunately, I don't think I could handle a explanation of what had just occurred." "Explanations are irrelevant." Janeway said and stepped into sickbay. The holodoc rolled his eyes and followed the Captain in. Another normal day on Voyager. ** "Nothing To Hide" released by Poco. 1989 copyrighted by BMG/RCA. Written by Richard Marx/Bill Gaitsch. *** "Take Me To Heart" released by A=440. 1986 copyrighted by Polygram Records. Written by Nick Brown.