Standard disclaimer: Paramount owns everything, and Viacom=20 owns them. I'm not getting a penny for writing this. Comment? Send them to: yu144703@yorku.ca (It's my first=20 fanfic, be kind.) Set after Random Thoughts By Denise Colby What's in the box? He's doing it again, thought B'Elanna as she looked up from,=20 what could only be called oatmeal, and noticed Tom staring=20 at her. He had been staring at her since she came back from=20 the Mari homeworld. At first it was a I-can't-believe-she- almost-was-lobotimized-but-thank-God-she-wasn't look, which=20 she didn't mind. However, that only lasted a couple of=20 days. Now, when Tom, stared at her it was like he was=20 trying to make up his mind about telling her something. It=20 was getting on her nerves. =93What?"she asked in an exasperated voice. =93Sorry?=94 =93Don't give me that. You know what I'm talking about. =20 You've been giving me weird looks for three days now."She=20 leaned over the table slightly to show she was serious,=20 =93tell me.=94 Tom opened his mouth then closed it again, ran his hand=20 through his hair and tried to speak again, =93well, uhm, ya=20 know when=85"Tom was cut off by the chirp of his com badge,=20 =93Paris here,"he replied, silently thankful for the=20 interruption. =93Lieutenant, we are heading into a particularly nasty piece=20 in this sector and I was hoping you could start your shift a=20 little early." Captain Janeway, made it sound like a request=20 but Tom knew better. Either way though, he wouldn't miss an=20 opportunity to pilot though a 'nasty piece' of space.=20 =93On my way,"he replied and shrugged he shoulders to=20 B'Elanna, trying to look sorry to leave. He was truly sorry=20 to leave B'Elanna, but he was quite eager to get away from=20 her line of questioning. Tom had been struggling for days=20 now trying to decide whether or not to give her the gift he=20 bought on the Mari homeworld. Would it only remind her of=20 being almost turned into a vegetable, or would she like for=20 what it was, and ignore it's origin. =20 Tom got up, leaned over an kissed B'Elanna, and started out=20 of the messhall. =93You don't fool me Lieutenant,"B'Elanna called after him=20 with a smile. =93We're not finished here.=94 Tom just smile like he didn't know what she was talking=20 about and exited. B'Elanna shook her head and took a sip of=20 her coffee. =20 =93Would you like me to freshen that up for you?" Neelix=20 asked, as he walked up to her table after already having=20 making the rounds in the rest of the Messhall. =93No thank you, Neelix, I have to head down to engineering in=20 a couple of minutes.=94 =93I know this is none of my business, Lieutenant, but,=20 there's a bit of a betting pool going on=85 and well I was=20 hoping you could help by settling it," Neelix said=20 nervously, but the crew had been waiting a week to find out=20 what was in the mysterious box Paris had brought on board,=20 and neither of the Lieutenants had said a word about it. =20 Neelix was taking a risk by asking B'Elanna directly, but he=20 also knew that she would probably tell him just to shut up=20 the people involved with the pool. =93What's the pool this time? Tom and have already had our=20 first date, fight, and make-up, what do they want now?" It=20 annoyed her that some people had nothing better to do than=20 make bets on other peoples personal lives. It bugged her=20 that Tom had been the one who originally set the pool up,=20 yet she had to conceded that if he hadn't someone else would=20 have. At least he isn't running it now, she consoled=20 herself. Neelix, relieved that his question hadn't upset her sat down=20 across from her leaned over the table and asked in a=20 conspirital voice, =93What was in the box?=94 B'Elanna was confused, =93What box?=94 =93The box Tom brought back from the Mari homeworld, he said=20 it was a gift for you.=94 Understanding dawned on B'Elanna, so this is what was=20 bugging him so much. =93I don't know,"she replied. =93He=20 hasn't given it to me=85 yet.=94 =93Oh no, I just ruined the surprise didn't I?" Neelix said quietly=20 kicking himself, of course she hasn't gotten it yet, that's=20 why no one knows what's in it yet. =93Don't worry about it Neelix,"B'Elanna said as she stood up to=20 leave. =93You'll be the first one I tell when I find out. By=20 the way, how did you hear about it?=94 =93I was there when Tom, brought it aboard, but I believe it was=20 the ensign on duty in the Transporter room who started the=20 pool though.=94 =93Oh,"B'Elanna said dismissively as she made her way to the=20 exit, processing the information he had given her. =93Thank=20 for letting me know.=94 =93Think nothing of it, Lieutenant,"Neelix said as he=20 waved her out of the Mess. *** B'Elanna spent the rest of her morning shift thinking about=20 the 'box'. She knew Tom wasn't keeping it a surprise for=20 her, she could tell by the look in his eyes. He didn't want=20 to bring up any negative memories of the planet by giving=20 her something from it, B'Elanna decided. I'm a big girl=20 Tom, B'Elanna thought silently to herself. The question=20 that still remained, however, was how she going to get Tom=20 to give her the box, and what could it be if he thought it=20 would only remind her of her negative experience with the=20 locals. B'Elanna asked the computer for the time =93It is 12:05=20 hours.=94 =93Carey, I'm going for lunch, you have engineering,"she=20 called as she left to meet Tom and Harry for lunch. =93Okay,"answered Carey, as he watched her exit. *** B'Elanna was sipping her coffee and listening to Tom and=20 Harry talk about how boring bridge duty had been that=20 morning after the brief adventure though the 'nasty piece'=20 of space. B'Elanna got an idea. =93Ya know, it's been a long time since I've seen a good=20 holovid,"She said slowly. =93How about we watch one tonight?=94 =93Sounds good to me,"replied Tom. =93I can book us time on the=20 Holodeck after shift, and Harry can bring the popcorn.=94 =93What do we want to see?"asked Harry. =93How about To Catch a Thief, with Clark Gable, it's been a=20 long time since I've seen that one,"replied B'Elanna. =93Cary Grant,"corrected Harry.=20 =93What?=94 =93It was Cary Grant not Clark Gable, they have the same=20 initials, C.G., I can see how you could confuse them.=94 =93Right." B'Elanna said and shook off a feeling of Deja vu. =20 Then she continued trying to move the conversation where she=20 wanted it to go. She didn't have to, Tom had already=20 caught the bait. =93What? Watch a classic like that as a holovid? Never, you=20 have to watch movies the way they were intended to be seen,=20 on viewing screen.=94 =93Well actually, wouldn't it be better if we program the=20 holodeck for a movie thea=97ouch"Harry exclaimed as Torres=20 kicked him under the table. She hadn't counted on Harry=20 being so enginuitive. =93A movie theater! That's a great idea!"Tom exclaimed=20 getting caught up in their plans. Harry, however, was not stupid and knew that unless he=20 didn't do some backpedaling, fast, he would get a matching=20 bruise on his other shin, =93actually, maybe it's not a good=20 idea to hog one of the holodecks for a couple of hours if=20 it's going to be just the three of us sitting for a couple=20 of hours.=94 =93I think Harry has a point,"B'Elanna said, thankful that=20 Harry had got the message. =93Okay, whatever. I'll just go see if I can get a larger=20 viewscreen, than what I have to watch it on.=94 =93Good idea, Tom," B'Elanna said. =93So, meet at my quarters at 19:00 hours?" Harry and B'Elanna=20 nodded. When Tom had left Harry turned to B'Elanna, =93Spill it.=94 =93It's the box,"she said watching his face for his reaction. =20 =93How did you find out? What does it have to do with=20 watching a movie?" Harry asked bewildered. B'Elanna=20 explained how she found out and what she planned to do, and=20 how he could help her. =93Why don't you just tell Tom you know?"asked Harry. =20 B'Elanna gave him a withering look and told him her plan. =20 =93Are you going to help me or not Starfleet?" She said=20 finally, using her old nickname for him to stress the point. =93Fine, Maquis." Harry smiled as he cleared his things from=20 the table and headed back to the bridge. =93What's so funny?" B'Elanna asked following his lead. =93You and Tom. Tom's been worrying that the box would only=20 bring up bad memories, so he hid it. You find out about=20 the box and sneaking around to find it. It would be so much=20 easier if you would just talk it each other."Harry laughed. =20 B'Elanna wasn't amused. =93Oh shut up.=94 =93I mean,"he continued ignoring her earlier response, =93what=20 are you going to do when you find it?=94 =93I'll figure that out later.=94 =93Sure,"Harry said with a laugh and left for the bridge. *** Harry entered Tom's quarters, and noticed B'Elanna was=20 already there. Harry had stopped by his quarters after=20 rehearsing a new piece with Nicolette, and changed into his=20 'civvies' namely a pair of slacks and a heavy sweater, as=20 per B'Elanna's request. =93B'Elanna, is there something wrong=20 with the climate controls? I'm freezing."=20 =93I haven't checked yet, but you're right, I'm cold too. =20 I'll look into it tomorrow."=20 =93I haven't noticed,"Tom said. =93Believe me, Tom, my Kligon Blood wouldn't lie. It's=20 cold," B'Elanna stated. =93Shall we?"Tom asked, as he finished setting up the=20 view screen so they could all see it from the couch. =93Let's"Harry and B'Elanna replied in unison. =20 =93Neelix to Kim."Harry looked puzzled. Good actor, thought=20 B'Elanna to herself. =93Kim here.=94 =93You volunteered to put some hours in the Mess with me=85"=20 Neelix said. =93Oh, right. Sorry Neelix I'll be there in five minutes. =20 Kim out." Harry turned to Tom and B'Elanna who had already=20 sat down on the couch, =93Sorry guys. Enjoy the movie.=94 =93You want us to just do this another night?" Tom offered=20 getting up from the couch. B'Elanna tried to keep the panic=20 from her eyes. =93No, no Tom,"Harry insisted. =93You guys enjoy yourselves. =20 I've already seen this movie a few times anyway." Harry gave=20 B'Elanna a reassuring smile and left. When Harry was in the=20 turbolift he just shook his head and laughed, who needs a=20 moral officer when you have Tom and B'Elanna to keep you=20 laughing.=20 *** So far so good, thought B'Elanna. She snuggled up to=20 Tom on his couch as they started to watch the movie under=20 the pretext of being cold. Although, truth be told, Tom=20 really didn't care why she snuggled up to him, he just liked=20 that she did. Later, when she was sure Tom was totally=20 engrossed in the film, B'Elanna moved on to part two of her=20 plan. =93Tom?"she asked quietly. He grunted something. B'Elanna=20 smile, it was now or never. =93I'm still cold. Can I borrow=20 a sweater?=94 =93Closet,"Tom relied without taking his eyes off the screen. =20 B'Elanna got up and went into his bedroom. Once inside she=20 headed straight for the closet. B'Elanna, found that when=20 looking for something it can usually be found in the most=20 obvious places, especially if it was Tom who was hiding it. =20 She knew that Tom liked people thinking he was a little=20 sneaky; that way he could get away with hiding things in=20 plan view. Meanwhile, Tom let out a yawn and wondered where B'Elanna=20 went. Closet he thought CLOSET! I have to stop her! Tom=20 jumped off the couch and dashed into his bedroom, only to=20 find B'Elanna sitting on the floor in front of his closet=20 with the box on her lap.=20 They looked at each other and thought the same thing:=20 Busted. =93I was just=85"=93I was going to=85"they both said at the same=20 time. B'Elanna was the first to laugh. =20 =93Harry was right. We're pathetic,"B'Elanna said getting up=20 off the floor, taking the package with her. =93I didn't want to bring up any bad memories of the Mari. So=20 I hid the gift. How did you find out?" Tom asked. =93Neelix asked me about it, apparently there's a betting=20 pool," B'Elanna answered. =93Can I open it?=94 =93Yeah, sure, it was for you,"Tom said and sat on the bed. =20 B'Elanna sat next to him and ripped open the box with=20 relish. Once it was opened, she pulled out a figurine that=20 looked vaguely like a Terrain angel. =93It's beautiful,"she said. =93What is it?=94 =93Well,"Tom began looking slightly uncomfortable. =93You know=20 how you always complain about not being able to control your=20 anger sometimes? Well, I found this just after you=20 complained about that big blow up you had at Carey,"=20 B'Elanna nodded, remembering the incident. =93Well, this was=20 kind of a joke gift, that had the added bonus of being=20 aesthetically pleasing." B'Elanna looked confused. =93The=20 Mari believe, or at least their children do, that if you=20 place this guardian by you bed it will take away any=20 negative thoughts or dreams." Tom winced, waiting for=20 B'Elanna to say something. When she finally did, Tom didn't=20 know if he was relieved or in shock. =20 B'Elanna laughed. Hard. She suddenly understood perfectly=20 why he decided not to give it to her. She looked at his=20 shocked expression and laughed louder. After a couple of=20 minutes she wiped the tears from her eyes and took Toms face=20 in her hands. =93I love it, thank you,"she said and kissed=20 him. Then=85 =93Torres to Neelix"she called pulling away from Tom, much to=20 Tom's dismay. =93Neelix here.=94 =93It's a small statue that is suppose to take away all bad=20 thoughts. Torres out." Tom was looking at her in confusion. =20 =93I promised I'd tell him when I found out,"she explained. =20 =93Let's finish watching the movie,"she said carefully making=20 sure the figure Tom had given her was safe in its box and=20 pulled Tom off the bed. =93And you think Chakotay has a twisted sense of humor," Tom=20 said as he followed her back to the living room area. All=20 B'Elanna could do was laugh. The end.