Pairings:Tom/B'Elanna, Tom/Male, Tom/Chakotay.
Summary:An act of nature sparks huge changes for Tom Paris.
Archive:MPreg, other please ask first.
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer:Voyager and her crew are the property of Paramount .
Authors notes & Warnings: Slash (M/M - implied). Non-con (implied rape, later chapter). MPreg (later chapter). Gender Bender. Thanks to Cassy Bug and Alex Quinn for Beta work.

Part the One - Where in the earth moves for Tom and Harry!

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Tom Paris tugged at the neck of his uniform, trying without much success to fan cooler air down his sweat soaked back. The material clung unpleasantly to the damp patches under his arms, across his chest and shoulders, a broad wet area running the length of his spine. Damp blond curls were plastered to the flushed skin and rivets of sweat ran freely down his forehead. Beside him, his companion was in little better condition.

"Hey Harry," Tom called as the sticky pair struggled up the last few meters of the steep path bringing them to the top of the mesa. "Next time we're given the choice of duties hit me if I even look like I'm considering refusing the chance to pick fruit and veggies for Neelix."

Coming to a halt Tom rested, palms braced against his knees as he bent forward, forcing much needed gulps of air into his lungs. As the consuming need for oxygen receded he spoke up again, "so help me if he manages to find something worse than Leola root I'm getting out and walking all the way back to the Alpha Quadrant."

Much as the crew loved the spotted Talaxian his culinary choices were a subject of frequent teasing complaints and banter from his friends, Tom especially loathed Leola root and the pained expression which crossed the handsome blonde's features at mention of the dreaded vegetable set his younger companion off, Harry's happy chuckles in turn bringing a grin to Tom's face.

Breathing normally again the pair resumed moving; unclipping their tricorders as they walked both men performed the first of a series of sweeping scans over the narrow plateau on which the path now deposited them.

"Voyager's scans indicated the energy readings should be coming from over there," Harry said motioning to a spot roughly in the middle an area equally empty of anything but the knee high grass which evenly covered the ground in all directions.

As the men made their way over the otherwise featureless field Harry could feel the broad, flat blades of purple grass cling to the fabric of his uniform, having to pull his feet slightly with each step to break free. After over an hour of trudging through the stuff on the climb up, which was more the reason for their earlier breathless state than the angle of the incline, both men had learnt to move their feet in an odd gliding fashion; although a less efficient way to move it stopped them becoming mired down by breaking the stems of the prehensile plant life, with the added advantage that the crushed foliage released a pleasant if somewhat sweet scent which was better than the Starfleet officers' own currently less than fresh odour.

Eyes locked on his flashing tricorder screen Harry stumbled as his left foot unexpectedly connected with the remains of a wall, hidden under the surface of the subtly moving grass. Tom grabbed his friend, steadying him for a moment before patting the shoulder beneath his hand.

"You ok Har?"

"Thanks Tom. Now that's interesting, the scans don't show anything there but look," using one hand the younger man parted the grass, a large block of cut stone appearing beneath his outstretched palm.

Running his own tricorder over the ground and exposed wall remnants Tom puzzled over the scan. "I'm getting nothing either Har."

Standing again the taller man noticed a slight difference in the height of the grass surrounding Harry's stone; the depression ran away from their location to both left and right before turning at right angles, heading off down the plateau. As a cloud moved across the sky the sun was briefly hidden, casting long shadows which revealed another line parallel to the first, interacting with the other marks to form a massive rectangle.

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"Chakotay to Away Team Beta, how are you doing Lieutenant Paris?"

"We've reached the plateau Commander. Tricorders aren't picking up any sign of the energy source, or anything else for that matter but Harry literally stumbled over the remains of a wall and we've found crop marks which would indicate several more. Either both tricorders are malfunctioning or something is blocking our scans." As Tom finished speaking the ground suddenly seemed a little less solid, giving a little shake. "Did you feel that Har?"

"Yes, I wonder what ..."

Before Harry could completely voice the question the ground shook again, shuddering a little harder than before.

"What's going on Paris?" Chakotay's voice sounded, a little tinny from the comm-badge on the Lieutenant's chest.

"Voyager to Away Team Beta, we're detecting seismic activity in your area, it would seem that the area isn't as stable as initial scans suggested. I suggest you cut short your investigations gentlemen and return to the harvesting site." The Captain's voice was interrupted by a booming crack as the ground rippled, startling both men.

"Harry I think that's our cue to leave."

"Lieutenant Report, what's going on down there Tom?"

Already panting as he ran Tom responded, "earth tremor, big one, we're moving to safer gr... HARRY, LOOK OUT!" He shouted in alarm as the ground immediately in front of the younger man and to their right suddenly dropped away revealing a yawning chasm which was rapidly spreading towards the staggering Ensign.

A surge of adrenaline gave Tom a sufficient burst of speed to power his longer legs, carrying him quick enough to lunge forward to snag Harry's waist; jerked away from the crumbling edge; their combined momentum was enough to push the lighter man clear of the unexpected danger.

Unprepared for the impact of his friend's hands on his hips and back Harry twisted as he fell, not even feeling his head strike the ground as everything went black.

As rapidly as the earth tremors had begun the ground now ceased its' restless movements, clouds of dust ripped from the torn surface slowly settled back down, light eerily muted in their wake. The blanketing silence smothering the scene was shattered by Captain Janeway's voice, concern for her officers evident in her tone. "Lieutenant Paris, Ensign Kim, report. Tom? Harry?"

On Voyager's bridge Tuvok's calm even tones cut through the pregnant silence. "Captain, interference from changes in the planet's magnetic field is blocking our scans. We are only able to detect one faint set of bio-signs from the Beta team's location."

"Get a lock on both of them and beam them directly to Sickbay," Janeway bit out, already moving towards the turbolift as the EMH's distinctive voice came over the comm.

"Sickbay to the Bridge. I have Ensign Kim."

"Doctor, what about Lieutenant Paris?"

"Ah, that would explain the second comm-badge."

"Doctor!" the Captain cut in before the EMH could continue.

"I'm afraid Ensign Kim and the Lieutenant's badge are all that arrived, would you mind telling me where the rest is or do you plan on transporting him piece by piece; should I expect his uniform next?"

Blocking out the Doctor's sarcasm through years of practice the Captain turned towards her Chief of Security, "Tuvok?"

"Scanning Captain, working to compensate for interference." The Vulcan's fingers already in motion having anticipated the Captain's order, Janeway wasn't the only one who had years of practice.

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