A/N: This was supposed to be a simple, single paragraph story, but ended up a multi-parter. Everything is already written up, and I'll be releasing them daily, so there won't be much of a wait. Please let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story.
To say Tom was itching for action would have been an understatement. It was why he joined Chakotay's rag-tag group on the Val Jean anyways; to have some sort of action in his life besides loose women and running from bar bills. Yet here he was, lying on his bunk, two weeks and who-knows –or remembers for that matter- how many lightyears into the DMZ and he was actually missing the busty blonde whose physical attractiveness depended on how many drinks you had in your system that he had been with the night before he met Chakotay. What was her name again? Nicole? Sarah? Maybe her name started with a G. Anyway, she was still more fun when he was sober than he was having right now.
Chakotay still wasn't quite trusting of Tom, which meant that as far as assignments went, Tom got next to none. What he did get were a combination of little things that kept the Val Jean operating that no one else wanted to do, and that if he screwed up –which Chakotay and pretty much everyone else on board figured he would- it wouldn't create a major issue. When he wasn't assigned something, Tom was practically confined to quarters. There were a few Maquis on the ship that didn't mind having him around to talk to while they were working, though the more senior members and those closer to Chakotay saw him as little more than a charity case; someone "saint" Chakotay picked up out of the kindness of his heart to save Tom from his pathetic life.
"Tom? Tom? PARIS GET UP!"
"Jean!" Tom shouted as he shot up from his bunk. He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep. He turned to see Mike Ayala staring at him, one eyebrow raised in confusion. Ayala was the one person onboard that Tom knew legitimately liked him, which wasn't saying much as Mike tended to like everyone he met. He reminded Tom of the dog he used to have growing up, big, loyal, but sometimes too friendly for his own good.
"Who's Jean?" Mike asked. "I didn't catch you in the middle of something, did I?"
"What? No. I was just thinking of someone I met once. Did you need me for something?"
"Well, since you're volunteering, yes. It's Bitty's birthday today, and I wanted to take her out for a night of fun. Only problem is, I need one more person to go with us before Chakotay will even consider letting us leave the ship."
Tom thought for a moment. Who was Bitty anyway? He knew it wasn't any of the males on the ship. It definitely wasn't that Bajoran woman that clung to Chakotay like a newborn monkey to its mother. Then he remembered. Bitty was Ayala's nickname for B'Elanna Torres, the half-Klingon engineer, who had just recently stopped throwing things at him every time he walked into the engine room.
"Torres? You want me to go out with you and Torres?"
"It's not just me and Torres. Chell is going too."
"Ha, 'Chell is going too'." Tom mocked. "Are you out of your damn mind? She can't stand me. I'd be better off back in 'Fleet territory than I would standing within eyesight of her."
"Come on, I really need you to come. Admittedly, you weren't my first choice for obvious reasons, but I can't get anyone else to go." Mike gave Tom a playful punch. "So what do you say, buddy, for me?"
Tom let out a long sigh. "Fine, I'll do it. Where are we going anyway?"
"I know this bar on a planet a few parsecs from here. It's a bit sketchy, but it's Maquis friendly and the owner likes to keep any squabbles within the establishment, so we don't have to worry about getting in trouble with authority figures."
"And Chakotay's okay with this?"
"He doesn't know we're going to the bar."
"Are you trying to get me into trouble him?"
"Oh, don't you worry about Chakotay. I'll take care of him. You're job is to convince Bitty to go."
"What the hell, Mike! She doesn't even know about this, and you expect me to convince her?"
"Well, you're always bragging about the 'Paris charm', so I figured you could finally prove it and work your magic on Bitty. Besides, if you can get her to go, I'll convince Chakotay to set you up as the pilot for this mission he's been planning."
Tom's interest was piqued. "What mission would that be, exactly?"
Mike shrugged. "I don't know the full details, but it sounds like a big one And if you do it right, it will definitely make you more than just an random errand boy."
Mike's offer was definitely intriguing to Tom. And the thought of being behind the piloting controls of a vessel was almost worth taking the risk of bodily harm with B'Elanna.
"Are you in?" Mike offered Tom his hand.
"Done." With a shake, the deal was made.