Obviously I don't own Tom and B'elanna otherwise there would be more of there episodes. But anyway... this is my first P/T story; hopefully it'll be well received. I cam to Voyager late only becoming a fan in the past year I did however find the placing of Extreme risk odd. It's an amazing episode but unanswered bits annoyed me. Why did Tom not know? There had been no indication that they were on the outs, why was there a make up scene with Chakotay and not Tom? Ect so this is sort of a lead up to extreme risk from some point after they receive the news about her friends in the alpha quadrant.

This is un beta'd and please try to remember that even though a lot of this may seem out of character for B'elanna she is grieving and with someone who loves her where ou can let your guard down

Please R&R all appreciated. Rating may change when I get to that. Lol. As I imagine that they would be HOT!

Tom once again tapped his timepiece… "Computer... locate Lt Torres"

"Lt Torres is in her quarters" the generic female voice responded.

Tom huffed out a breath and headed in that direction glancing back at the holodeck and the visions of a romantic night by the beach that he had in store for them... they hadn't spent much time together lately and when they were he wasn't sure it was where she wanted to be.. It was fear that stopped him from asking her if he was being honest with himself.

There was a time when just being with each other made the day complete now B'elanna was sleep walking through the day and he was to much of a coward to ask her why... maybe if he could get her to the holodeck they could talk about it.

The blond haired pilot slowed as he got to B'elannas quarters, he pushed the chime to let her know he was there and rocked back and forth on his feet... feeling the nerves of a guy on his first date. Where did they come from?

"Come in" B'elanna's voice sounded through the opening door. The sight of her on her sofa wrapped up was not what he was expecting. "Bella what's wrong?" he walked to her and crouched down to eye level in front of her.

"Nothing tom I'm tired can we talk tomorrow."

"B'elanna, we had a date you didn't even tell me you weren't coming!" he felt the heat f anger creeping up his neck "Tell me what's wrong"

"I forgot tom ok! We'll talk tomorrow. Right now I'm tired and I'm going to bed" With that she walked into her bedroom without even looking back.

Tom was dumbfounded. He was used to anger from B'elanna, a good fight usually leads to a great make up but that plan indifference was heart wrenching and he didn't know what to do. He felt like an idiot as he left her quarters with no real idea of what to do next.

Harry found Tom in Sandrine's he had sent him a message about an hour ago but his shift had yet to finish and he didn't really want to go into Sandrine's in his uniform.. The state that tom had drank himself into though had Harry wishing he had gone straight there.

"Tom?" The dark haired ensign approached his best friend quickly. "What's up buddy? Thought tonight was the night you tried out your new holo programme we've been working on?" there was no answer to the look of sheer unhappiness that faced him.

"Oh man..." Harry took the seat next to Tom and held his hand up indicating for another drink plus one for himself. Replicater rations be damned.

"She barely see's me anymore Harry. What did I do that's so bad she won't even shout at me? Desperation and alcohol was a bad mix and Harry knew that the next thing to do was get some food into Tom without the whole ship seeing him in this state...

"Maybe she's just tired." Though he was aiming for hopeful Harry knew he had failed Tom however was far too drunk to have noticed that...

"You're her friend Harry you'd be the one she'd tell if something was wrong even if it was me... is it? Is there something wrong? Is there someone else? It just doesn't make sense!" when he motioned to the bar man again Harry stood up. "Computer pause programme. Tom come on man lets go get some eats I'll even use my own rations for your dinner" he hoped that cheer was better... "Its been a busy few weeks in engineering maybe you should try giving B'elanna space, she'll come to you when she's ready." They walked towards the holodeck doors, Tom only a little wobbly considering the amount he drank in the short space of time, deciding that Harry had a point, B'elanna was a complicated woman maybe it was best to give her a little space. "Harry my friend. Let's have pizza!" He through his arm over his best friends shoulder still aware that there was a problem but for now at least feeling a tad more optimistic about it.

Over the next few days both Tom and B'elanna went on about their days, greeting one another at staff meetings and sitting at the same table at lunch though not necessarily at the same time anymore Harry was beginning to worry even before they were together there was nothing that his 2 best friends liked more than to fight with each other this was just weird, he was hoping that he was the only one who noticed though. As he sat opposite B'elanna at lunch a couple of days later he noticed how drawn her face looked.

"B'elanna, you doing ok? I can't pretend I don't know you and Tom aren't talking. You both look like hell." Harry laid his hand over hers on the table and she just stared down at it with a look of innocent confusion.

"We're fine Harry what are you talking about?" B'elanna removed her hand and abruptly stood up to leave "I have some reports I need to check over I'll catch you later Starfleet." Harry stared after her, with a sense of foreboding.

That same night Tom decided to be a man and go talk to her, he missed her damn it.

"Come in," the door slid open and he walked through wearing a casual blue shirt that he knew she liked him in. "B'elanna? Fancy dinner? We can head out? Or I can replicate some here??" the nerves were back in his voice irritating him no end.

"I'm not really hungry Tom thanks though, another night maybe?" her voice sounded out from the bathroom and he thought that he heard a faint buzzing sound.

"We'll we don't have to eat we can stay in, watch a holo movie?" he sat on her sofa. He had no intention of leaving until she spoke to him.

She came out of the bathroom. Wrapped up in a towel she looked so frail and un B'elanna like. "Talk to me... please" he got up and walked to her, he took her in his arms and held her close, when she turned her face into his neck he pulled her tighter. "I'm here B'elanna but you have to talk to me." He felt her tears through his shirt and was petrified. He steered her towards the sofa. He never let go of her though for fear that he wouldn't let him touch her again.

"Tom," she looked up at him "I'm fine, just tired and not sleeping, I'm sorry I haven't been there for you,"

"Have you been to the doc?"

She shook her head, "but I will in the morning,"

"Well come then, lets get you to bed." He scooped her up, well away that in private she loved nothing more than to treated like a girl. And he loved being the one that got to treat her like that. He laid her in bed and pulled the covers tight around her. He placed a gentle kiss on her ridged forehead and stroked a stray hair from her face.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a child like voice

"You need sleep Bella"

"Stay with me?" he looked back down at her, need and want clutching at him.

"Just sleep though." He striped down to his boxers and undershirt and slid into the bed beside her, turning her towards him he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tighter. "I love you B'elanna." The words were difficult for both of them. She was already sleeping though. He once more kissed her head and slid into sleep beside her. He didn't sleep easy but he never let her go.

Tom was struggling, things with B'elanna still hadn't resolved themselves, he was restless, there hadn't been an adventure for ages, even the holodeck was boring but it was better than not not talking to B'elanna or whatever it was that was going on with them. He started running a programme based on a 20th century car that needed fixing up. He knew he was neglecting his duties and B'elanna but he couldn't get through to her and he didn't really no if he had the energy to try. He loved her but it didn't seem as though that was enough. He had the opportunity to work with Steth a new alien from the delta quadrant that had ship problem he managed to convince Chakotay to let him help though Vorik or B'elanna would have been better suited to the job even Harry would have been the more logical step, still it put a spring in his step to be doing something different and if it meant more time away from B'elanna he was surprised if she'd notice.. Whatever, he wasn't thinking about her at the moment. Not that he was ever not thinking about her.

He never expected to be body switched. But it did make him realize that he had a really good life and that he should be fighting for B'elanna... Why was he letting her drift away from him? He was such an idiot. He was so fidgety on the biobed as the doctor put him back in his own body. What happened next was a blur until he walked out the sickbay and saw her pacing. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. "B'elanna" emotion clogged his voice and she ran to him. "Tom I'm so sorry," he brushed hair back from her face and covered her in kisses. "Why? What's wrong?" she stared at him... Eyes searching his face relief filled her "I didn't know that it wasn't you." She gulped in air. He shhh'd her with a kiss. "Come to the holodeck I'll show you what I've been working on." They spent the rest of the night in the back of classic Camaro.

Things seemed better for a while with both making an effort to be there for one another but Harry noticed the cracks they were so desperately trying to cover he didn't know what to do, neither of them were talking to him about it.

There is more to come but thought it would be best to split it this seemed like a quiet natural place for that split. Hope its working for people. Its late and I need to sleep but wanted to get this on before I chicken out and it sits on my PC for the rest of time. Lol. x