Disclaimer: All things Star Trek belong to CBS/Paramount. I only own my imagination.
Spoilers: Future's End pt 1. If you haven't seen it, this won't make much sense.
Author's Note: I have the ambition to keep these coming, but I also have a real life which can mess with me. Bear with me here. This is a single episode stretched over 90 minutes which, considering things, isn't such a bad idea at times. Originally I was going to write one instalment only, but as I sat down this little thing came to me first. I found it pretty funny when Tuvok had been off getting breakfast (an afternoon at Dodger Stadium) so I think it was that which convinced me this had to come out. Not all burritos are vegetarian, even though I prefer mine as such, but Tuvok may have gotten that impression if Tom had gone with Rain getting take away the evening before. I think Tom would have been thinking about Tuvok being a vegetarian though he'd give another reason for the veggie food than either of them actually being vegetarians. I also wanted to give Rain and Tom more time, because this is the first time it's believable that had things been different, B'Elanna would have had serious competition. Rain isn't just pretty, she has brains and likes Tom – and says so. She's sort of B'Elanna but without the baggage.
Rain was still sulking in the back of the van when the two men in the front seats started talking again.
"Mr. Paris, we should find a suitable place for the night," the man called Tuvok said with the flat voice she had started to expect from him.
"Oh, I know. I just haven't figured out quite the place yet," Tom replied intensely focused on traffic.
"May I remind you we have a representative from the local population with us," was Tuvok's reply. She rolled her eyes at the way he was saying it, though his logic was impeccable.
"Yeah, I'm still here, in case you have forgotten," she said and sat up trying to catch Tom's eyes in the rear view mirror.
"I can assure you Ms. Robinson, we have not," Tuvok replied.
"Right. Any suggestions?" Tom asked and briefly met her eyes in the mirror.
"Well we could try a park. I mean, since we can't go to my place. We'd be able to stay for one night at least without attracting too much attention," she offered.
"Any good suggestions?" Tom asked as he stopped at a light.
Rain looked around to locate where they were. "If you take left in the next crossing and then to the right at the third street crossing, we'll come up to a park to our right where we could pull in." She sighed. "It's central anyway," she said looking out of the car window.
"It would be wise to not attract too much attention," Tuvok said.
"We won't. We're going to fit right in. Everyone does," she replied and watched the traffic, checking Paris was driving according to instructions. In the corner of her eye she saw Tuvok heave a sigh. That guy is really a tonne of fun, she thought to herself. Oh how she really would love to know what this was all about! Not that she didn't have ideas. A UFO appearing in orbit, and suddenly her world was upside down with her hanging out with people more or less acting human but clearly not being from the neighbourhood. And she wasn't talking about LA but about Earth 1996. Tom, if that actually was his real name, hadn't been as clammed up as Tuvok and she, by connecting the hints he had dropped, had formed a reasonably good idea where these guys could come from – and when. The corners of her mouth quirked slightly. She was upset, but at the same time this was exciting. If they only could tell her what all this was about she'd feel a lot better about the situation. She leaned forward towards Paris.
"It's here. Just turn right and keep the speed down and it'll come up on our right straight away," she said. After a few moments the park came in to view and Tom started to find a suitable place to park the van. As the car came to a halt Tuvok once more voiced his opinion.
"We require sustenance." He turned to look at her in the way she had come to expect from him, serious and nonsensical. "Are you familiar with this neighbourhood?" he asked.
"Sort of. But you really don't need to because there's food everywhere around here. Chinese, Mexican, pizza, burgers... If we walk up that street we'll have all sorts of stuff to choose from. Just take your pick," she waved up the street they had been driving along.
"Tell you what. Why don't I and Rain go get something to eat while you arrange things here for the night? You could perhaps try and contact our... friends too?" Paris said to Tuvok. He nodded in response.
They climbed out of the van and started walking. "It won't be very comfortable," she said with an apologetic smile. "I mean, sleeping in the car."
Paris glanced at her and quirked the corners of his mouth. "It's okay. We're at least having air to breathe. And toilets... somewhere," he said looking around.
"Right, yeah. I kind of expect having air to breathe," she replied. "At least smoggy air."
"Well, sometimes you can't expect even having that," he said as if he didn't really think about what he was saying as he was keeping his eyes in motion scanning the street. She studied him under her bangs. He seemed constantly balancing between being charming towards her and staying focused on what ever he was doing and on occasion when distracted he dropped the hints she'd wished he would expand on. By now she was more curious than upset but she wasn't quite sure how to coax more information out of these two men.
"So what do you like best?" she asked and eyed the street ahead.
"Best?" Paris echoed and looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Yeah, food. Remember? We were supposed to get something to eat," she said with a grin.
"Oh, I don't know," he replied as he started to feign being easygoing, but apparently he changed his mind and stopped, put his hands on his hips and turned towards her. "I think vegetarian would be best."
Rain's eyebrows shot up. "Vegetarian?" she blurted.
"Yeah, sans meat. No fish or chicken either. Just vegetables, beans, lentils, that sort of thing," he said completely serious.
"I know what it is, it's just that... I didn't expect you to be vegetarian," she said apologetically and pushed her hands in her pockets and raised her shoulders.
Paris smiled widely. "Always when out like this I prefer sticking to vegetables. Less risk of getting food poisoning," he said.
She tilted her head. "Never thought about that. Huh. Well, I'd say we find a place with decent burritos then. Oh! I know just the place! Come on!" she exclaimed and started to pull him along.
"Hey easy! I'm coming! We've got all night, no need to rush," he chuckled.
"Oh right. Sorry," she said and smiled. They walked for a while in silence. "You think that guy is going to find us? I mean, the guy with that freaky beam thing," she clarified and looked up at him.
"No, I don't think so. And I don't think he'll put that much of an effort in to it either. Staying in your van is a precaution, just in case," he said reassuringly.
"Man, this is weird. You just sit there, day after day, keeping an eye on space, in theory hoping that something will happen... But I never expected it to." She sighed. "And I won't be able to prove anything because you ruined my computer."
"Rain, I'm sorry about that and I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. Please, just drop it," he said starting to sound tired.
"Long day?" she asked.
Paris snorted lightly. "You could say that. You're not the only one who has had an eventful day." He threw the sky a quick glance and his charms melted away.
"Worried about your friends?" she continued lightly.
Tom threw her a look. "You don't miss much," he sighed. "No, I'm not worrying about them. It's they who worry about us." He looked around. "Are we there yet?" he asked.
She grinned. "In fact, you're about to walk past."
He looked to his right and saw a small stall. "Damn, could have missed that one," he said.
"Let's get those burritos, okay?" she said and smiled and Paris nodded in reply.
