How To Save A Life- Chapter 14

Deep Space Nine

"You did all that for me?" Jadzia asked Tom Paris.

Tom had told Jadzia all of what happened over the past two days. All of it, of course, except for how he decided to not to honor her request of just letting her die. They were sitting on the couch in Jadzia and Worf's quarters.

"Yeah, but now I have to tell you what you have to do." Tom replied.

"What I have to do?" Jadzia questioned.

"Yep and you have to listen really closely." He said. "First off, you can't tell anyone I've been here, if you do, then Q says he'll kill you."

"Oh…I can't even tell your family?" She asked.

"Not even them." Tom answered. "Next, when Sisko comes back and finds that the prophets have abandoned him, you have to tell him to take a vacation and goes to help out at his father's restaurant. Then after about three months, go and visit him and if he's about to leave for some random place, go with him. Make sure he leaves and later you follow or else everything is going to be screwed up beyond belief. Got it?"

"Understood." Jadzia said and nodded, though a small smile formed on her face since she was saying 'understood' to someone whose rank was below hers.

He also had a small smile on his face; it was fun to be back together again, like old times. "And when you get pregnant with Worf's kid, go to that Doctor of yours every single day. In fact, make it twice a day. Four times if you're sick." Tom added.

"Why?" Jadzia asked, her smile disappearing.

"It's a long story, just…trust me." Tom replied. "Oh, crap, I almost forgot. Don't you think that this station needs a counselor?" He didn't even wait for a reply. "Right before you leave to go see Sisko after that three month hiatus, hire a counselor-in-training, Ezri Tigan."

"You want me to get a counselor-in-training to be the chief counselor here?" Jadzia asked.

"You gotta believe me…she and that Doctor of yours are going to fall in love." He replied.

"Really?" Jadzia said then smiled. "That's so sweet. Is that all?"

"Um, yeah, I think so." Tom answered smiling.

"I can't believe you did all of this." She repeated. She looked down at her hands then back up at him. "Do you ever wish you said 'yes'?"

Tom looked at her right in her eyes. "What makes you think that?" He asked.

"Well, you did all of this just to save me and are telling me so many things to keep everything in line, when you could have just let me die." Jadzia replied. "So that's why I'm asking if you wish you had said 'yes' instead of 'no'."

Tom didn't respond for a second or two. Of course he had regrets from the second he said 'no' and to this day. But he was with B'Elanna and she was with Worf, so things had been better for each of them.

11 Years Ago

Tom Paris and Jadzia were still going strong after one year of dating. They had a small age difference between them of two years, but it didn't matter at all to them. But there was still one problem that was looming: Graduation. Jadzia would be graduating from Starfleet Academy in less than one month and would soon be assigned away from Earth.

Since she was going to be leaving soon, Tom and Jadzia started to make every last moment count. They went out with each other every possible chance they got and were seen everywhere with each other. They were practically inseparable. That's why it wasn't odd to see them out walking through the Academy courtyard in the middle of the night.

The couple were holding hands and talking sweetly to each other. They smiled at each other, smiles reserved just for them and no one else. Tom and Jadzia sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard and looked at the buildings around them.

"I can't believe I'll be leaving soon." Jadzia stated with wonderment in her voice.

"I'm going to miss you." Tom said to her and kissed her.

"I'm going to miss you, too." Jadzia replied and kissed him, only this kiss lasted longer. "You know, I've been thinking…" She started, but then stopped.

"About what?" He asked with a warm smile on his face.

"I know that the man is usually the one who says this, but I was wondering if you would like to…marry me." Jadzia said with a nervous smile on her face.

Tom's face turned from happiness to some form of terror. He was only twenty and getting married at his age would practically take the fun out of life. All he wanted to do was enjoy life, but the prospect of marriage this early on scared him. "Uh…" Tom replied.

"'Uh'?" Jadzia echoed.

"I'm…I'm really sorry, but…no." Tom said finally.

"Oh, well, it's…its okay." Jadzia replied putting on a fake smile and hiding the pain she had lying beneath the surface.

She stood up and turned away from Tom. Jadzia began to wipe away tears from her eyes that were slowly falling. He stood up and put his hand on her shoulder which she pushed off with her hand.

"I…I'm sorry." Jadzia said and then started to walk away.

"Wait, no, please…don't go." Tom yelled after her. He started to run to catch up to her.

Jadzia turned around quickly and when Tom was in front of her she spoke quietly. "I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry, but we can't…we can't be together anymore." Then she turned around again, but this time she ran.

This time, Tom was left standing in the middle of the dark courtyard realizing that he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He stood in that spot until the sun started to come out. Slowly, he walked back to his dorm room thinking of all the pain he had caused Jadzia and eventually to himself.

After one month, Starfleet Academy was over. Jadzia had graduated and within two days, she had left for her first post. Tom didn't go to the graduation or even talk to Jadzia ever since they broke up, a fact which he regretted every day of his life. He, on the other hand, was at one of the graduation parties with some of his friends when he saw a woman whom he thought was gorgeous. The two of them talked most of the night as well as danced to some of the songs. Before the girl left, Tom made sure to get her name…her name was Odile and she told him where she would be while school was on break so if he felt like visiting her, he could.

Deep Space Nine (Present)

"Of course I have." Tom said after the pause. "Do you ever regret asking?"

It was Jadzia's turn to think, but hers was not as long of a pause as Tom's. "No." She responded. "If I didn't then we would've been together longer than we had, making it harder for each of us to find other people."

"Like B'Elanna." Tom murmured.

"Who?" Jadzia asked.

"Oh, well," Tom said starting to blush slightly. "she and I are…dating."

"Sounds like a Klingon name." Jadzia remarked.

"She's half-Klingon half-Human." Tom replied.

"Do you love her?" She asked.

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I love her…I love her a lot."

"That's good." Jadzia said and gave Tom a small hug.

"Do you love Worf?" Tom asked.

She gave Tom a big smile. "I'm completely in love." She replied. There was a quiet between the two for a short time. "Don't you think its ironic how we both fell in love with Klingons?"

"Incredibly." He answered immediately and smiled at Jadzia. "I guess I should get back."

"They're probably worried sick, and you look horrible, go get some sleep." Jadzia said then gave Tom a quick kiss on the cheek and then hugged him. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Tom replied and hugged Jadzia back.

After the hug ended, Q paused time. He appeared next to Tom who, of course, was able to move around.

"See, everything's done, let's go back to Voyager." Tom said to Q.

"You said the two of you broke up because she was graduating, what's all this business about you saying 'no' and her asking a question?" Q asked.

"We broke up because she was graduating. That's all." Tom replied. "Can we go home, now?"

Q looked at Tom for a few seconds, considering whether or not he should ask more questions or not. "Fine, let's go." Q said then snapped his fingers.

Author's Note- One more chapter after this! I want to thank everyone for reading and everyone who reviewed, all of the reviews made my day. Thank you so much!