A/N - Um... I am sorry this has taken so long. I have more to say in a note at the bottom but I want to make sure to state before you read this chapter that this story is fully written. I expect to post the final chapter and an short epilogue over the next two weeks.

Disclaimers - Paramount owns Star Trek. What, you didn't know that? I'm just a humble fan borrowing the characters for fun.

Starting Over – Chapter 21

Finally, Tom and B'Elanna were the only ones remaining in the lab on Friday evening. Of course, B'Elanna was busy trying not to notice this fact as she threw herself into yet another simulation review in her office. She wasn't quite willing to admit to herself that it was her a third run through due to the fact she had been distracted by that very detail on the previous two attempts.

This time she was finally able to succeed in concentrating on her work. Unfortunately for her nerves, this allowed Tom to quietly enter her office and step behind her just before she finished the latest run. As the last data flowed onto the screen, she suddenly became aware of two hands resting on the edge of the console on either side of her. While she was able to control the shriek that wanted to come out at the encircled position she found herself in, she was not able to stop the instinctual jump as she turned her head to discover Tom right behind her.

She almost gave in to her instinct and pulled him in for a kiss until she saw the grin he had on his face. She wasn't about to let that one go. "Back off, flyboy."

"Or what?" Tom questioned.

Her response was a quick, hard slap to his chest, to which he desperately held back his own instinct to yelp in pain. He figured that showing a Klingon weakness at such a minor ache would not be very conducive to a long term relationship. While he wasn't with her in an effort to 'bag a Klingon' that didn't mean that he was oblivious to the fact that if their relationship progressed it would not always be slow and gentle.

"I thought you didn't want to start anything at work, but I guess it's okay if you started it," Tom responded while leaning down and positioning himself to give her a kiss.

B'Elanna turned her head to the side so that he only kissed her cheek before standing up, putting both hands on his chest and giving a good push to force him a few steps back.

"If you want to lead that's fine with me to," Tom said with a huge grin, leaning against the wall casually since her shove had put him with his back against it in the small office.

He also wasn't able to stifle his laughter as she growled and stalked past him to the corner of her office where she had stashed her bag. Luckily his clothing was loose so his other reaction to her growling wasn't very noticeable.

"You coming," B'Elanna asked as she headed toward the turbolift.

"That would be completely up to you," Tom said with a smirk as he followed her across the room.

"Just get your cocky ass over here," B'Elanna responded, shaking her head a little as soon as the words left her mouth as she realized the innuendo she unintentionally came up with. "I'm hungry," followed by another head shake before continuing, "I'd like to eat some dinner so get moving."

Tom quickly crossed to the turbolift while carefully schooling his face into his most innocent look. As he entered the lift, he purposefully maintained a couple feet of space between them before snapping to a cadet perfect parade rest and sarcastically answered, "Yes, ma'am."

B'Elanna was also schooling her features to try to present a bland mask. She was pretty sure her lips twitched a little toward a smirk, but she was pretty proud of herself for not outright laughing at him and his problem. When she stalked out of the room earlier her hip had brushed against Tom and she had a pretty good idea of how much he was enjoying their banter. In the past, she wouldn't have cared for the way he had been teasing and baiting her, but considering she was just as worked up as he appeared to be, she figured she didn't have a whole lot of room to complain.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that the turbolift had stopped. It took his movement beside her before she realized that he was stepping out. As she started her own departure, she realized that his hand was right beside hers and she impulsively reached out and joined it with her own.

Tom almost jumped for joy at this simple act. While they had done a lot of teasing back and forth, and she had even invited him into her house the other day, this was the first real physical connection she had initiated. Not wanting to give her any doubt about her gesture, he quickly intertwined his fingers with hers and once they had exited the building, brought her hand to his mouth to give it a gentle kiss before continuing on to the transport station. Sure they could walk to his place, but this would save about fifteen minutes and he was in a hurry to get them someplace that he could give the woman he hoped he would soon officially call his girlfriend a proper kiss.

The rest of the trip home consisted of small talk between them as both of their minds raced though the implications of what was happening between them. For Tom, it was the first time he acknowledged that, even though they had only been dating a short time, he had fallen in love with her. But more shocking was that B'Elanna was having the same thoughts.

Everything was so simple between them. They could not only talk about almost anything, but their senses of humor complemented each other. And even more important for B'Elanna, he was more than willing to meet her temper. Sure he hadn't seen the full extent yet, but he certainly seemed eager to try with all his attempts at riling her up. And with the encounter while kickboxing she knew that he wouldn't back down when she directed it at him.

As they walked up the front steps of his house, Tom started to get a little nervous. He knew where he would love things to end this evening, but as he told her on their last date he was willing to wait as long as she needed. As much as he wanted to take her inside and kiss her properly, would she take that the wrong way? And before he could make a decision, the door was opening and they were stepping inside.

Despite the fact that she had been there before, B'Elanna was still in awe of the beautiful house he grew up in. It was so different than where she grew up, but still warm and welcoming enough that it didn't make her feel too out of place. But that welcoming feeling didn't help her in finding a place to get out of her uniform. Right now she wanted no reminders that they worked together and decided to tease him a little.

Before the front door was even completely shut B'Elanna turned to Tom and asked, "So where can I go get out of this uniform?"

After his heart restarted from pure shock at the innuendo lacing her comment, Tom took a deep breath before answering. "There is a guest room right down this hallway," he managed to say somewhat calmly as he pointed in the right direction.

Emboldened by his reaction, B'Elanna decided to goad him as he had done to her at work. "But I was looking forward to looking at those etchings without you around."

"Oh really," Tom replied once he was able to process thoughts once again. "At the top of the stairs, first door on the right you'll find my room. I don't have any etchings, but I do have a couple of starship cross-sections decorating the walls."

Stepping much closer to her as she started up the steps he gave her a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. Leaning toward her he spoke almost directly into her ear, "I could give you a private tour if you'd like."

B'Elanna stopped a couple steps above Tom and turned back towards him. Enjoying the fact that she was actually taller than him for once she looked down the couple inches between them with a smirk of her own before answering, "Maybe later."

Taking advantage of her playful mood, Tom decided she wouldn't be opposed to at least a quick kiss. Bringing one hand to her face he tilted her head down toward his and brought her lips to his own for what he intended to be a quick kiss.

As soon as they touched that idea flow out the window. His other hand quickly found itself resting on her waist while B'Elanna's hand found their way into his hair.

Out of breath they both managed to pull back after a few minutes of indulging the chemistry between themselves. With a last brush of his hand against her face Tom took a step backwards and spoke before he turned to the kitchen to get the promised dinner ready. "Don't think I won't hold you to that offer."

It took B'Elanna a few minutes more than she had planned to finish changing. She had decided to change in his room on impulse, primarily to tease him. But now that she was up there she took the time to look around and see if she could figure out more about Tom Paris. Prior to the last few weeks she would have sworn he would have pictures of half naked women up on his walls, but now she knew that at least some of his reputation was simply armor, just like she used her Klingon side to keep people at a distance. Instead she admired the variety and detail on the various pictures and models displayed in his room. Many were obviously more than a few weeks old, showing that his interest in more than just piloting predated his sojourn in prison.

Realizing she was taking a little too long, B'Elanna quickly turned to the task she came upstairs for. Rather than a dress as she had first considered wearing for this date, she pulled out the pants and sweater she ended up settling on. However, in concession to wanting something feminine she had stopped on the way home the previous day and picked out a new sweater, a flattering maroon wrap style. It made her feel sexy and deserving of the heated looks that Tom had been sending her way since they began their flirtations.

Quickly dressing, B'Elanna folded her discarded uniform and put it into the small bag, next to a few extra things she had brought just in case. She knew that, despite the fact that he invited her to his house, Tom had no expectations for the evening. She wondered if he realized that specific fact had actually convinced her to make sure she brought those extra items.

After a moment of contemplation B'Elanna decided to leave the bag in Tom's room. It would only take a moment to retrieve later if she actually decided to leave after dinner, but would show Tom that she was ready for them to move forward in their relationship.

The fragrance as she came down the stairs was mouthwatering. She followed her nose into the kitchen where Tom had set up for their dinner at the smaller kitchen table. It was a simple, yet elegant setup. Tom knew exactly how to impress her, simple place settings and a pair of candles to light the table showed romance without being overdone.

"Just another minute to finish cooking and we'll be ready to eat," Tom said without turning from where he was working at the stove. "Some of the ingredients are replicated, but it tastes better to do the final cooking myself rather than replicating it complete. For as good as replicators are they," Tom's voice trailed off as he took the skillet off the stove and turned toward B'Elanna.

"You look beautiful," Tom said quietly once he was able to get his voice back.

Usually B'Elanna would have ignored or pushed aside a compliment like Tom just paid her, believing them a lie or an exaggeration, but the look on Tom's face told her that he sincerely believed it. Praying that her face wouldn't betray her and heat up with the embarrassment she felt, B'Elanna answered just as quietly. "Thank you."

Turning back to the counter for a second, Tom portioned out the contents of the skillet over the pasta already laid out before picking the two plates up and bringing them to the table. "I hope you don't mind that I didn't prepare any appetizers or salads. Since I wanted to cook this myself, it wouldn't have been as good if it had to sit for a while."

"It smells delicious and no I don't mind at all," B'Elanna said as he placed the dishes on the table. She went to take her seat, but Tom quickly stepped behind her to help her with her chair.

Tom took his seat across from her and picked up his wine glass. "If you don't mind, I'd like to make a toast first."

Smiling at his gentlemanly actions, B'Elanna answered, "Of course."

"To long journeys, making new friends and exploring new possibilities."

B'Elanna's smile grew bigger as she touched her glass to Tom's and took a drink, never taking her eyes off of his.

The dinner conversation was comfortable and enlightening as they both took the opportunity to share a little more about themselves and learn more about the other. It was punctuated by sounds of appreciation for the delicious meal they were partaking. Both enjoyed the moans and groans of satisfaction coming out of the other's mouth. While they currently signaled an enjoyment of the food, both hoped to hear them again in appreciation of other, more intimate pursuits.

At last they were both satiated with food. Tom poured them both a second glass of wine before standing and offering his hand to B'Elanna. "Would you like to head outside for a little while? It is a little windy this evening, but there should be a blanket out there to keep us warm."

"That sounds wonderful," B'Elanna replied as she used his offered hand to help her stand. "Do you need help cleaning up before we head out?"

"It can wait until later," Tom answered as he turned to the table and blew out the candles. Using the hand he was already holding, he pulled her closer before leaning down to kiss her. "Right now I'd rather spend my time with you."

Both of them pulled back before the kiss got too heated and walked toward the door, holding hands with their wine glasses in the other. Only when they reached the door to the outside did Tom finally let go so that he had a free hand to open it. Once that was done, he wrapped his arm around her and lead her over to a swing with a blanket laying on it.

Settling into the swing, he again put his arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder, comfortably tucked into his body. They sat there quietly sipping their wine for a few minutes as Tom worked up the courage to figure out where they were. He wanted to, as high school as it sounded, ask her to be his girlfriend.

Breaking the silence Tom asked, "So where are we going?"

"Now, or us together?" B'Elanna said as she turned to leer up at him.

With a grin and a quick kiss, Tom replied, "Both, but let's work on the second part first."

"But the first part is so much more interesting," B'Elanna said as she sat up a little and gave him a deeper kiss.

Reluctantly breaking away, Tom pulled back a little so that they faced each other before responding. "You know I'm looking for more than just a physical relationship with you and if we jump straight into that, I'm worried that's all we'll ever have. I know I'm looking at this as the start of something that will hopefully last a long time and build on the foundation we've been making in our friendship. I guess I'm asking if you are looking for the same thing."

B'Elanna stared out at the view for a minute after he stopped talking. As much as she had internally come to accept exactly what he was discussing and in fact hoped for it, agreeing with him would make it more than just a fantasy or dream. Was she really ready to place that trust in him?

Turning back to look at him, she studied his face and the look in his eyes before deciding that he had many of the same feelings as her. Just as she felt abandoned by her parents growing up, he felt the same when his Starfleet career imploded. While he had more long term relationships, he had admitted that he had very little in common besides physical attraction with them, which is all that her previous relationships consisted of. And right now, she could see the same friendship and attraction as she felt reflected in his face. If she looked hard enough, she was pretty sure she was seeing the growing love she was discovering for him echoing back at her.

Taking a deep breath, she realized that she felt hope for the future, mixed with a little fear of the unknown. But then again, after six years lost in the Delta Quadrant, fear of the unknown was something she was well versed in living with and turning into an excitement for something new.

Making her decision, B'Elanna smiled as she reached up and placed her hand along his jaw. With just that simple gesture she could see the happiness overtake much of the fear in Tom's eyes. What seemed like seconds for her to make her decision must have seemed like an eternity to him.

"I am looking for everything," B'Elanna said, deciding his honesty deserved a complete answer, she didn't stop there. "I've enjoyed getting to know you, not just the images you choose to show the outside world. You are intelligent, talented, caring and probably most important; appear to enjoy putting up with my temper."

The both laughed a little at that before B'Elanna continued. "You are in many ways exactly what I didn't realize I was looking for and that scares me. This isn't just about sex or friendship and that will give you the power to hurt me. Finding out about what the Dominion did to the Maquis nearly broke me. If we start this," B'Elanna broke off at that point, dropping her hand into her lap and returned to studying the view.

Tom didn't give her long to think about what she admitted before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back into his body. "Will it help to say I know exactly how you feel?"

Feeling her relax slightly at his words, Tom continued. "I'd like to be able to tell you we'll never disagree, but we both know that would be a lie. What I can tell you is that I will never knowingly hurt you. I am just as invested in this as you. To attempt to step away at this point would probably break my heart, and I know it is the last thing I want to do."

As B'Elanna reached both hands up and pulled his fact to hers, Tom realized he must have said the right thing. Any remaining thoughts quickly fled his mind as she kissed him. He had thought their previous kisses had been amazing, but they had nothing on this one.

Within moments of starting the kiss both of them realized that unless they wanted to provide the neighbors with a show, privacy would be a necessity. While Tom tried to move back, B'Elanna knew it was time to show that his words had been the push she needed to realize that taking this risk was worth it.

As Tom pulled his head back she followed, nibbling along his jaw line before whispering in his ear, "I think I'm ready for that private tour now."

Again Tom moved backwards, but this time to be able to look into B'Elanna's eyes. The worry was gone, replaced with desire and determination. Taking her face back into his hands, he leaned back down from one more deep kiss before pulling them both off the swing, never letting her out of his arms. Pulling her flush with his body he copied her earlier actions, whispering "I'm ready whenever you are," into her ear.

The blanket was discarded on the floor, the door slammed shut as they went through it and a few pieces of furniture were pushed out of their way as they stumbled to the stairs. All previous boundaries for their hands were discarded, though no clothes had been divested by the time they reached the bottom stair.

At that point Tom's shirt went flying as they started to climb. When they stumbled on the stairs while he tried to return the favor, B'Elanna pulled off her sweater, tossed it to him and ran up the stairs, yelling "catch me if you can," to him as he was momentarily dazed by the wonders uncovered by her actions.

Her lead was short lived as his longer legs quickly scaled the stairs and he grabbed her just as they reached the second floor. Using his momentum against him, she turned them sideways, tipping him off balance so his back hit the wall. Quickly turning in his capturing arms, she pulled his head down for another deep kiss.

Tom quickly surrendered to her instead focusing his attention on exploring the skin now available to his wandering hands. B'Elanna did the same, but soon continued to divest him of his clothes. He tried to stop her for a moment, pulling back enough to be able to talk. "You realize I have a really comfortable bed just inside that door."

Glancing the three feet to the referenced doorway B'Elanna responded, "Maybe next time. I need you right here, right now."

Rather than verbalize his acceptance, Tom turned the tables by turning them around and trapping B'Elanna against the wall. His hands quickly mimicked her actions, indicating he was just as ready as her to finally move forward in their relationship. Neither of them said another word for quite a while, only repeating the moans and groans made during dinner, though much louder and more enthusiastically.

A/N - Thank you to everyone who wrote me kind notes over the last 14 1/2 months. Seeing that people were still reading my little story gave me the drive to finish it. Part of the reason it has taken so long is that I'm finally getting a few weeks off from my graduate program so I have had time to focus on something besides my coursework and life commitments. My number one priority when I finished my summer classes was to get this finished and posted, and I'm excited to see if you enjoy what I've done. I am especially looking forward to the reaction to the first section of next chapter which was written very early on in the story and acted as my guide for where our pair needed to go.

Again, thank you for sticking with me and for your encouragement. I've had a tough year or so and every time I got a review alert it brought a smile to my face, no matter how long the day had been.