Disclaimer: See chapter one

Scarborough Fair

An invite to Scarborough Fair arrived about four months after their friend went missing and although B'Elanna Torres was surprised, excited and stunned to be asked to attend, she wasn't surprised by Tom's reaction.

"Sounds like an old trading fair!" he said puzzled by his wife's disbelieve, buoyed by excitement.

"Scarborough's Engineering Fair is a very prestigious event."

"Sorry; I wasn't aware of its existence."

"Not many people are, outside of engineering," she said, giving him a loving smile. "I just never expected to be invited to attend," awe in her voice as she read again the invite message with it's official trading logo emblazoned behind the words and her name.

"When can you go?" he asked.

"As soon as possible; the engineering part of the Fair only runs for a few days in the trading season. It starts in two days time."

"I see. How long will it take us to get to this Fair?" he asked still puzzled by her reaction to the invite.

"Three days max."

"I guess we'd better prep the dotting Grandparents into looking after Miral," he said decisively and then had a sudden thought. "I can go with you?!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Flyboy!"

=/\=

Additional details on Scarborough Fair: - On Earth at the town of Scarborough in the county of Yorkshire, England, during medieval times was a large fair that took place on the wide sandy shore for all who had wares to sell or needed to buy, plus it was also where labourers could hire themselves out and be hired by landowners for the season, before moving on to the next hiring fair. It started on the 15th August and ran for 45 days to September 26th. During the 20th Century the Fair in its original form no longer ran, but the town did celebrate the fairs original start date with local events. The Fair not only attracted traders, but also pleasure seekers and day-trippers so other facilities sprang up to accommodate them too.

The same is true of the planet where a revival of the Fair took place during the 24th Century; a neutral planet who welcomes all as long as they keep to the laws applied by the Planetary Council. Nothing illegal was to take place within the planet's sphere of influence; if it did the perpetrators would be tried at the local legal hall and then the guilty were handed over to their own legal bodies for sentencing and punishment. There was only one known organisation that was not openly welcomed – The Orion Syndicate or anyone connected to them.

The Fair operated within the planet's temperate zone for most of its short summer/autumn season; which equalled about three to four Federation standard months, depending on the orbit of the planet around its fluctuating star/sun. The native inhabitants kept very much to themselves in the outer reaches of the planet, thus most people only ever heard them, if at all.

Human colonists ran the Fair and were the public face of Scarborough. Therefore no-one was sure as to whom the top boss was; yet rumours abounded that it's a Mafia styled family, though that has yet to be proven, if anyone really wanted it proved.

The different sections/areas are closed off to each other, except for one day at the end of the Engineering Fair which only runs for three days at both the start of the Fairs season and towards the closing of it. All who attend the Engineers Fair are noteworthy within their field and are personally invited by the Fair's main Council to share their ideas and innovations with others of like mind, including engineering firms and technical schools.

All other areas run the full length of the season and you can only cross borders at certain points and via special passes issued on request and approval of the Fair's main Council. Like its Earth namesake anything and everything could be bought or sold at Scarborough; there were some notable exceptions, hardcore drugs, weapons, alcohol and slaves being the main four, otherwise free trade could be practise in all other fields of industry, husbandry, medicine and services – personal and general. Equipment, spacecraft, land vehicles and sea going vessels, the list was endless.

Many taverns and hotels provided for the travelling buyers and sellers alike, plus the day trippers; some were permanent structures in the many different sections, others were temporary food stalls thus providing for every taste and pocket; A truly colourful array of people and buildings.

=/\=

It was into this colourful spectacle that Torres and Paris arrived at the main spaceport and were soon settled into their assigned accommodation at Scarborough Fair – which was not the name of the planet only the Fair – they soon sampled the delights of the Engineering side of the Fair the next morning, or at least Torres did; she was in her element, Paris just tagged along.

"I think we have a tail!" he whispered whilst she inspected a small parts stall.

"Not surprising," she noted softly. "Let's find some lunch," she suggested brightly, handing back the item to its rather disappointed stall holder. She'd been hoping that their missing friend would be at the Fair, but as yet he had not made his presence known or even if he was there at all. They were aware of the other sections of the Fair around the Engineering area; thus it was at their lodgings at the end of that day, that they were informed the barriers between the various sections of the Fair would be open to all the following morning as the Fair's season was drawing to a close.

Back in their room, Paris handed her a hand written note that had come via the receptionist.

'Lose the tail and take wing.'

"I'll take care of the tail," Tom said giving her a cuddle as they both knew who it was from.

"Take wing?!" she wondered.

"Let's deal with the tail first. I'm sure the wing will appear," he said.

"What would I do without you!?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd survive, just," grinning softly with her.

=/\=

The following morning after an early breakfast and dressed loudly – Hawaiian style shirts – in order to attract their tail, they set off around the Fair sampling the delights of the other nearby areas. Tom found a willing volunteer to swap places with Torres whilst she perused the craft stalls for the 'wing'. Why she felt it would be here she couldn't say with any certainty just that it seemed the right place to start. All around her other fair goers were colourfully dressed making the most of the sunshine and the joyful carnival-like atmosphere. It was on a small stall of crafted and carved wood items that she felt she'd found the 'wing'. It was in the form of a carved bird pendant, something about the way it was carved from a dark natural wood its wings outstretched in full flight tugged at her memory.

"Beautiful is it not?" observed the trader sensing a sale as the lady fingered the bird shape eyes distant.

"How much?" her tone quiet yet abrupt.

"One bar of latinum," was the immediate response.

"Keep it!" she snapped and yet she didn't relinquish her hold on it.

"Five strips perhaps?" the trader suggested mildly, but the woman just glared at him offended. "Two slips my final offer," he said watching this alien female frown at him, puzzled as if trying to weigh up his motives for lowering the price so much. Quietly she handed over her two slips of latinum. On taking them he held her hand tight and leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear:

"The Tavern is marked," his voice gruff and then he let her go. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said more loudly with a mocking grin and bow, before turning away to deal with another unsuspecting customer.

Torres put the pendant's thin leather throng around her neck, her hand still playing over the carved flying bird and moved slowly to where she knew of only one Tavern that was marked, doing a bit of browsing of the other stalls as she went.

The Tavern in question stood near the boundary of the Engineering Fair with the Animal Fair, a solid building that formed part of an open square with narrow streets leading off it into the back streets of what was part of the Ostler's Quarter. What marked this Tavern was not its name – the Saddleback Pig – but the stain on the wall in the faint shape of a Falcon's wing, as if someone had drawn the shadow of a hawk hovering above on a bright sunny day, not that this planet had any such avian creatures in its alien skies.

She breathed deeply as she watched the general swaying melee of people on this bright sunny day from the deeper shadows of the alleyway set across from the Tavern, listening to the sounds of the many voices as they washed over her alert ears, hoping to pick up one very special voice, yet it proved elusive.

The midday heat forced her to move down the alley to a deep door recess. Although she knew from having checked it earlier in the day that the door was locked she felt a sense of unease about it now and yet she still stood within its cooling shadows and continued to wait, her hand still playing over the carved bird pendant.

After a moment she stiffened sensing a large presence behind her.

"Don't Lanna," a voice commanded sharply, before she could whip round. "What you don't know you can't lie about," he added gently. She nodded closing her eyes and leaned back into him, instinctively knowing who this male was, just by his presence as well as that soft commanding voice letting his arms protectively enfold around her.

"I've missed you," her voice choked with emotion.

"I've missed you too," he responded giving her a gentle squeeze. She relaxed into him; eyes still closed savouring the feel and scent of him so close after so long apart.

"I got your letters," she informed him, wanting to hear his voice again.

"Only one, Lanna; I didn't want to compromise the courier," he said, making her smile, as she realised she'd been right to be cautious of the other two.

"Always protective," she murmured quietly.

"Naturally!" a smile in his tone. Torres snuggled closer to him wanting to make up for all those missing months he'd been lost to her, feeling safe and warm within his embrace.

Something in that quiet moment changed, although she wasn't fully aware of it until he spoke.

"I'd like you to relay a message to HER." The anger in his voice was startling, a stark contrast to how he'd spoken up to that point, causing Torres' eyes to snap open and become alert.

"What's the message?" she asked carefully, sensing his deep hurt amidst the anger in his body.

"If she wants to talk, all she has to do is ask," he said, his tone strained and cold.

"True," she responded softly, watching the people out in the sunshine beyond the end of their quiet alleyway; knowing that Janeway would want to know a location before she asked anything.

"Second. Take the price off my head," he said close to her ear, causing her to shiver at the menace in his tone.

"Fine," breathing deep to calm herself, as she'd not been aware that there was a bounty out on him and wondered if her father-in-law knew anything about it. Then she asked, "What about Seven?"

"What about Seven!?" he repeated sounding amused by her train of thoughts.

"Don't you want to let her know you're alright?" puzzled by the fact that he'd even started to date Seven at all. She felt a chuckle rumble in his chest behind her back.

"Lanna, why don't you ask Seven that question," still sounding amused. "I had no reason to say no, did I?" he noted his smile coming through his voice.

"I suppose not," she admitted quietly, recalling the way Janeway had been treating him during those final weeks and months in the Delta Quadrant. "How long do you think you'll be away?" anxious now, her hands holding onto his arms around her tightly as if afraid he would vanish all too soon.

"As long as it takes, Lanna," he said with a sigh. "Someone was sure I had sullied their Golden girl," his tone bitter.

"You are an honourable man, my friend and brother," she defended him, indignant that anyone would suggest otherwise.

"Thank you for your faith in me," giving her a gentle squeeze. "You'd better return to your husband," he said and gently propelled her forward out of the shadowed doorway and out into the melee of people before the Tavern. It was here that she saw Tom sitting at a table conversing with a very familiar figure. Torres wanted to look back to see if she could see if he was still there watching, but his command not to, stayed with her; as she walked over to her husband and the other male body.

"Ayala!" she exclaimed on recognising the male as she joined the pair.

"Hello, B'Elanna," the male greeted her with a genuine smile. "I was just telling Tom, that I was sure I'd heard a familiar voice whilst looking round one of the fairs. But I could not spot him," he informed sounding a little disappointed by his last statement.

"Did you lose your tail?" she asked softly of her husband sitting next to him, but still looking at Ayala and her hand once more playing with the carved bird pendant around her neck.

"Yep! Lost in the sea of humanity," he grinned, yet something in his face was telling.

"Another replaced it!?"

"You bet. Took me a while to lose that one too; not long after I bumped into Ayala here," his face asking the question he really wanted answered.

"I see. Not here, Tom," she whispered softly kissing his cheek. "Let's order lunch," she suggested loudly. In true Klingon style she banged the table for service and bellowed about the lack of such. The two human males felt like hiding under the table at first, and then Tom Paris did his own imitation of a hungry Klingon.

"Can't beat 'em..." Ayala muttered and joined in.

The three friends stayed together eating, drinking and talking about old times, both from their Maquis days and their Delta Quadrant sojourn; thus any unwanted attention or listening ears were disappointed in gaining any leads on the missing male.

=/\=