CHAPTER 3 - COMMITMENT
~~~~Brandy used to watch his eyes
~~~~When he told his sailing stories
~~~~She could feel the ocean fall and rise
~~~~She saw its raging glory
The next morning...
"What are you up to, Paris?"
Sitting cross-legged on his bunk, Tom looked up to see the
Captain of the Liberty. The dark-haired, tall man, with a tattoo
on his forehead was leaning against the arch that separated Tom's
quarters from the narrow, main corridor of the ship.
"Not much, Chakotay, just counting." He looked back down and
continued his task. "How much do you suppose a radiometric
converter goes for?" Paris asked casually.
Chakotay shrugged. "I'm not sure--perhaps forty to forty-five
luma. Why do you need to know? The Liberty doesn't use that
technology."
"I know it doesn't. Looks like I'm short about six luma." Tom
observed. Taking a handful of the silver colored cubes, he put
all the luma back into a leather pouch and hung it around his
neck.
"Where did you come up with all that money?" Chakotay asked.
"Gambling again?"
The pilot grinned. "A little, but only on sure things.
Actually, I've been doing some odd jobs here and there."
The Captain was interested and curious. Pulling a chair closer
to Paris, he straddled it and sat down. "What type of con do you
have going?" he asked.
Tom adjusted the money pouch under his shirt so it lay flat and
would go unnoticed by Malac's resourceful pickpockets.
"I told you the truth, I worked for most of this."
Chakotay wasn't convinced, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized
the pilot. "Then why do you need a radiometric converter?
What's your game?"
"They really should install doors to the cabins," Tom grumbled.
He looked up to see that the Captain's expression had turned into
a glower--the big man wanted an answer. "Well if you must know,
the radiometric converter is for a lady I met."
A sly grin spread over the Captain's face. "This *lady* must
work for an unusual establishment, if it takes spaceship parts in
trade for services rendered."
Tom shot up from his bunk and, grabbing the Captain by his
shoulders, pulled him up and out of his seat. "This lady is no
whore!" he roared. "She's beautiful, smart, and she's an
engineer!" Blue eyes flashed with barely controlled anger.
Chakotay's dark eyes popped open. He'd never seen Tom Paris move
so fast on his feet. "Hey, easy there," he cautioned hands
raised. "I'm sorry I didn't realize that this was something
different. I guess for you do go to this trouble she must be
pretty special." {Say anything to get this hot-head to calm
down.}
Tom released the older man. "She is. Sorry I grabbed you. I
just got carried away."
"No problem, Paris," Chakotay said pulling his tunic top back
into place and adjusting his brown leather-like vest. "Just
don't let it happen again."
Tom nodded once.
"But for spirit's sake, don't get involved with any of the local
women. It'll just spell trouble for you and/or them in the long
run. We are in the Maquis, Paris. When I sprung you out of that
rat-infested prison, you agreed to pilot for me. I'm holding you
to that agreement."
"I haven't forgotten, Chakotay. Two years or until the fighting
stops."
The Captain nodded. So far the arrangement had worked well, as
least in one respect. A finer pilot, he had never seen, but he
wasn't about to tell Tom Paris that. He was too cocky as it was,
and the women falling all over themselves to get near him didn't
help.
"I know how lonely it can get, Paris," Chakotay sympathized
patting the young man on the shoulder. "But don't drag a woman
into this mess. It isn't fair for her to be wondering what's
happening to you when you are out involved in battles that you
may not come back from."
"I'll try not to. I just wanted to help her out a little bit.
Besides, it gives me something to do and gets me off this ship."
{Plus I think I'm falling head over heels in love with her.}
"Be careful."
"I will."
* * * * * * *
It had been almost four days since Tom Paris had stepped foot
into Mroki's Place. This time he entered the establishment not
following a pair of women in, but in search of one who he knew
was there. He had worked long hours loading freight for one of
the local transport companies. It had been hard work without the
benefit of anti-grav devices but it had been worth it, the job
paid very well. With his right hand, he patted the money pouch
beneath his shirt, and with the radiometric converter tucked
under his left arm all wrapped in brightly colored paper, Tom
poked his head through the door. Allowing his eyes to adjust to
the darkness, he scanned the room for B'Elanna. Not seeing her,
he wove his way around the tables and headed toward the bar.
Alini spotted the Paris, and made a bee-line in his direction.
"Uliz! Uliz!" she called out
Tom turned at the sound, only to see the woman B'Elanna had
referred to as Alini approach him. She was alluring, dressed in
a skin-tight purple dress that emphasized her assets. Long,
golden hair hung down past her derriere in soft curls. She was
the woman many men dreamed about--and she knew it.
"Welcome, Uliz," Alini purred seductively. The words dripped off
her tongue cooly, but their meaning was full of heat.
"Uliz?" The word didn't translate over his Maquis commbadge.
"Um, Uliz, is the name of one of the ancient Palmat gods," Alini
explained in a husky voice placing one well-manicured hand on his
upper arm. "He was the well-endowed God of Fertility." She
tilted her head upward and lustily smiled at the pilot.
Tom blushed and tried to move to avoid the bold blonde. He had
come here to see B'Elanna not be accosted by one of the hourly
whores. Alini stood firm through and pressed one long, purple
painted nail up against the pilot's chest and continued her
explanation. "Most of us no longer worship this god, but when we
call someone by his name, it's considered a high honor. In
fact..." She leaned up against the tall man, her voluptuous
breasts pressed against his chest. "Because you remind me of
Uliz, I'd be willing to let you sample my *talents* for free."
Alini's eyes were heavy with lust.
"Hey, I'm flattered, really I am. It isn't everyday I get called
by a god's name." Tom laughed nervously. "But I'm just not
interested."
"Not interested? There are men that would pay dearly for what
I'm willing to give you!" Alini replied indigently. Tom could
tell that Alini wasn't used to hearing the word 'no' and it
pleased him.
"Look, I appreciate the offer, really I do," Tom remarked. Last
thing he wanted to was to create an ugly scene that might reflect
badly on B'Elanna.
The blonde wasn't about to give up. "Are you here to see *her*?"
she asked. Alini pointed toward the bar where B'Elanna now stood
watching the exchange between the pair.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"I don't understand. What do you see in that half-blood?" she
sneered. "When you could have me?"
Tom bent his head down, his lips just centimeters from Alini's
face. "I see a woman that is more beautiful inside and out than
you'll ever be." Alini froze, not only from the words the tall
man spoke, but because the cold, blunt way they were delivered.
It sent a shiver down her spine.
Grasping her upper arm firmly with his free hand, he forcefully
pushed the stunned woman aside so he could pass.
Tom Paris walked determinedly up to the woman that waited for him
at the bar. "B'Elanna, you're going on a break," he stated.
"Let's get out of here. And you..." The pilot turned a little
to his right where the bartender stood. "...will let this lady
take her break without any interruptions. I'll bring her back
when either she or I am damned good and ready." The bartender
nodded, too stunned to speak. "If Mroki has any problems with
this..." Tom pulled out his leather money bag, and carefully
pulled out several luma and threw them on the bar. "...you can
tell her that I've paid for the privilege."
With the box still tucked under his elbow, he held out his free
hand. B'Elanna placed her own hand in it. Leaving the bar, the
pair left behind a bewildered looking bartender and one very
jealous prostitute.
* * * * * * *
"Where should we go?" B'Elanna asked once they had left the bar.
"Any place," Tom replied. "As long as it's away from here and
out of the sun." Warm winds whipped around his tall body,
slapping the gauze-thin, tan-colored trousers against his skin.
He'd learned shortly after his first excursion on the planet, and
after one very painful sunburn, not to wear shorts.
Kicking up dust clouds as they walked, a smile broke out on
B'Elanna's face.
"I think I know just the place," she remarked. Grabbing his
hand, she pulled Tom along after her.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
B'Elanna dragged him through the throngs of people that were
making their own way through the streets, until she stopped in
front of a small store. Telling Tom to wait outside, she went
in. Ignoring the circular motions the store owner and other
patrons made when their hands, B'Elanna quickly selected several
items, paying for them with a few hard-earned luma. With a wary
eye, the clerk placed the items in a cloth bag, handing
everything back to her. Grateful to have her business concluded,
B'Elanna joined Tom outside once more.
"Whatcha got in the sack?" Tom asked motioning to the bag
B'Elanna had slung over her right shoulder.
The half-Klingon grinned. "What do *you* have in *that*
package?" B'Elanna pointed to the gift Tom still carried under
his arm."
"You first."
"You'll find out later."
"You're cruel"
"I am," she agreed. "Come on, follow me. The quicker we get
there, the sooner you'll find out."
"Get where?" Tom asked following the engineer down the street.
"You'll see soon enough."
B'Elanna held out her left hand which Paris gripped tightly with
his right and she pulled him along after her. B'Elanna led the
way through throngs of pedestrians until she finally slipped
between two vacant buildings. Skirting around the piles of
rubble that lay between the structures, they finally entered a
worn path and that led to a sandy area strewn with large
boulders, leaving the city behind. B'Elanna led them on for
several more minutes before finally coming to a stop.
"Is this it?" Tom asked, looking at the boulders that surrounded
them. It didn't look like much.
"Almost. It's just ahead, but first I want you to close your
eyes."
"My eyes?"
"For me?"
{Anything for you.} Tom did as bid and shut both eyes.
"Now keep them closed," she cautioned. He nodded, and they
continued on.
Soon he began to hear sounds. It was the wind he determined, for
it just couldn't be...
"Okay, you can open them!"
Opening his eyes, Tom's face broke into a huge grin. Before the
pair, weaving around a few large boulders which provided some
protection from the suns' rays, was a wide, clear, blue stream.
"Where'd you find this?" Tom asked. He placed his package on the
ground and dropped to his knees near the stream's edge so he
could touch the water with his outstretched hand. He was happy
to discover that the water--unlike most of Palmat--was
delightfully cool to the touch.
B'Elanna placed her bag on the ground as well and joined him.
She was thrilled to see how happy he was. "Actually, it was
quite by accident. I was out looking for sources of raw
dilithium for my ship when I stumbled across this stream. I'm
really glad that you like it."
"Oh, I do. Very much."
"I thought we could have a little picnic here," B'Elanna
explained. Reaching into the bag, she withdrew a piece of cloth
which she unfolded and spread on the ground.
"Sounds wonderful, what can I do?"
"Well while I prepare the food, you could open the wine." she
took a square bottle from the satchel and passed it to Tom along
with a bottle opener.
"Sure. No problem."
While the pilot worked on opening the wine bottle, B'Elanna took
out the food she had purchased--some fruit, cheese, and several
small loaves of a dark bread, as well as a pair of long-stemmed
wineglasses that had been carefully wrapped in strips of cloth.
With a pop, Tom opened the bottle. Sitting down beside her, he
began filling the glasses. Placing the bottle down, he passed
one of the wineglasses to B'Elanna and picked up the second for
himself.
Taking the glass, B'Elanna smiled up at the pilot from her seated
position. She then brought it to her lips.
"Wait a minute, B'Elanna," Tom called out. "I think this calls
for a toast."
"A toast?"
"Yes." Tom shut his eyes momentarily, while he thought of the
right words to say that would reflect his feelings for his
companion. Satisfied he opened them. Clearing his throat and
raising his glass he began. "To B'Elanna, to the diamond in the
rough I found on a wayward planet in the middle of nowhere. I
hope that we're always able to find each other." Extending his
arm, he clinked his glass with hers. "Your turn."
"My turn?"
Tom nodded.
B'Elanna pulled her glass towards her and fingered the rim with
her index finger, contemplating what to say. Finally, she held
her glass up, the suns' rays shone through the rose-colored
liquid. "To Tom," she began and smiled at him warmly before she
continued. "Just a short while ago, he entered my life and my
world and made me shine with a happiness I haven't felt in a long
time."
Tom's lips curled upwards--not only at the compliment, but at the
fact that B'Elanna felt sure enough of herself and him to voice
her thoughts.
"I hope we never lose touch with each other for..." She paused
briefly and swallowed down a lump in her throat. "...for if I
lost you, I would be losing my one true friend. I treasure our
friendship." She reached out and touched her glass with his.
Bringing their glasses to their lips they drank the alien wine,
sealing the toast.
"That was lovely," he murmured, placing the glass down on the
ground. Leaning forward he cupped the back of her head with his
hand. Pulling her toward him, he brushed his lips against hers.
Retreating slightly, he looked into her deep soulful brown eyes
and saw the sincerity that existed within her. He kissed her one
more time, tasting the wine on her lips, but as far as Tom was
concerned B'Elanna lips were sweeter. He then settled back to
his seated position. "Very nice," he declared. "Not too sweet or
too dry. It's a perfect selection." {Am I referring to the wine
or the woman? Maybe both}
B'Elanna drank again before she replied. "Actually, it was the
only wine they had that was within my price range that wasn't
made from fermented fungi."
Tom laughed until his eyes watered. Wiping away the moisture he
raised his glass in her honor. "B'Elanna, that's one thing I
love about you is your honesty. I salute you." He raised his
glass in her honor and drank again.
{Love? Figure of speech right?} B'Elanna smiled.
Paris could tell that she was uncomfortable with the compliment.
Time for a change of topic. "Cheese?" she asked. "Maybe with a
slice of bread?"
He nodded and accepted the cheese and bread from her. "Tell me
more about yourself, B'Elanna."
B'Elanna nibbled on a small piece of cheese that she had wrapped
in a slice of the dark bread. She looked up at him. "Me? I've
already told you about me. I think it's your turn. Tell me how
did you wind up in the Maquis?"
Tom leaned back on his elbows and picked at the bread popping
little pieces into his mouth. Lifting his gaze he saw that she
was waiting for a response. Should he tell her? If he did, how
much should he say? Would she judge him as dishonorable?
Leaning forward, B'Elanna covered his hand with her free hand and
squeezed.
Reassured, Tom took another drink of his wine and then a large
breath. "Well, it's a long story, B'Elanna. You might be
bored."
Picking up her wineglass, B'Elanna moved to the pilot's side. "I
don't think you could ever bore me. So tell me...please?"
Tom cleared his throat nervously. "Well it's like this, in a
nutshell, I graduated from the Academy, got too cocky one day
after graduation and me and three of my friends crashed into a
little planet called Caldik Prime. I survived, they didn't. I
blamed them at first before my conscious got the better of me and
I finally admitted it was my fault--pilot error," Tom laughed
humorlessly and took a large gulp of his wine before he
continued. "So Starfleet cashiered me out of the service, and
while I was roaming the galaxy I wound up in one stink-hole of a
prison. It was there on a dust ball of a plant, a lot like this
one, that my good captain found me and made me an offer I
couldn't refuse. Next thing I know I'm here." Tilting his glass
he drained the contents. Passing the glass to B'Elanna he moved
to get up.
B'Elanna put the glass down beside her and gripped Tom Paris by
his shirt sleeve and pulled him back down.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
He turned to her, his eyes devoid of any happiness. "I just told
you how dishonest I was, I can't believe you'd want me around any
more. There is nothing honorable in what I've done, B'Elanna.
You should just let me go, before we get any more involved."
"Just because I'm half-Klingon do you think my life has been all
honorable? Just because I have Klingon blood flowing through my
veins doesn't mean that I behave like a traditional full-blooded
Klingon!" B'Elanna struck her chest with her fist. "I'm a full-
blooded woman above all else, Tom Paris. What happened in your
past doesn't matter to me. What matters is the man I have come
to know these last few weeks. I respect you, Tom; and I have
come to care for you a great deal." {Could what I feel be love?
Can it happen this soon?}
Tom turned away, focusing on the stream. "You don't know what
you are saying, B'Elanna. You don't know what I've..." He
stopped as the words choked him. Above all else he didn't want
to hurt this woman, a woman that had come to mean more to him
that he ever could have imagined when he had first saw her at the
bar. His stomach twisted at the thought that if she knew all
there was about him, he'd never see her again. {Is this what it
feels to fall in love? Could that have finally happened to me? I
didn't think it was possible.} Something deep inside me told him
to take a chance.
"Well if you want to hear it, make yourself comfortable. And
pour me another glass of wine, my throat's apt to get dry with
all this talking."
Tom sat down against one of the boulders. Seating herself beside
him, legs tucked underneath her, B'Elanna waited for the story to
begin.
* * * * * *
"So that's when you returned to Earth?" B'Elanna asked. Tom, who
by now had shifted his position and now lay with his head on
B'Elanna's lap, nodded.
Tom had already explained his trying time growing up with his
father scripting his every move. He'd even told her about the
horrific accident that had resulted in the deaths of three of his
friends, and his subsequent flight away from the scene and the
truth. He hadn't expected the words to come to his lips so
easily, but he found it easy and comforting talking to B'Elanna.
He trusted her.
Looking down into the pilot's blue eyes they seemed focused on
events that had happened years ago and light-years away. B'Elanna
brushed his hair away from his forehead with her left hand, while
her right clutched his right hand for support. "Then what
happened?"
"I went to Starfleet and told them what had really happened. I
explained that the accident was due to my inattention, that I
couldn't live with the knowledge I was responsible for their
deaths." He focused again on her searching for understanding and
by the look on her face he knew he had found it. "I told them
everything. How I was imagining that this practice run was
actually a battle in space. How I pulled up at the last minute
to avoid impacting with the planet, and how my friends didn't
have a chance to save themselves. I-I still remember it all--
every explosion, every stomach twisting moment." His voice
choked. Reassuringly, B'Elanna squeezed his hand. "There-there's
not a day that goes by that I don't think of them, B'Elanna."
Blue locked with brown, B'Elanna could see the look of despair
that was expressed in their ocean depths.
"I believe you, Tom. It must have been just horrible."
He nodded and saw that B'Elanna didn't look reviled at what he
had told her. "If I had known you then, it wouldn't have been so
bad. It would have been easier for me, but ..." Tom paused and
swallowed. "...it wasn't meant to be easy. I deserved it all."
B'Elanna squeezed his hand again.
"After the court martial, I went back to Marseilles for a while.
You know that bar called Sandrine's I told you about earlier?"
"The one where you hustled pool and the bartender who took a
liking to you?"
"Yeah, well I was there for a few weeks when I decided to try my
luck away from Earth. I hitched a ride on a transport ship that
was headed for Vulcan space. It sounded interesting, until the
ship developed problems and we ended up on a small planet. While
I was trying to get some parts for the ship..."
"Get some parts?" B'Elanna questioned.
"Ok, steal some parts." She knew him too well already. "I got
caught and thrown into their rehabilitation center."
*Ahem.*
"Ah, prison," Tom corrected. "Quite a lovely place, a room with
lots of friends and all the rats you could eat--a home away from
home. Then one day, Liberty's good captain showed up.
Apparently, someone from the transport ship had told him that I
was in jail. With the Maquis being desperate for good pilots,
the Captain didn't waste any time trying to bail me out. I was a
mess. I would have done almost anything to get out of that pit.
All I had to do was to promise to serve with the Maquis for two
years." Paris fought back memories of the fights, of competing
with the others for what rotting food they were given, and when
no food was passed out he and the others hunted for rats to gut
and eat.
B'Elanna saw the bright blue eyes cloud over again with
unpleasant memories. "How much longer do you have to serve on
the Liberty?"
Focusing again on her, chased away the waking nightmare. "About
ten more months. Then I'll have to make a decision--stay with
the Maquis, or strike out on my own."
"If it would get me off this planet, maybe I should join the
Maquis? I'm sure they could use a good engineer." {It also would
let me stay close to you.}
Tom pushed himself up and looked her square in the face. "No,
B'Elanna. It's not that I don't want you with me--believe me I
do, but I don't want you embroiled in the Maquis battles," he
adamantly replied. "Palmat may be a hole, but it's a safe hole.
It's certainly better than winding up in one of those rotten
Cardassian prison camps." He shook that terrible thought away.
"I've heard terrible stories. I don't know what I would do if I
found out that..."
B'Elanna placed two fingers over his trembling lips to silence
him. "Okay," she replied, "you convinced me. I won't run to the
Maquis." She would have said anything at the moment, to prevent
him from looking so concerned for her safety.
"I'll come back for you, B'Elanna," he promised when she removed
her fingers. "When my commitment is finished, I'll come back to
Palmat. I'll come back to you." {Where had that come from? What
was he saying?}
B'Elanna looked stunned hearing his vow. "Tom," she whispered in
awe not knowing what else to say.
"Will you wait for me? If I come back, will you be here?"
She didn't know how to respond. She didn't know what it was he
was actually saying, or even if he knew what words were passing
through his lips.
"I don't know what the future holds, B'Elanna. But something in
my gut tells me that my future and yours are..." He sought for
the right word, entangling his fingers through hers. "...meshed
together. I can't believe that we have found each other, only
never to be reunited again. Trust in fate." Ernest blue eyes
examined her intently.
The words spoke truth to her heart and B'Elanna nodded. "I'll
wait for you, Tom Paris. When you are finished serving with the
Maquis, I'll be here waiting here for you to come back to me.
"Good." He visibly relaxed and B'Elanna smiled. It lightened his
mood. "Where were we?"
"Now about to tell me about your time with the Maquis?"
"Ah, yes. There's a lot to tell, but I think I'll save those
stories for another time. You really don't want to hear about
how I out flew the Cardies, do you?" he replied very
nonchalantly.
With a shove B'Elanna pushed him off her lap. "Tom Paris, you're
a tease!" she yelled.
Laughing Tom pushed himself up on his elbows and faced her.
"It's too hot to talk, B'Elanna. We shouldn't let all this water
go to waste. It's just crying out for someone to swim in it."
"I don't know about you, Flyboy, but I didn't bring my swimsuit!"
Tom stood up and began pulling off his shirt to reveal a muscular
chest torso garnished with ginger-colored chest hair. B'Elanna's
breath caught in her throat at the sight. he was lean and
muscular, she observed with pleasure, but not that overly bulky
shape that most Klingon men tried to achieve.
"You do have undergarments on don't you, B'Elanna?" Tom asked as
he unfastened his trousers.
"Um..." Words failed her when she saw him slip his slacks over
his hips and reveal his long legs and a pair of navy blue briefs.
"B'Elanna, we are both adults, and it's too damn hot not to enjoy
this moment." Tom stood before her, hands on his hips daring her
not to join him. "Are you going swimming with me or not?"
In reply to his challenge B'Elanna pulled off her top and slid
out of her shorts to reveal a matching black bra and panties,
along with a well toned and tanned body. Tom's mouth went dry
and his palms began to sweat at the sight he saw before him. To
him she was perfect not only in character and personality, but I
also in physical appearance. B'Elanna Torres was a compact bundle
of feminine curves and athletic suppleness. From her full
breasts to the muscles that formed her shapely legs, Tom Paris,
thought that he must have died and gone to heaven. Or was it
Sto-Vo-Kor? His erotic thoughts were soon interrupted.
"Last one in is a grumpy Vulcan!" B'Elanna called out playfully
and started to sprint to the spring. Tom caught unaware, was
soon left literally in the dust.
Upon reaching the stream's edge B'Elanna launched herself into
the air and plunged into the cool water. Feeling a surge of
water push up against her she knew that Paris had, without
hesitation, followed her in.
Diving deep, Tom swam underneath B'Elanna. With his eyes open
under the delightfully refreshing water, he spied a vision
equally, if not more, refreshing. Above him she swam,
silhouetted against the sun rays which penetrated through the
water above. Her dark hair flowed behind her, her tresses
swirling with the movement of the water. Propelled along
effortlessly with her athletic body, she swam through the deep
stream.
Rising beneath her, Tom placed his hands firmly around her waist
and rose towards the surface, his legs scissoring under him until
he lifted her out of the water. Surfacing below her, he inhaled
deeply, enriching his lungs with fresh oxygen before falling back
into the water and pulling B'Elanna along with him.
Feeling his hands clasped around her, B'Elanna was at first
surprised and in the next moment elated as Tom pushed her out of
the water. Breaking the surface, the half-Klingon breathed
deeply before she joined him once again under the surface.
Paris pulled B'Elanna's lithe body towards him under the water
until finally she was enveloped within the circle of his arms.
Right where she belongs he thought. He could see B'Elanna's
laughing eyes as she focused on him, and he knew that his face
reflected the same joy she felt. Propelling her over to where
they had originally dove in, Tom found a perch on a shelf that
skirted the stream. Still holding her tightly, he stood up
bringing both their heads up out of the water.
"Tom Paris you're crazy!"
"Is that a complaint?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in mock
disbelief.
In response, she kissed him boldly on his mouth. Tom could hear
a soft growl that emanated from B'Elanna's throat. It excited
him and urged him on. Pressing back toward her, he pressed her
body up against the edge of the stream and attacked her mouth.
First nibbling on her lower lip before he plunged his tongue into
her mouth.
With hands encircling the pilot's waist, B'Elanna enjoyed the
feeling of his flesh as he continued to plunder her mouth.
Trailing away from the full lips, Tom worked his way across her
cheek, and down her sensitive neck until he reached her
shoulders. Feeling her inquisitive hands explore his back, he
pushed aside her bra strap and kissed and licked the flesh
underneath.
Instinct drove B'Elanna on, she wanted this man like she had no
other before. Lowering her hands, she slid them under the waist
band of Tom's briefs.
Feeling B'Elanna's hands beneath the material of his shorts
surprised the pilot at first, but he soon realized the
implication of her actions.
"B'Elanna, if we don't stop now, there may be no going back," he
warned.
{Let's see, I received my birth control booster shot two years
ago. Didn't I? Just before I left the Academy? Yeah, that
sounds right. Should be good for another three or four months.}
{Starfleet--yeah, just before I was cashiered. That's when I got
my last booster. I'm protected for another few months.}
Reaching down further, B'Elanna clasped his buttocks with her
hands and squeezed, pulling him toward her. His growing erection
pressed against her.
Actions did indeed speak louder than words, Tom mused.
Deftly he removed her bra and flung it on the shore, her panties
soon followed.
Following his lead, she tugged at his briefs, pushing them down
his legs until he was able to step out of them. What followed
was a frenzy of passion. Both lovers wanted to show how much
pleasure they were capable of giving the other. Like a wild
tiger B'Elanna growled encouraging the pilot on to excite her
more. With guttural cries of his own, the pilot sang his song of
fulfillment.
* * * *
Afterwards lying unashamedly nude in the shade of one of the
boulders, B'Elanna reflected on what had occurred in the water.
With her head pillowed on the sleeping pilot's shoulder, B'Elanna
lazily ran her fingers through his still damp chest hair.
A smile tugged at her lips as she recalled Tom's words to her.
Warning her that they still had time to stop if she wanted to.
Her reply had been to simply curl her legs around his waist and
join with him. His eyes had opened wide in both surprise and
pleasure as she impaled herself on his manhood.
What had followed had been amazing--amazing and loud. Both had
cried out as they climaxed; him loud and primeval, and her a loud
growl that emanated deep within her body.
Trini had once told her when both partners experience their peak
of passion at the same time it was a sign of sexual
compatibility. If that was true, B'Elanna mused, then she and
Tom Paris were *extremely* compatible. And if the Klingon
traditions were to be believed, the bite that she had given him
on his cheek just before the moment of release meant that the two
of them were more that just two people in need of sexual
satisfaction. According to Klingon tradition, they were mated.
She'd have no other mate as long as she lived. But that was
something she wasn't going to reveal to him. With a light touch
she traced the crescent mark her teeth had made in his skin,
careful not to wake him. B'Elanna Torres wasn't going to be the
one to tie this pilot down, she vowed, she'd wait until he made
that decision. The half-Klingon grinned at the thought and
drifted off to sleep.
In his dreams, Tom Paris relived their union in the stream. He
recalled how he'd been amazed when B'Elanna took the initiative
to become one with him. Rocking against her, she had met each
thrust with her own. When he neared his release he tottered on
the edge of ecstasy, and when his lover punctuated her own
pending climax with a bite on his shoulder, his toppled over into
exquisite fulfillment. His ecstasy of their union shook him to
the core of his soul, and he knew that he had found the woman of
his dreams. A woman that he could carve a future with, if fate
would allow. Smiling in his sleep, his arms tightened around
B'Elanna.
End Chapter 3
Click here to transport to Chapter 4 - Afterglow
~~~~Brandy used to watch his eyes
~~~~When he told his sailing stories
~~~~She could feel the ocean fall and rise
~~~~She saw its raging glory
The next morning...
"What are you up to, Paris?"
Sitting cross-legged on his bunk, Tom looked up to see the
Captain of the Liberty. The dark-haired, tall man, with a tattoo
on his forehead was leaning against the arch that separated Tom's
quarters from the narrow, main corridor of the ship.
"Not much, Chakotay, just counting." He looked back down and
continued his task. "How much do you suppose a radiometric
converter goes for?" Paris asked casually.
Chakotay shrugged. "I'm not sure--perhaps forty to forty-five
luma. Why do you need to know? The Liberty doesn't use that
technology."
"I know it doesn't. Looks like I'm short about six luma." Tom
observed. Taking a handful of the silver colored cubes, he put
all the luma back into a leather pouch and hung it around his
neck.
"Where did you come up with all that money?" Chakotay asked.
"Gambling again?"
The pilot grinned. "A little, but only on sure things.
Actually, I've been doing some odd jobs here and there."
The Captain was interested and curious. Pulling a chair closer
to Paris, he straddled it and sat down. "What type of con do you
have going?" he asked.
Tom adjusted the money pouch under his shirt so it lay flat and
would go unnoticed by Malac's resourceful pickpockets.
"I told you the truth, I worked for most of this."
Chakotay wasn't convinced, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized
the pilot. "Then why do you need a radiometric converter?
What's your game?"
"They really should install doors to the cabins," Tom grumbled.
He looked up to see that the Captain's expression had turned into
a glower--the big man wanted an answer. "Well if you must know,
the radiometric converter is for a lady I met."
A sly grin spread over the Captain's face. "This *lady* must
work for an unusual establishment, if it takes spaceship parts in
trade for services rendered."
Tom shot up from his bunk and, grabbing the Captain by his
shoulders, pulled him up and out of his seat. "This lady is no
whore!" he roared. "She's beautiful, smart, and she's an
engineer!" Blue eyes flashed with barely controlled anger.
Chakotay's dark eyes popped open. He'd never seen Tom Paris move
so fast on his feet. "Hey, easy there," he cautioned hands
raised. "I'm sorry I didn't realize that this was something
different. I guess for you do go to this trouble she must be
pretty special." {Say anything to get this hot-head to calm
down.}
Tom released the older man. "She is. Sorry I grabbed you. I
just got carried away."
"No problem, Paris," Chakotay said pulling his tunic top back
into place and adjusting his brown leather-like vest. "Just
don't let it happen again."
Tom nodded once.
"But for spirit's sake, don't get involved with any of the local
women. It'll just spell trouble for you and/or them in the long
run. We are in the Maquis, Paris. When I sprung you out of that
rat-infested prison, you agreed to pilot for me. I'm holding you
to that agreement."
"I haven't forgotten, Chakotay. Two years or until the fighting
stops."
The Captain nodded. So far the arrangement had worked well, as
least in one respect. A finer pilot, he had never seen, but he
wasn't about to tell Tom Paris that. He was too cocky as it was,
and the women falling all over themselves to get near him didn't
help.
"I know how lonely it can get, Paris," Chakotay sympathized
patting the young man on the shoulder. "But don't drag a woman
into this mess. It isn't fair for her to be wondering what's
happening to you when you are out involved in battles that you
may not come back from."
"I'll try not to. I just wanted to help her out a little bit.
Besides, it gives me something to do and gets me off this ship."
{Plus I think I'm falling head over heels in love with her.}
"Be careful."
"I will."
* * * * * * *
It had been almost four days since Tom Paris had stepped foot
into Mroki's Place. This time he entered the establishment not
following a pair of women in, but in search of one who he knew
was there. He had worked long hours loading freight for one of
the local transport companies. It had been hard work without the
benefit of anti-grav devices but it had been worth it, the job
paid very well. With his right hand, he patted the money pouch
beneath his shirt, and with the radiometric converter tucked
under his left arm all wrapped in brightly colored paper, Tom
poked his head through the door. Allowing his eyes to adjust to
the darkness, he scanned the room for B'Elanna. Not seeing her,
he wove his way around the tables and headed toward the bar.
Alini spotted the Paris, and made a bee-line in his direction.
"Uliz! Uliz!" she called out
Tom turned at the sound, only to see the woman B'Elanna had
referred to as Alini approach him. She was alluring, dressed in
a skin-tight purple dress that emphasized her assets. Long,
golden hair hung down past her derriere in soft curls. She was
the woman many men dreamed about--and she knew it.
"Welcome, Uliz," Alini purred seductively. The words dripped off
her tongue cooly, but their meaning was full of heat.
"Uliz?" The word didn't translate over his Maquis commbadge.
"Um, Uliz, is the name of one of the ancient Palmat gods," Alini
explained in a husky voice placing one well-manicured hand on his
upper arm. "He was the well-endowed God of Fertility." She
tilted her head upward and lustily smiled at the pilot.
Tom blushed and tried to move to avoid the bold blonde. He had
come here to see B'Elanna not be accosted by one of the hourly
whores. Alini stood firm through and pressed one long, purple
painted nail up against the pilot's chest and continued her
explanation. "Most of us no longer worship this god, but when we
call someone by his name, it's considered a high honor. In
fact..." She leaned up against the tall man, her voluptuous
breasts pressed against his chest. "Because you remind me of
Uliz, I'd be willing to let you sample my *talents* for free."
Alini's eyes were heavy with lust.
"Hey, I'm flattered, really I am. It isn't everyday I get called
by a god's name." Tom laughed nervously. "But I'm just not
interested."
"Not interested? There are men that would pay dearly for what
I'm willing to give you!" Alini replied indigently. Tom could
tell that Alini wasn't used to hearing the word 'no' and it
pleased him.
"Look, I appreciate the offer, really I do," Tom remarked. Last
thing he wanted to was to create an ugly scene that might reflect
badly on B'Elanna.
The blonde wasn't about to give up. "Are you here to see *her*?"
she asked. Alini pointed toward the bar where B'Elanna now stood
watching the exchange between the pair.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"I don't understand. What do you see in that half-blood?" she
sneered. "When you could have me?"
Tom bent his head down, his lips just centimeters from Alini's
face. "I see a woman that is more beautiful inside and out than
you'll ever be." Alini froze, not only from the words the tall
man spoke, but because the cold, blunt way they were delivered.
It sent a shiver down her spine.
Grasping her upper arm firmly with his free hand, he forcefully
pushed the stunned woman aside so he could pass.
Tom Paris walked determinedly up to the woman that waited for him
at the bar. "B'Elanna, you're going on a break," he stated.
"Let's get out of here. And you..." The pilot turned a little
to his right where the bartender stood. "...will let this lady
take her break without any interruptions. I'll bring her back
when either she or I am damned good and ready." The bartender
nodded, too stunned to speak. "If Mroki has any problems with
this..." Tom pulled out his leather money bag, and carefully
pulled out several luma and threw them on the bar. "...you can
tell her that I've paid for the privilege."
With the box still tucked under his elbow, he held out his free
hand. B'Elanna placed her own hand in it. Leaving the bar, the
pair left behind a bewildered looking bartender and one very
jealous prostitute.
* * * * * * *
"Where should we go?" B'Elanna asked once they had left the bar.
"Any place," Tom replied. "As long as it's away from here and
out of the sun." Warm winds whipped around his tall body,
slapping the gauze-thin, tan-colored trousers against his skin.
He'd learned shortly after his first excursion on the planet, and
after one very painful sunburn, not to wear shorts.
Kicking up dust clouds as they walked, a smile broke out on
B'Elanna's face.
"I think I know just the place," she remarked. Grabbing his
hand, she pulled Tom along after her.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
B'Elanna dragged him through the throngs of people that were
making their own way through the streets, until she stopped in
front of a small store. Telling Tom to wait outside, she went
in. Ignoring the circular motions the store owner and other
patrons made when their hands, B'Elanna quickly selected several
items, paying for them with a few hard-earned luma. With a wary
eye, the clerk placed the items in a cloth bag, handing
everything back to her. Grateful to have her business concluded,
B'Elanna joined Tom outside once more.
"Whatcha got in the sack?" Tom asked motioning to the bag
B'Elanna had slung over her right shoulder.
The half-Klingon grinned. "What do *you* have in *that*
package?" B'Elanna pointed to the gift Tom still carried under
his arm."
"You first."
"You'll find out later."
"You're cruel"
"I am," she agreed. "Come on, follow me. The quicker we get
there, the sooner you'll find out."
"Get where?" Tom asked following the engineer down the street.
"You'll see soon enough."
B'Elanna held out her left hand which Paris gripped tightly with
his right and she pulled him along after her. B'Elanna led the
way through throngs of pedestrians until she finally slipped
between two vacant buildings. Skirting around the piles of
rubble that lay between the structures, they finally entered a
worn path and that led to a sandy area strewn with large
boulders, leaving the city behind. B'Elanna led them on for
several more minutes before finally coming to a stop.
"Is this it?" Tom asked, looking at the boulders that surrounded
them. It didn't look like much.
"Almost. It's just ahead, but first I want you to close your
eyes."
"My eyes?"
"For me?"
{Anything for you.} Tom did as bid and shut both eyes.
"Now keep them closed," she cautioned. He nodded, and they
continued on.
Soon he began to hear sounds. It was the wind he determined, for
it just couldn't be...
"Okay, you can open them!"
Opening his eyes, Tom's face broke into a huge grin. Before the
pair, weaving around a few large boulders which provided some
protection from the suns' rays, was a wide, clear, blue stream.
"Where'd you find this?" Tom asked. He placed his package on the
ground and dropped to his knees near the stream's edge so he
could touch the water with his outstretched hand. He was happy
to discover that the water--unlike most of Palmat--was
delightfully cool to the touch.
B'Elanna placed her bag on the ground as well and joined him.
She was thrilled to see how happy he was. "Actually, it was
quite by accident. I was out looking for sources of raw
dilithium for my ship when I stumbled across this stream. I'm
really glad that you like it."
"Oh, I do. Very much."
"I thought we could have a little picnic here," B'Elanna
explained. Reaching into the bag, she withdrew a piece of cloth
which she unfolded and spread on the ground.
"Sounds wonderful, what can I do?"
"Well while I prepare the food, you could open the wine." she
took a square bottle from the satchel and passed it to Tom along
with a bottle opener.
"Sure. No problem."
While the pilot worked on opening the wine bottle, B'Elanna took
out the food she had purchased--some fruit, cheese, and several
small loaves of a dark bread, as well as a pair of long-stemmed
wineglasses that had been carefully wrapped in strips of cloth.
With a pop, Tom opened the bottle. Sitting down beside her, he
began filling the glasses. Placing the bottle down, he passed
one of the wineglasses to B'Elanna and picked up the second for
himself.
Taking the glass, B'Elanna smiled up at the pilot from her seated
position. She then brought it to her lips.
"Wait a minute, B'Elanna," Tom called out. "I think this calls
for a toast."
"A toast?"
"Yes." Tom shut his eyes momentarily, while he thought of the
right words to say that would reflect his feelings for his
companion. Satisfied he opened them. Clearing his throat and
raising his glass he began. "To B'Elanna, to the diamond in the
rough I found on a wayward planet in the middle of nowhere. I
hope that we're always able to find each other." Extending his
arm, he clinked his glass with hers. "Your turn."
"My turn?"
Tom nodded.
B'Elanna pulled her glass towards her and fingered the rim with
her index finger, contemplating what to say. Finally, she held
her glass up, the suns' rays shone through the rose-colored
liquid. "To Tom," she began and smiled at him warmly before she
continued. "Just a short while ago, he entered my life and my
world and made me shine with a happiness I haven't felt in a long
time."
Tom's lips curled upwards--not only at the compliment, but at the
fact that B'Elanna felt sure enough of herself and him to voice
her thoughts.
"I hope we never lose touch with each other for..." She paused
briefly and swallowed down a lump in her throat. "...for if I
lost you, I would be losing my one true friend. I treasure our
friendship." She reached out and touched her glass with his.
Bringing their glasses to their lips they drank the alien wine,
sealing the toast.
"That was lovely," he murmured, placing the glass down on the
ground. Leaning forward he cupped the back of her head with his
hand. Pulling her toward him, he brushed his lips against hers.
Retreating slightly, he looked into her deep soulful brown eyes
and saw the sincerity that existed within her. He kissed her one
more time, tasting the wine on her lips, but as far as Tom was
concerned B'Elanna lips were sweeter. He then settled back to
his seated position. "Very nice," he declared. "Not too sweet or
too dry. It's a perfect selection." {Am I referring to the wine
or the woman? Maybe both}
B'Elanna drank again before she replied. "Actually, it was the
only wine they had that was within my price range that wasn't
made from fermented fungi."
Tom laughed until his eyes watered. Wiping away the moisture he
raised his glass in her honor. "B'Elanna, that's one thing I
love about you is your honesty. I salute you." He raised his
glass in her honor and drank again.
{Love? Figure of speech right?} B'Elanna smiled.
Paris could tell that she was uncomfortable with the compliment.
Time for a change of topic. "Cheese?" she asked. "Maybe with a
slice of bread?"
He nodded and accepted the cheese and bread from her. "Tell me
more about yourself, B'Elanna."
B'Elanna nibbled on a small piece of cheese that she had wrapped
in a slice of the dark bread. She looked up at him. "Me? I've
already told you about me. I think it's your turn. Tell me how
did you wind up in the Maquis?"
Tom leaned back on his elbows and picked at the bread popping
little pieces into his mouth. Lifting his gaze he saw that she
was waiting for a response. Should he tell her? If he did, how
much should he say? Would she judge him as dishonorable?
Leaning forward, B'Elanna covered his hand with her free hand and
squeezed.
Reassured, Tom took another drink of his wine and then a large
breath. "Well, it's a long story, B'Elanna. You might be
bored."
Picking up her wineglass, B'Elanna moved to the pilot's side. "I
don't think you could ever bore me. So tell me...please?"
Tom cleared his throat nervously. "Well it's like this, in a
nutshell, I graduated from the Academy, got too cocky one day
after graduation and me and three of my friends crashed into a
little planet called Caldik Prime. I survived, they didn't. I
blamed them at first before my conscious got the better of me and
I finally admitted it was my fault--pilot error," Tom laughed
humorlessly and took a large gulp of his wine before he
continued. "So Starfleet cashiered me out of the service, and
while I was roaming the galaxy I wound up in one stink-hole of a
prison. It was there on a dust ball of a plant, a lot like this
one, that my good captain found me and made me an offer I
couldn't refuse. Next thing I know I'm here." Tilting his glass
he drained the contents. Passing the glass to B'Elanna he moved
to get up.
B'Elanna put the glass down beside her and gripped Tom Paris by
his shirt sleeve and pulled him back down.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
He turned to her, his eyes devoid of any happiness. "I just told
you how dishonest I was, I can't believe you'd want me around any
more. There is nothing honorable in what I've done, B'Elanna.
You should just let me go, before we get any more involved."
"Just because I'm half-Klingon do you think my life has been all
honorable? Just because I have Klingon blood flowing through my
veins doesn't mean that I behave like a traditional full-blooded
Klingon!" B'Elanna struck her chest with her fist. "I'm a full-
blooded woman above all else, Tom Paris. What happened in your
past doesn't matter to me. What matters is the man I have come
to know these last few weeks. I respect you, Tom; and I have
come to care for you a great deal." {Could what I feel be love?
Can it happen this soon?}
Tom turned away, focusing on the stream. "You don't know what
you are saying, B'Elanna. You don't know what I've..." He
stopped as the words choked him. Above all else he didn't want
to hurt this woman, a woman that had come to mean more to him
that he ever could have imagined when he had first saw her at the
bar. His stomach twisted at the thought that if she knew all
there was about him, he'd never see her again. {Is this what it
feels to fall in love? Could that have finally happened to me? I
didn't think it was possible.} Something deep inside me told him
to take a chance.
"Well if you want to hear it, make yourself comfortable. And
pour me another glass of wine, my throat's apt to get dry with
all this talking."
Tom sat down against one of the boulders. Seating herself beside
him, legs tucked underneath her, B'Elanna waited for the story to
begin.
* * * * * *
"So that's when you returned to Earth?" B'Elanna asked. Tom, who
by now had shifted his position and now lay with his head on
B'Elanna's lap, nodded.
Tom had already explained his trying time growing up with his
father scripting his every move. He'd even told her about the
horrific accident that had resulted in the deaths of three of his
friends, and his subsequent flight away from the scene and the
truth. He hadn't expected the words to come to his lips so
easily, but he found it easy and comforting talking to B'Elanna.
He trusted her.
Looking down into the pilot's blue eyes they seemed focused on
events that had happened years ago and light-years away. B'Elanna
brushed his hair away from his forehead with her left hand, while
her right clutched his right hand for support. "Then what
happened?"
"I went to Starfleet and told them what had really happened. I
explained that the accident was due to my inattention, that I
couldn't live with the knowledge I was responsible for their
deaths." He focused again on her searching for understanding and
by the look on her face he knew he had found it. "I told them
everything. How I was imagining that this practice run was
actually a battle in space. How I pulled up at the last minute
to avoid impacting with the planet, and how my friends didn't
have a chance to save themselves. I-I still remember it all--
every explosion, every stomach twisting moment." His voice
choked. Reassuringly, B'Elanna squeezed his hand. "There-there's
not a day that goes by that I don't think of them, B'Elanna."
Blue locked with brown, B'Elanna could see the look of despair
that was expressed in their ocean depths.
"I believe you, Tom. It must have been just horrible."
He nodded and saw that B'Elanna didn't look reviled at what he
had told her. "If I had known you then, it wouldn't have been so
bad. It would have been easier for me, but ..." Tom paused and
swallowed. "...it wasn't meant to be easy. I deserved it all."
B'Elanna squeezed his hand again.
"After the court martial, I went back to Marseilles for a while.
You know that bar called Sandrine's I told you about earlier?"
"The one where you hustled pool and the bartender who took a
liking to you?"
"Yeah, well I was there for a few weeks when I decided to try my
luck away from Earth. I hitched a ride on a transport ship that
was headed for Vulcan space. It sounded interesting, until the
ship developed problems and we ended up on a small planet. While
I was trying to get some parts for the ship..."
"Get some parts?" B'Elanna questioned.
"Ok, steal some parts." She knew him too well already. "I got
caught and thrown into their rehabilitation center."
*Ahem.*
"Ah, prison," Tom corrected. "Quite a lovely place, a room with
lots of friends and all the rats you could eat--a home away from
home. Then one day, Liberty's good captain showed up.
Apparently, someone from the transport ship had told him that I
was in jail. With the Maquis being desperate for good pilots,
the Captain didn't waste any time trying to bail me out. I was a
mess. I would have done almost anything to get out of that pit.
All I had to do was to promise to serve with the Maquis for two
years." Paris fought back memories of the fights, of competing
with the others for what rotting food they were given, and when
no food was passed out he and the others hunted for rats to gut
and eat.
B'Elanna saw the bright blue eyes cloud over again with
unpleasant memories. "How much longer do you have to serve on
the Liberty?"
Focusing again on her, chased away the waking nightmare. "About
ten more months. Then I'll have to make a decision--stay with
the Maquis, or strike out on my own."
"If it would get me off this planet, maybe I should join the
Maquis? I'm sure they could use a good engineer." {It also would
let me stay close to you.}
Tom pushed himself up and looked her square in the face. "No,
B'Elanna. It's not that I don't want you with me--believe me I
do, but I don't want you embroiled in the Maquis battles," he
adamantly replied. "Palmat may be a hole, but it's a safe hole.
It's certainly better than winding up in one of those rotten
Cardassian prison camps." He shook that terrible thought away.
"I've heard terrible stories. I don't know what I would do if I
found out that..."
B'Elanna placed two fingers over his trembling lips to silence
him. "Okay," she replied, "you convinced me. I won't run to the
Maquis." She would have said anything at the moment, to prevent
him from looking so concerned for her safety.
"I'll come back for you, B'Elanna," he promised when she removed
her fingers. "When my commitment is finished, I'll come back to
Palmat. I'll come back to you." {Where had that come from? What
was he saying?}
B'Elanna looked stunned hearing his vow. "Tom," she whispered in
awe not knowing what else to say.
"Will you wait for me? If I come back, will you be here?"
She didn't know how to respond. She didn't know what it was he
was actually saying, or even if he knew what words were passing
through his lips.
"I don't know what the future holds, B'Elanna. But something in
my gut tells me that my future and yours are..." He sought for
the right word, entangling his fingers through hers. "...meshed
together. I can't believe that we have found each other, only
never to be reunited again. Trust in fate." Ernest blue eyes
examined her intently.
The words spoke truth to her heart and B'Elanna nodded. "I'll
wait for you, Tom Paris. When you are finished serving with the
Maquis, I'll be here waiting here for you to come back to me.
"Good." He visibly relaxed and B'Elanna smiled. It lightened his
mood. "Where were we?"
"Now about to tell me about your time with the Maquis?"
"Ah, yes. There's a lot to tell, but I think I'll save those
stories for another time. You really don't want to hear about
how I out flew the Cardies, do you?" he replied very
nonchalantly.
With a shove B'Elanna pushed him off her lap. "Tom Paris, you're
a tease!" she yelled.
Laughing Tom pushed himself up on his elbows and faced her.
"It's too hot to talk, B'Elanna. We shouldn't let all this water
go to waste. It's just crying out for someone to swim in it."
"I don't know about you, Flyboy, but I didn't bring my swimsuit!"
Tom stood up and began pulling off his shirt to reveal a muscular
chest torso garnished with ginger-colored chest hair. B'Elanna's
breath caught in her throat at the sight. he was lean and
muscular, she observed with pleasure, but not that overly bulky
shape that most Klingon men tried to achieve.
"You do have undergarments on don't you, B'Elanna?" Tom asked as
he unfastened his trousers.
"Um..." Words failed her when she saw him slip his slacks over
his hips and reveal his long legs and a pair of navy blue briefs.
"B'Elanna, we are both adults, and it's too damn hot not to enjoy
this moment." Tom stood before her, hands on his hips daring her
not to join him. "Are you going swimming with me or not?"
In reply to his challenge B'Elanna pulled off her top and slid
out of her shorts to reveal a matching black bra and panties,
along with a well toned and tanned body. Tom's mouth went dry
and his palms began to sweat at the sight he saw before him. To
him she was perfect not only in character and personality, but I
also in physical appearance. B'Elanna Torres was a compact bundle
of feminine curves and athletic suppleness. From her full
breasts to the muscles that formed her shapely legs, Tom Paris,
thought that he must have died and gone to heaven. Or was it
Sto-Vo-Kor? His erotic thoughts were soon interrupted.
"Last one in is a grumpy Vulcan!" B'Elanna called out playfully
and started to sprint to the spring. Tom caught unaware, was
soon left literally in the dust.
Upon reaching the stream's edge B'Elanna launched herself into
the air and plunged into the cool water. Feeling a surge of
water push up against her she knew that Paris had, without
hesitation, followed her in.
Diving deep, Tom swam underneath B'Elanna. With his eyes open
under the delightfully refreshing water, he spied a vision
equally, if not more, refreshing. Above him she swam,
silhouetted against the sun rays which penetrated through the
water above. Her dark hair flowed behind her, her tresses
swirling with the movement of the water. Propelled along
effortlessly with her athletic body, she swam through the deep
stream.
Rising beneath her, Tom placed his hands firmly around her waist
and rose towards the surface, his legs scissoring under him until
he lifted her out of the water. Surfacing below her, he inhaled
deeply, enriching his lungs with fresh oxygen before falling back
into the water and pulling B'Elanna along with him.
Feeling his hands clasped around her, B'Elanna was at first
surprised and in the next moment elated as Tom pushed her out of
the water. Breaking the surface, the half-Klingon breathed
deeply before she joined him once again under the surface.
Paris pulled B'Elanna's lithe body towards him under the water
until finally she was enveloped within the circle of his arms.
Right where she belongs he thought. He could see B'Elanna's
laughing eyes as she focused on him, and he knew that his face
reflected the same joy she felt. Propelling her over to where
they had originally dove in, Tom found a perch on a shelf that
skirted the stream. Still holding her tightly, he stood up
bringing both their heads up out of the water.
"Tom Paris you're crazy!"
"Is that a complaint?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in mock
disbelief.
In response, she kissed him boldly on his mouth. Tom could hear
a soft growl that emanated from B'Elanna's throat. It excited
him and urged him on. Pressing back toward her, he pressed her
body up against the edge of the stream and attacked her mouth.
First nibbling on her lower lip before he plunged his tongue into
her mouth.
With hands encircling the pilot's waist, B'Elanna enjoyed the
feeling of his flesh as he continued to plunder her mouth.
Trailing away from the full lips, Tom worked his way across her
cheek, and down her sensitive neck until he reached her
shoulders. Feeling her inquisitive hands explore his back, he
pushed aside her bra strap and kissed and licked the flesh
underneath.
Instinct drove B'Elanna on, she wanted this man like she had no
other before. Lowering her hands, she slid them under the waist
band of Tom's briefs.
Feeling B'Elanna's hands beneath the material of his shorts
surprised the pilot at first, but he soon realized the
implication of her actions.
"B'Elanna, if we don't stop now, there may be no going back," he
warned.
{Let's see, I received my birth control booster shot two years
ago. Didn't I? Just before I left the Academy? Yeah, that
sounds right. Should be good for another three or four months.}
{Starfleet--yeah, just before I was cashiered. That's when I got
my last booster. I'm protected for another few months.}
Reaching down further, B'Elanna clasped his buttocks with her
hands and squeezed, pulling him toward her. His growing erection
pressed against her.
Actions did indeed speak louder than words, Tom mused.
Deftly he removed her bra and flung it on the shore, her panties
soon followed.
Following his lead, she tugged at his briefs, pushing them down
his legs until he was able to step out of them. What followed
was a frenzy of passion. Both lovers wanted to show how much
pleasure they were capable of giving the other. Like a wild
tiger B'Elanna growled encouraging the pilot on to excite her
more. With guttural cries of his own, the pilot sang his song of
fulfillment.
* * * *
Afterwards lying unashamedly nude in the shade of one of the
boulders, B'Elanna reflected on what had occurred in the water.
With her head pillowed on the sleeping pilot's shoulder, B'Elanna
lazily ran her fingers through his still damp chest hair.
A smile tugged at her lips as she recalled Tom's words to her.
Warning her that they still had time to stop if she wanted to.
Her reply had been to simply curl her legs around his waist and
join with him. His eyes had opened wide in both surprise and
pleasure as she impaled herself on his manhood.
What had followed had been amazing--amazing and loud. Both had
cried out as they climaxed; him loud and primeval, and her a loud
growl that emanated deep within her body.
Trini had once told her when both partners experience their peak
of passion at the same time it was a sign of sexual
compatibility. If that was true, B'Elanna mused, then she and
Tom Paris were *extremely* compatible. And if the Klingon
traditions were to be believed, the bite that she had given him
on his cheek just before the moment of release meant that the two
of them were more that just two people in need of sexual
satisfaction. According to Klingon tradition, they were mated.
She'd have no other mate as long as she lived. But that was
something she wasn't going to reveal to him. With a light touch
she traced the crescent mark her teeth had made in his skin,
careful not to wake him. B'Elanna Torres wasn't going to be the
one to tie this pilot down, she vowed, she'd wait until he made
that decision. The half-Klingon grinned at the thought and
drifted off to sleep.
In his dreams, Tom Paris relived their union in the stream. He
recalled how he'd been amazed when B'Elanna took the initiative
to become one with him. Rocking against her, she had met each
thrust with her own. When he neared his release he tottered on
the edge of ecstasy, and when his lover punctuated her own
pending climax with a bite on his shoulder, his toppled over into
exquisite fulfillment. His ecstasy of their union shook him to
the core of his soul, and he knew that he had found the woman of
his dreams. A woman that he could carve a future with, if fate
would allow. Smiling in his sleep, his arms tightened around
B'Elanna.
End Chapter 3
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