Love's Labor Multiplied: Chapter Nine
By Pari
(look in Chapter One for disclaimer)
When Tom got through explaining his predicament to Captain Janeway he breathed a deep breath in relief. What was it about the Captain that made him feel safe just by having her on his side? Q no doubt had a few more tricks up his omnipotent sleeves before he'd be done here, but just by telling Janeway the whole story, Tom felt as though he'd solved his problems. If nothing else, at least Janeway had the authorization to assign him a security detail - for protection until he could give B'Elanna an explanation for all of this.
For her part, Janeway was trying to contain her smile. Here was Tom Paris - who'd come on board with a reputation for being the kind of guy every girl's mother warned her about, who'd nearly gotten himself killed on that planet, Bannea, for getting a little too cozy with someone else's wife - asking for her *protection* from a group of alternate universe women who were crazy about him. Falling in love with B'Elanna had changed him. Or perhaps it was fear for his own life. Either way...
Janeway gave up and smiled. "Well, Mr. Paris, what can I say? I've always heard you were quite popular with the female population."
Tom wasn't amused, and the Captain laughed. "Okay, I think it's safe to say Q isn't going to make himself accessible until it suits him, so all we can do is wait it out. I suggest you go on your shift like always. And if you should encounter any more..." the twinkle in Janeway's eyes earned a warning look from Paris, and so she rethought whatever other comment she'd had in mind. "Any more problems," she said, "Then just comm me. I'll keep an open line for you at all times. I'm going to finish up here, then I have a shift on the bridge, as well."
Paris nodded and ran a hand through his hair. What a day. He could only hope it would get tamer from here on out.
"Thanks, Captain. I guess, I'll see you on the bridge then." Tom said and the Captain nodded back. He still felt a little awkward after having met that alternate Kathryn Janeway. It was a harrowing experience being sexually harassed by your commanding officer. Not that you could call being kissed by Kathryn Janeway harassed, exactly...but that was a thought he'd rather not go into thinking at the moment.
Janeway could sense his awkwardness. She'd never once teased Tom Paris the way she had and gotten away with it...which made it all the more difficult to call a particular detail to his attention. Now she felt about as embarrassed as he looked.
"Uh, Tom..." she started, and he turned back.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Um, you might want to...freshen up a bit before you head to the bridge."
"Why?" he asked, puzzled.
Kathryn looked around a bit, then finally walked over to Tom and spoke as quietly as she could.
"It seems that my counterpart and I share a taste in shades of lipstick...and you have some..." she gestured to the corner of her mouth. Then she thought, 'Oh, stop it, Kathryn. You're practically blushing.' Tom automatically reached up to rub at the spot she indicated, removing the light-pink evidence of his earlier encounter with the other Janeway.
"Thanks," he said, looking sheepish. They were practically shifting their feet like a couple of teenagers...then they both nodded, turned, and headed in opposite directions as if the hounds of hell were after them.
'*That* is one detail I'm going to leave out of my reports,' Janeway thought. Actually, she figured there was quite a few details about this situation she'd leave out of her reports. What a mess. Then she thought of something.
"Oh, and Tom?" she called after him.
"Yes, Captain?" he said, turning back.
"*This* Kathryn Janeway would never behave in such a fashion towards her first officer," she said, and then wished he hadn't. Tom's eyes fairly lit up and she grimaced.
His grin spread practically from one ear to the other, but to his credit he made no comment.
"If you say so, Captain."
**** **** **** ****
A short while later, Tom was finally setting foot on the bridge, and he smiled. Here was the perfect place for his frazzled nerves to unwind. A lot of people would call him crazy for considering flying a 700,000 ton starship relaxing, but then flying was what he was born to do. It was like breathing to him. He had that rare sort of sixth sense very few people had - he could actually *feel* the ship around him; sense when it was in warp and at what speed. Flying was, indeed, a sensual experience for Tom - and he put every one of those senses into what he was doing when he was at the helm. No room for mistakes - not anymore.
And no room, either, for worries about Q and his ridiculous antics. Tom smiled again and headed for his station...and was stopped by Lt. Commander Tuvok.
"Hello, Tuvok. Everything nice and uneventful on the bridge today?"
"Mr. Paris, you are precisely 3 minutes, 53 seconds late for this shift."
Tom smiled wryly. Good 'ol Tuvok. He wondered what Tuvok would say if he told him he was late because he'd almost been making out with his captain...then common sense caught up with him. He'd spent enough time in the brig already, thank you very much.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that, sir...actually I had something important to report to the Captain and it took a little longer than I'd anticipated. I was just talking with her."
Tuvok cocked one eyebrow in classic Vulcan form. "Then it would seem the conversation is not yet finished. Captain Janeway asked that I direct you to her ready room upon your arrival." He motioned in that direction, and Tom stiffened in surprise. The Captain had beaten him to the bridge? He hadn't expected her to be finished so quickly in Engineering. An uncomfortable feeling began to nag at him, but Tom pushed it away. 'Jeez, Paris, you're getting paranoid. If it wasn't the captain Tuvok would notice, wouldn't he?'
Finally Tom breathed again and nodded, earning a questioning look from Tuvok with his nervous reaction. However, he merely nodded back, though he did keep an eye on Tom as he crossed the bridge.
Paris stepped into the Captain's ready room to find Janeway rising from the room's sitting area with a cup of coffee. He smiled in greeting.
"You wanted to see me, Captain?"
"Oh, Tom, yes come in." She put her mug down on a nearby table and motioned him to take a seat with a smile. "Let me just get the door." Then she proceeded to initiate a privacy lock on the entrance. That nagging feeling returned.
"Um, why are you locking the door."
"What? Oh, I just thought it would be best if word of what we're discussing didn't get out and about just yet. I think we should talk more about what you told me earlier before we take any decisive action."
"Oh." Tom said in immediate relief and returned the Captain's smile with a sigh. Perhaps he had nothing to worry about after all.
He was just thinking again that he was being foolishly paranoid...when Janeway suddenly sat down in his lap, leaning close.
"Now, tell me again what you said about falling in love with me." Her smile was wide and suggestive...and Tom groaned. He laid his head back against the seat. "Not again!" he muttered.
"Janeway" frowned, missing what he'd said for the troubled look on his face. "What's wrong, Tom?" she asked, gently placing a hand on his forehead to check for a fever...and at that moment things went from bad to worse: Chakotay walked in.
By Pari
(look in Chapter One for disclaimer)
When Tom got through explaining his predicament to Captain Janeway he breathed a deep breath in relief. What was it about the Captain that made him feel safe just by having her on his side? Q no doubt had a few more tricks up his omnipotent sleeves before he'd be done here, but just by telling Janeway the whole story, Tom felt as though he'd solved his problems. If nothing else, at least Janeway had the authorization to assign him a security detail - for protection until he could give B'Elanna an explanation for all of this.
For her part, Janeway was trying to contain her smile. Here was Tom Paris - who'd come on board with a reputation for being the kind of guy every girl's mother warned her about, who'd nearly gotten himself killed on that planet, Bannea, for getting a little too cozy with someone else's wife - asking for her *protection* from a group of alternate universe women who were crazy about him. Falling in love with B'Elanna had changed him. Or perhaps it was fear for his own life. Either way...
Janeway gave up and smiled. "Well, Mr. Paris, what can I say? I've always heard you were quite popular with the female population."
Tom wasn't amused, and the Captain laughed. "Okay, I think it's safe to say Q isn't going to make himself accessible until it suits him, so all we can do is wait it out. I suggest you go on your shift like always. And if you should encounter any more..." the twinkle in Janeway's eyes earned a warning look from Paris, and so she rethought whatever other comment she'd had in mind. "Any more problems," she said, "Then just comm me. I'll keep an open line for you at all times. I'm going to finish up here, then I have a shift on the bridge, as well."
Paris nodded and ran a hand through his hair. What a day. He could only hope it would get tamer from here on out.
"Thanks, Captain. I guess, I'll see you on the bridge then." Tom said and the Captain nodded back. He still felt a little awkward after having met that alternate Kathryn Janeway. It was a harrowing experience being sexually harassed by your commanding officer. Not that you could call being kissed by Kathryn Janeway harassed, exactly...but that was a thought he'd rather not go into thinking at the moment.
Janeway could sense his awkwardness. She'd never once teased Tom Paris the way she had and gotten away with it...which made it all the more difficult to call a particular detail to his attention. Now she felt about as embarrassed as he looked.
"Uh, Tom..." she started, and he turned back.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Um, you might want to...freshen up a bit before you head to the bridge."
"Why?" he asked, puzzled.
Kathryn looked around a bit, then finally walked over to Tom and spoke as quietly as she could.
"It seems that my counterpart and I share a taste in shades of lipstick...and you have some..." she gestured to the corner of her mouth. Then she thought, 'Oh, stop it, Kathryn. You're practically blushing.' Tom automatically reached up to rub at the spot she indicated, removing the light-pink evidence of his earlier encounter with the other Janeway.
"Thanks," he said, looking sheepish. They were practically shifting their feet like a couple of teenagers...then they both nodded, turned, and headed in opposite directions as if the hounds of hell were after them.
'*That* is one detail I'm going to leave out of my reports,' Janeway thought. Actually, she figured there was quite a few details about this situation she'd leave out of her reports. What a mess. Then she thought of something.
"Oh, and Tom?" she called after him.
"Yes, Captain?" he said, turning back.
"*This* Kathryn Janeway would never behave in such a fashion towards her first officer," she said, and then wished he hadn't. Tom's eyes fairly lit up and she grimaced.
His grin spread practically from one ear to the other, but to his credit he made no comment.
"If you say so, Captain."
**** **** **** ****
A short while later, Tom was finally setting foot on the bridge, and he smiled. Here was the perfect place for his frazzled nerves to unwind. A lot of people would call him crazy for considering flying a 700,000 ton starship relaxing, but then flying was what he was born to do. It was like breathing to him. He had that rare sort of sixth sense very few people had - he could actually *feel* the ship around him; sense when it was in warp and at what speed. Flying was, indeed, a sensual experience for Tom - and he put every one of those senses into what he was doing when he was at the helm. No room for mistakes - not anymore.
And no room, either, for worries about Q and his ridiculous antics. Tom smiled again and headed for his station...and was stopped by Lt. Commander Tuvok.
"Hello, Tuvok. Everything nice and uneventful on the bridge today?"
"Mr. Paris, you are precisely 3 minutes, 53 seconds late for this shift."
Tom smiled wryly. Good 'ol Tuvok. He wondered what Tuvok would say if he told him he was late because he'd almost been making out with his captain...then common sense caught up with him. He'd spent enough time in the brig already, thank you very much.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that, sir...actually I had something important to report to the Captain and it took a little longer than I'd anticipated. I was just talking with her."
Tuvok cocked one eyebrow in classic Vulcan form. "Then it would seem the conversation is not yet finished. Captain Janeway asked that I direct you to her ready room upon your arrival." He motioned in that direction, and Tom stiffened in surprise. The Captain had beaten him to the bridge? He hadn't expected her to be finished so quickly in Engineering. An uncomfortable feeling began to nag at him, but Tom pushed it away. 'Jeez, Paris, you're getting paranoid. If it wasn't the captain Tuvok would notice, wouldn't he?'
Finally Tom breathed again and nodded, earning a questioning look from Tuvok with his nervous reaction. However, he merely nodded back, though he did keep an eye on Tom as he crossed the bridge.
Paris stepped into the Captain's ready room to find Janeway rising from the room's sitting area with a cup of coffee. He smiled in greeting.
"You wanted to see me, Captain?"
"Oh, Tom, yes come in." She put her mug down on a nearby table and motioned him to take a seat with a smile. "Let me just get the door." Then she proceeded to initiate a privacy lock on the entrance. That nagging feeling returned.
"Um, why are you locking the door."
"What? Oh, I just thought it would be best if word of what we're discussing didn't get out and about just yet. I think we should talk more about what you told me earlier before we take any decisive action."
"Oh." Tom said in immediate relief and returned the Captain's smile with a sigh. Perhaps he had nothing to worry about after all.
He was just thinking again that he was being foolishly paranoid...when Janeway suddenly sat down in his lap, leaning close.
"Now, tell me again what you said about falling in love with me." Her smile was wide and suggestive...and Tom groaned. He laid his head back against the seat. "Not again!" he muttered.
"Janeway" frowned, missing what he'd said for the troubled look on his face. "What's wrong, Tom?" she asked, gently placing a hand on his forehead to check for a fever...and at that moment things went from bad to worse: Chakotay walked in.