An Epilogue to the episode …
Day
of Honour
B'Elanna held Tom as tightly as she could. She tried
to imagine how his body would feel if he wasn't wearing an environmental suit.
She already
knew, of course, she had experienced this need to touch him before, on Sakari,
while under the influence of the Vulcan instinct, Pon-Fahr.
Those
feelings, for the most part, had been generated by the desire for sex; but
these, these feelings were real, unhindered by chemical imbalances in her
brain. All she wanted now was Tom.
She felt
his body shift in its environmental suit. She didn't bother to open her eyes.
She didn't want to be roused from this moment of true contentment.
Tom
muttered a few strangled words.
One sounded
like Captain, but she wasn't sure.
Then
darkness surrounded her.
B'Elanna
felt empty, emptier than when she had been floating in space moments before.
She took
one last breath and clutched at Tom harder.
He was gone
from her grasp.
Or had she
been taken from him?
Then she
heard the gentle whine of the Transporter.
She opened
her eyes.
She lay on
the Transporter Pad. The environmental suit was gone, and so was Tom.
She took a
few deep breaths.
The sudden
flow of Oxygen rushed into her lungs.
And left
her gasping for breathes.
She felt a
hypospray against her neck.
Chakotay's
face appeared above her, and she felt his strong arms help her stand.
She
collapsed into his embrace, and he held her tight.
She closed
her eyes and allowed her breathing to steady.
Once this
had been achieved she severed Chakotay's hold on her and she fought against
disorientation, as she stood alone.
"How
are you feeling?" His voice was soft and warm.
"Fine." She blurted.
Chakotay
nodded his approval.
"Where's Tom?" She was still in shock at being back safe. She
had forgotten about the man she loved.
"I'm…I'm…I am…Here."
B'Elanna
turned to face the Transporter Pad. Tom was standing with the Doctor, who was
taking readings on a Tricorder, he didn't look happy.
"You
to both need rest." He announced. "Take a days leave and report to
Sickbay at 0900 hours for further tests." He paused to give the
lieutenants time to acknowledge his orders then carried on. "I've given
you both a triox agent, it should help your lungs readjust to the increase of
Oxygen in the atmosphere."
"Thanks Doc." Tom strode unsteadily to the door. He glanced at
B'Elanna as he passed her.
She looked
away.
"Would
you like me to help you to your quarters?" Chakotay asked. He was being
genuinely kind, but B'Elanna didn't need to be helped.
"I'll
be fine." She attempted a weak smile then walked as gracefully as she
could from the Transporter room.
* *
*
Tom lay in bed. He was wide-awake.
He had been
contemplating calling B'Elanna for the last two hours.
It was 0220
hours now. Tom wasn't sure it would be wise to call her at this hour; he'd wait
until morning.
He rolled
from his back to his side and puffed his pillow. He closed his eyes and tried
to sleep.
He thought
of B'Elanna. Was she lying awake still too?
No! She
could wait until morning. he had to
sleep.
He rolled
back onto his back; but he needed to know.
Had she
meant what she had said? Or had she been so delirious that she was saying
anything to make him feel better?
He really
had to sleep.
He pulled
his bed cover around himself and tried to imagine B'Elanna's embrace, in the
hope it would help him sleep.
It didn't
work, and he ended up wanting to call her more.
He felt
like such an idiot. Usually he was good with women. He never fretted about
making the right decision.
But
B'Elanna was different.
She wasn't
just any woman.
He had
decided this a long time ago.
God! I'm
tired. He thought.
He rolled
over again and made himself forget her.
It worked
for the whole of five seconds before she invaded his mind again.
He groaned
and tried to forget how beautiful, and smart, and funny…this really isn't
working! He thought frustrated.
He pushed
back his covers.
Maybe the cool
air of his quarters would help him sleep.
An hour
later he was finally nearing a REM state.
An alarm
sounded in his cabin!
Tom groaned
and pushed back his sheets, which he had unconsciously pulled back over
himself.
It was his
door chime, he realised.
He went to
the door and opened it.
Before him,
stood B'Elanna.
She was
wearing a short, scarlet, cotton nightdress and a blood red dressing gown.
She looked
as tired as he felt.
He rubbed
his eyes to check he wasn't dreaming.
She was
still there when he opened them.
"Can I
come in?" she asked. Her voice was almost a whisper. She was either trying
not to wake his neighbours, or she hadn't adjusted to the Oxygen levels quite
yet.
It was
probably the former.
"How
can I help you, lieutenant?" He asked, ushering her in.
"We
need to talk." She stepped into his quarters; she tried to avoid his gaze
as she looked around her.
"How
are you feeling?" He directed her to the sofa.
She took a
seat. She tucked her legs beneath her, and then she allowed herself to meet
Tom's deep blue eyes. "I'm fine," she paused and yawned. "A
little worn out, but I couldn't sleep."
"I
couldn't either." Tom admitted. He took a seat beside B'Elanna.
She shifted
a little, nervously, and then smiled at him.
"Tom…"
He knew
what she was going to say. She was going to tell him how much she considered
him a friend, and how she cared for him, just not as a lover. He knew her
confession had been to good to be true.
"…I
meant what I said earlier." Her voice cracked as she forced the words out.
"Oh!" He exclaimed.
"Of
course…" She paused"…If you don't feel the same way…I'll
understand."
"B'Elanna…I love you to." He whispered. He placed his hand
lightly to her face. He felt her cheeks gradually get a little hotter as she
flushed in embarrassment.
"You
do?" She asked. She didn't sound unsure, just taken aback.
"Yes." He let his hand fall from her face to her arm. He
searched her eyes and saw them shine with passion.
"Show
me." She pressed her lips together then pouted.
Tom took
this as an invitation to kiss her.
He pulled
her body to his.
He felt her
firm breasts press against him as she received and returned his soft,
questioning kiss. And she trembled, slightly, in his arms.
She pulled
away first.
She
searched his eyes for a while.
Content he
was telling her the truth she leant into his embrace.
He placed
his head in her soft hair.
He held her
tight. Her body was soft, and warm against his.
Several minutes
later he saw she was asleep.
He
carefully picked her up, and carried her to his bed.
Then he lay
he down.
He made
sure he didn't wake her.
Once she
was laid down, he lay down beside her; and watched as she slept.
She smiled
unconsciously.
Tom closed
his eyes and fell straight to sleep, B'Elanna still in his arms.
* *
*
When B'Elanna awoke she sat up and pushed her covers
aside.
She looked
around her at the messy quarters.
She felt
disoriented.
It took her
a few minutes to remember where she was.
And when
she did she sighed in contentment, and looked around her for Tom.
The light
in his bathroom was on, so she walked in that direction.
She peered
around the doorway.
Tom's
nightclothes were in a pile, on the floor, in front of his sonic shower.
She could
hear the shower whining.
"Tom?" She called out
"I'm
in the shower." He called back. "There's breakfast on the
table." He added.
B'Elanna
moved to the centre of Tom's quarters, there, on the pine table, were a stack
of pancakes, a pitcher of orange juice, a jug of maple syrup, and two steaming
mugs of coffee.
She sat at
the table and placed several of the pancakes on an empty plate, and then she
poured syrup over them.
She took a
bite of her food before pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
She ate and
drank, enjoying the sugar content that clashed with the citrus beverage.
After a few
minutes she looked up from her plate.
Tom was
standing by his bathroom door. He smiled at her, before coming to join her.
"Do
you like them?" He asked as he sat, and dished a generous portion of the
food out for himself.
She nodded
as she licked a drop of syrup from her lip.
"I
took the liberty of fetching some clothes from your quarters." He gestured
to a pile of clothing that was sat on his sofa. "We have to see the Doctor
in an hour."
"O.k." She replied. And hurriedly added a, "Thank
you." Then she continued, "I'm still so tired."
"So am
I." Tom admitted. "I think it's our bodies reactions to the depletion
of Oxygen we were faced with."
"I
guess." She paused. "Or the lack of rest." She suggested.
"There
was rest."
"At
about 4 am." She frowned. "I'm going to take a shower."
"Here." He quickly walked across to the sofa and handed her a
clean uniform.
"Thank
you." She replied gratefully. B'Elanna smiled and went to take her shower.
She had
decided that she was glad Tom wasn't forcing her into anything to soon into
this new relationship.
And
that…She thought…Is why I love him.
The
End
