Penal Colonies and Yellow Houses: Part One
Tom's Letter
Summary: ( don't ask about the title, please... ) BEGINS FIVE MONTHS AFTER 'THIRTY DAYS'. Voyager returns home, and Starfleet considers letting Tom go, but then they find out about his time in the brig and the demotion....
Notes: 1. This is my first completed fanfic, but i just realized I could put it on fanfiction.net! I felt really stupid for awhile....
2. Thanks to Kodee Walters and Christina Korpik for beta reading it for me. Thanks you two! You're the best!
Codes: AU, P/T, J/C, K/f
Disclaimer: Voyager belongs to Paramount.
* * * * *
April 26, 2375
"I sentence Thomas Eugene Paris to two years in prison. Court dismissed."
B'Elanna Torres sat up, awoken from her sleep yet again by that nightmare. The same nightmare that had been waking her up for the past three months. Ever since February 12, two days before her favorite holiday ever since she and Tom had become lovers.
After clearing the blur from her eyes, she looked around. Light was streaming in through her window, so she threw the covers off, and got up. She looked at her chronometer. 1342 hours.
Just about that time, she heard someone banging on her bedroom door. B'Elanna threw on her robe, and opened it. Eleri Lerisa stood at her door, fist hanging in midair
"Good morning!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
"That is a matter of opinion," B'Elanna said.
"Nightmares again?"
"Yes, and it's bugging me out of my mind."
"What are they about, anyway?"
"Various things," B'Elanna lied.
Eleri nodded. "Well, get dressed and come downstairs. Sarah made *real* bacon, eggs, and biscuits."
"Sure. I'll be down in a minute."
Eleri nodded again, and walked back to the kitchen.
B'Elanna looked around her room. Everything in it was twentieth century. In fact, she had insisted that everything be like that. The house was very beautiful. It was two stories tall, and painted yellow with white trimming. It had a large front yard, and an even larger back yard. The entire property was surrounded by a picket fence. In the front yard, there was a large frog pond, and a large garden. Sarah McAlester had quite a 'green thumb' as Harry had put it. In the back yard, there was an old swing set, that had been there for who knows how long, but Sarah insisted not getting rid of it. The garden continued into the backyard. It was filled with flowers of every kind. The frog pond had lilies and other water flowers growing in and around it. They had a large front porch with a wicket table and four chairs around it on the left and on the right, there was a swinging bench. Inside the house, it had a nice lived in look. There were two large hunter green chairs that sat on either side of a wooden side table, and in front of them, a television set B'Elanna had made herself. After she made that, Sarah had wanted a VCR, so B'Elanna had to make one of those, also. Then they had to replicate tapes to go into the VCR. In the corner, there was a long green couch that curved into the corner in the shape of an 'L'. The kitchen had a wooden table and a nice lace tablecloth. The carpet was white, as was the tile in the kitchen. In the kitchen, a green rug covered the floor. The counter top was green marble, and the cabinets were painted white.
B'Elanna loved the house, and she shared it with three of her friends-- Eleri Lerisa, Sarah McAlester, and Harry Kim.
A few minutes later, B'Elanna walked down the stairs in a light blue tank top, and a pair of light khaki shorts. Harry was already at the table, half asleep with his head on the table. Eleri stood in the kitchen, mixing something, most likely the batter for the biscuits, and Sarah stood over the stove.
"Good morning B'Elanna!" Sarah greeted her. "Could you start fixing the eggs?"
B'Elanna nodded and walked to the refrigerator, another 20th century item Sarah just had to have. She opened it up and took out the egg carton. Opening it up, she said, "We only have a four eggs left. We have to go to the store sometime."
"I'm going today," Sarah said. "Anything you need from the store?"
"Yeah. Get some more chocolate ice cream."
"All right. Eleri, you need anything?"
"Nope. That goes for Harry, too," Eleri said, putting little chunks of dough on a cooking pan.
Sarah laughed and nodded. "So, what are your plans for today?"
"I'm meeting my sisters for lunch, and then we're going to see a movie," Eleri said.
"What about you, B'Elanna?"
"I figured I'd just stay here, watch TV."
Sarah shook her head. "No, B'Elanna, I'm not going to let you sit around depressed for the next two years. You have to get your mind off Tom. And stop giving the cold shoulder to Kathryn. It wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job as a captain."
B'Elanna shook her head. "I'm not going to be depressed for the next two years. Just the next twenty months."
"Close enough. Come on, Kathryn's not too happy about Tom being sentenced to two years in prison either. She feels guilty about it--"
"She should. It's her fault Tom's not here."
Sarah sighed. "Fine, mope if you must. I'm going to the store. Oh, and B'Elanna, Tom sent you a letter. It's over there on the coffee table."
B'Elanna looked up, then at the coffee table. Sure enough, there was a PADD. She walked over to it, and picked it up.
"I think I'll read this in my room."
"Sure."
* * *
B'Elanna fell on her bed, still holding the letter from Tom Paris. After taking several deep breaths, she looked at it.
TO: B'ELANNA TORRES
FROM: TOM PARIS
Dear B'Elanna,
Guess who? I don't know about you, but I'm having a miserable time. I miss you. I'm glad they let us send letters back and forth, because I don't think I could go two years without talking to you, even though I can't hear your voice, or see your face. I wish I could. I think about you every second, of every day. Say hi to everyone for me. How is everyone? How are you? Are you still mad at Kathryn? Are Harry and Eleri still together? What about Kathryn and Chakotay? Did Seven get her implants removed? I have a million questions. I wish I could get out of this hell hole sooner, but that's out of the question. When I get out of here, we'll go somewhere together, just the two of us. They won't let me make this a very long letter, so I have to go now. Write back soon.
Love,
Tom
P.S. I love you.
B'Elanna stared at the PADD, and her eyes held unshed tears. She set the letter on her nightstand, and picked up another PADD, to write to Tom.
Dear Tom,
I miss you, too. I've been miserable, too. I wish you never went to that hell hole. I think about you all the time. Every little thing reminds me of you, especially inside. Sarah wanted a 20th century home, so we have a very 20th century home. We even have an old rotary phone. It doesn't work, of course. We also have an old television set and a VCR. I built them myself. Sarah insisted that we replicate tapes for it, too. Eleri still pokes around in everyone's mind. Harry hasn't changed much either, but he's alot lazier. Especially on the weekends. He fell asleep at the table this morning. I don't know if he's up or not yet, and Eleri says he snores, but he's not snoring now. But then again, I was down there for less than five minutes. I'm supposed to be fixing the eggs right now, but I got distracted when Sarah told me about your letter. Yes, I'm still mad at Kathryn, yes, Harry and Eleri are still together, and, yes, Chakotay is still in love with the woman who put you in jail, and vice versa. And now they are married. Seven did get her implants removed, and she's changed alot. That sense of humor she used to have, it's grown alot. She's actually alot of fun, even though there are alot of things she doesn't understand about humanity. Guess what? Kathryn is pregnant! She just found out yesterday. She's only one week pregnant. The baby is due sometime is January. I know I'm mad at her right now, but I have a feeling that it won't last long! I have to go now, but I'll write you every day.
Love,
B'Elanna
P.S. I love you, too.
B'Elanna overlooked her letter twice before going back downstairs. When she came down, Seven of Nine was in the dining room, laughing with Eleri and Sarah.
"Oh, hey, B'Elanna, what's up?" Seven said.
"Nothing. I just have to send this letter."
"Hey, B'Elanna, you haven't finished the eggs yet. I'm not letting you do anything till they're done," Sarah said.
"Seven can do them, can't you?"
"Well--"
"Can't you?"
"Sure I can."
B'Elanna sat down in front of the computer to send the letter. After sending it out, she reentered the kitchen. Seven was sitting on top of Harry's back, holding a rubber band in 'gun-form' as Sarah called it, and yelling at him. She couldn't help but laugh.
"All right, mister, you don't EVER touch the biscuits again unless I tell you, all right?" she shouted.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said in mock fear.
"Yes ma'am what?"
"Yes ma'am, I won't touch the biscuits again until you say so."
"Good." Seven stood back up, pulling Harry with her. Even without her Borg implants, she was incredibly strong.
B'Elanna laughed again. It had been a long time since she last laughed. Tom had always been able to make her laugh, no matter what the circumstances were.
"OK, I have to go now," Seven said. "Eleri, make sure Harry stays away from the biscuits."
"Yes, ma'am. See ya."
"Bye."
An hour later, B'Elanna was settled on the couch, watching an old television show from the 20th century called 'Charmed'. Sarah had told her about it, and it was actually a pretty good show. A thumping noise of someone coming downstairs tore her eyes away from the TV.
Hey, Eleri, where's the fire?" B'Elanna asked.
"Huh? Oh, change of plans: I'm meeting Karyani and Desonya at Starbucks, and then we're going to Deep Space Nine because Desonya is going on a deep space mission and won't be back for three years, unless that other Caretaker, Susperia, decides to mate with someone and whisks them off to the Delta Quadrant," Eleri explained in one breath. "And I'm late. I'll be back at ten tonight, but it might be later than that, so if that happens tell Harry to go to bed. He *will* try to wait for me until I get home, but don't let him."
"You sound like his mother."
"Well, I'm not, so good-bye."
"Bye."
By the time Eleri had left, 'Charmed' was over, so she clicked off the TV, and went into the kitchen.
"Hey, B'Elanna, wanna play 'Monopoly' with us?" Sarah asked.
"No, it's ok. Just wanted to see what you were doing. I think I'm going to go to my room."
Sarah nodded. "Sure."
B'Elanna walked up the stairs, and opened the door to her room. The first thing she did was pick up a framed photograph of Tom and her on the holodeck in Tahiti. He had replicated an old fashioned camera, and they had taken tons of pictures with it. For her birthday the year after they had replicated it, Tom gave her a large photo album to put all the pictures in. It rested on her nightstand underneath the photo of her and Tom. She picked it up and opened it. Each page held 12 photos; six on the front, and six on the back. She smiled at the memories these photos held. They were pictures of Tom and B'Elanna on the holodeck in Tahiti, of them in the mess hall with Harry, Eleri, and Sarah, of Tom and Naomi, Tom, Harry, and Sarah as Captain Proton, Buster Kincaid, and Constance Goodheart, of them at Sandrine's, and of them celebrating. She had insisted that she get one of all her friends.
B'Elanna gasped when she saw a tear fall onto the album. She hadn't even known she was crying. She closed the photo album and set it back down on the nightstand, picking up the picture of Tom, she held it against her chest, and cried herself to sleep.
Tom's Letter
Summary: ( don't ask about the title, please... ) BEGINS FIVE MONTHS AFTER 'THIRTY DAYS'. Voyager returns home, and Starfleet considers letting Tom go, but then they find out about his time in the brig and the demotion....
Notes: 1. This is my first completed fanfic, but i just realized I could put it on fanfiction.net! I felt really stupid for awhile....
2. Thanks to Kodee Walters and Christina Korpik for beta reading it for me. Thanks you two! You're the best!
Codes: AU, P/T, J/C, K/f
Disclaimer: Voyager belongs to Paramount.
* * * * *
April 26, 2375
"I sentence Thomas Eugene Paris to two years in prison. Court dismissed."
B'Elanna Torres sat up, awoken from her sleep yet again by that nightmare. The same nightmare that had been waking her up for the past three months. Ever since February 12, two days before her favorite holiday ever since she and Tom had become lovers.
After clearing the blur from her eyes, she looked around. Light was streaming in through her window, so she threw the covers off, and got up. She looked at her chronometer. 1342 hours.
Just about that time, she heard someone banging on her bedroom door. B'Elanna threw on her robe, and opened it. Eleri Lerisa stood at her door, fist hanging in midair
"Good morning!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
"That is a matter of opinion," B'Elanna said.
"Nightmares again?"
"Yes, and it's bugging me out of my mind."
"What are they about, anyway?"
"Various things," B'Elanna lied.
Eleri nodded. "Well, get dressed and come downstairs. Sarah made *real* bacon, eggs, and biscuits."
"Sure. I'll be down in a minute."
Eleri nodded again, and walked back to the kitchen.
B'Elanna looked around her room. Everything in it was twentieth century. In fact, she had insisted that everything be like that. The house was very beautiful. It was two stories tall, and painted yellow with white trimming. It had a large front yard, and an even larger back yard. The entire property was surrounded by a picket fence. In the front yard, there was a large frog pond, and a large garden. Sarah McAlester had quite a 'green thumb' as Harry had put it. In the back yard, there was an old swing set, that had been there for who knows how long, but Sarah insisted not getting rid of it. The garden continued into the backyard. It was filled with flowers of every kind. The frog pond had lilies and other water flowers growing in and around it. They had a large front porch with a wicket table and four chairs around it on the left and on the right, there was a swinging bench. Inside the house, it had a nice lived in look. There were two large hunter green chairs that sat on either side of a wooden side table, and in front of them, a television set B'Elanna had made herself. After she made that, Sarah had wanted a VCR, so B'Elanna had to make one of those, also. Then they had to replicate tapes to go into the VCR. In the corner, there was a long green couch that curved into the corner in the shape of an 'L'. The kitchen had a wooden table and a nice lace tablecloth. The carpet was white, as was the tile in the kitchen. In the kitchen, a green rug covered the floor. The counter top was green marble, and the cabinets were painted white.
B'Elanna loved the house, and she shared it with three of her friends-- Eleri Lerisa, Sarah McAlester, and Harry Kim.
A few minutes later, B'Elanna walked down the stairs in a light blue tank top, and a pair of light khaki shorts. Harry was already at the table, half asleep with his head on the table. Eleri stood in the kitchen, mixing something, most likely the batter for the biscuits, and Sarah stood over the stove.
"Good morning B'Elanna!" Sarah greeted her. "Could you start fixing the eggs?"
B'Elanna nodded and walked to the refrigerator, another 20th century item Sarah just had to have. She opened it up and took out the egg carton. Opening it up, she said, "We only have a four eggs left. We have to go to the store sometime."
"I'm going today," Sarah said. "Anything you need from the store?"
"Yeah. Get some more chocolate ice cream."
"All right. Eleri, you need anything?"
"Nope. That goes for Harry, too," Eleri said, putting little chunks of dough on a cooking pan.
Sarah laughed and nodded. "So, what are your plans for today?"
"I'm meeting my sisters for lunch, and then we're going to see a movie," Eleri said.
"What about you, B'Elanna?"
"I figured I'd just stay here, watch TV."
Sarah shook her head. "No, B'Elanna, I'm not going to let you sit around depressed for the next two years. You have to get your mind off Tom. And stop giving the cold shoulder to Kathryn. It wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job as a captain."
B'Elanna shook her head. "I'm not going to be depressed for the next two years. Just the next twenty months."
"Close enough. Come on, Kathryn's not too happy about Tom being sentenced to two years in prison either. She feels guilty about it--"
"She should. It's her fault Tom's not here."
Sarah sighed. "Fine, mope if you must. I'm going to the store. Oh, and B'Elanna, Tom sent you a letter. It's over there on the coffee table."
B'Elanna looked up, then at the coffee table. Sure enough, there was a PADD. She walked over to it, and picked it up.
"I think I'll read this in my room."
"Sure."
* * *
B'Elanna fell on her bed, still holding the letter from Tom Paris. After taking several deep breaths, she looked at it.
TO: B'ELANNA TORRES
FROM: TOM PARIS
Dear B'Elanna,
Guess who? I don't know about you, but I'm having a miserable time. I miss you. I'm glad they let us send letters back and forth, because I don't think I could go two years without talking to you, even though I can't hear your voice, or see your face. I wish I could. I think about you every second, of every day. Say hi to everyone for me. How is everyone? How are you? Are you still mad at Kathryn? Are Harry and Eleri still together? What about Kathryn and Chakotay? Did Seven get her implants removed? I have a million questions. I wish I could get out of this hell hole sooner, but that's out of the question. When I get out of here, we'll go somewhere together, just the two of us. They won't let me make this a very long letter, so I have to go now. Write back soon.
Love,
Tom
P.S. I love you.
B'Elanna stared at the PADD, and her eyes held unshed tears. She set the letter on her nightstand, and picked up another PADD, to write to Tom.
Dear Tom,
I miss you, too. I've been miserable, too. I wish you never went to that hell hole. I think about you all the time. Every little thing reminds me of you, especially inside. Sarah wanted a 20th century home, so we have a very 20th century home. We even have an old rotary phone. It doesn't work, of course. We also have an old television set and a VCR. I built them myself. Sarah insisted that we replicate tapes for it, too. Eleri still pokes around in everyone's mind. Harry hasn't changed much either, but he's alot lazier. Especially on the weekends. He fell asleep at the table this morning. I don't know if he's up or not yet, and Eleri says he snores, but he's not snoring now. But then again, I was down there for less than five minutes. I'm supposed to be fixing the eggs right now, but I got distracted when Sarah told me about your letter. Yes, I'm still mad at Kathryn, yes, Harry and Eleri are still together, and, yes, Chakotay is still in love with the woman who put you in jail, and vice versa. And now they are married. Seven did get her implants removed, and she's changed alot. That sense of humor she used to have, it's grown alot. She's actually alot of fun, even though there are alot of things she doesn't understand about humanity. Guess what? Kathryn is pregnant! She just found out yesterday. She's only one week pregnant. The baby is due sometime is January. I know I'm mad at her right now, but I have a feeling that it won't last long! I have to go now, but I'll write you every day.
Love,
B'Elanna
P.S. I love you, too.
B'Elanna overlooked her letter twice before going back downstairs. When she came down, Seven of Nine was in the dining room, laughing with Eleri and Sarah.
"Oh, hey, B'Elanna, what's up?" Seven said.
"Nothing. I just have to send this letter."
"Hey, B'Elanna, you haven't finished the eggs yet. I'm not letting you do anything till they're done," Sarah said.
"Seven can do them, can't you?"
"Well--"
"Can't you?"
"Sure I can."
B'Elanna sat down in front of the computer to send the letter. After sending it out, she reentered the kitchen. Seven was sitting on top of Harry's back, holding a rubber band in 'gun-form' as Sarah called it, and yelling at him. She couldn't help but laugh.
"All right, mister, you don't EVER touch the biscuits again unless I tell you, all right?" she shouted.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said in mock fear.
"Yes ma'am what?"
"Yes ma'am, I won't touch the biscuits again until you say so."
"Good." Seven stood back up, pulling Harry with her. Even without her Borg implants, she was incredibly strong.
B'Elanna laughed again. It had been a long time since she last laughed. Tom had always been able to make her laugh, no matter what the circumstances were.
"OK, I have to go now," Seven said. "Eleri, make sure Harry stays away from the biscuits."
"Yes, ma'am. See ya."
"Bye."
An hour later, B'Elanna was settled on the couch, watching an old television show from the 20th century called 'Charmed'. Sarah had told her about it, and it was actually a pretty good show. A thumping noise of someone coming downstairs tore her eyes away from the TV.
Hey, Eleri, where's the fire?" B'Elanna asked.
"Huh? Oh, change of plans: I'm meeting Karyani and Desonya at Starbucks, and then we're going to Deep Space Nine because Desonya is going on a deep space mission and won't be back for three years, unless that other Caretaker, Susperia, decides to mate with someone and whisks them off to the Delta Quadrant," Eleri explained in one breath. "And I'm late. I'll be back at ten tonight, but it might be later than that, so if that happens tell Harry to go to bed. He *will* try to wait for me until I get home, but don't let him."
"You sound like his mother."
"Well, I'm not, so good-bye."
"Bye."
By the time Eleri had left, 'Charmed' was over, so she clicked off the TV, and went into the kitchen.
"Hey, B'Elanna, wanna play 'Monopoly' with us?" Sarah asked.
"No, it's ok. Just wanted to see what you were doing. I think I'm going to go to my room."
Sarah nodded. "Sure."
B'Elanna walked up the stairs, and opened the door to her room. The first thing she did was pick up a framed photograph of Tom and her on the holodeck in Tahiti. He had replicated an old fashioned camera, and they had taken tons of pictures with it. For her birthday the year after they had replicated it, Tom gave her a large photo album to put all the pictures in. It rested on her nightstand underneath the photo of her and Tom. She picked it up and opened it. Each page held 12 photos; six on the front, and six on the back. She smiled at the memories these photos held. They were pictures of Tom and B'Elanna on the holodeck in Tahiti, of them in the mess hall with Harry, Eleri, and Sarah, of Tom and Naomi, Tom, Harry, and Sarah as Captain Proton, Buster Kincaid, and Constance Goodheart, of them at Sandrine's, and of them celebrating. She had insisted that she get one of all her friends.
B'Elanna gasped when she saw a tear fall onto the album. She hadn't even known she was crying. She closed the photo album and set it back down on the nightstand, picking up the picture of Tom, she held it against her chest, and cried herself to sleep.
