Chapter 5

"What have you done that is brave and honorable this year? How have you distinguished yourself?" D'Elaine Torres questioned her 13-year-old daughter.

B'Elanna fidgeted in her chair. In her mind she was running through everything that had happened in the past year. She was searching for a single event that she could twist into being honorable enough to please her mother. If she could just think of something her mother would let her leave. There was nothing. Maybe she'd try a new approach. On all of the Day of Honor's past, she had come up with honorable happening and still had to spend her whole day contemplating her honor. This may just work.

"D'Elaine Torres of the house of Dursa, I have done nothing to distinguish myself. I have brought no honor on my house or myself. I have been nothing but a dishonorable cowardly, half-human pahtk." She stated flat out. Her mother growled and stormed out of her bedroom, slamming every door along the way.

B'Elanna knew her mother was absolutely furious with her, but she didn't care. At least now she didn't have to spend the rest of her day contemplating honor.

Everything would be closed today to help Klingons avoid distraction. Her only close friend was the son of a Trill scientist. He had said that his father's partner had invited them over for a bat'leth competition today. That would be fun to go watch him fight. (But, of course, her mother had forbid her to go.) Teznar was very fit and had dark brown eyes and dark hair. He was one of the best bat'leth fighters in his age group. When he fought, every muscle in his chest rippled. He had taught her some fighting moves and on many occasions, she had lost her concentration watching him. He fought with such grace he made it look easy. Watching him would make up for her mother getting mad at her.

Teznar's father's partner lived just down the street. If she remembered right, there was a tree that looked right over into the backyard. She'd just climb up there and watch. No one would notice.

She popped open the access panel below her window. She didn't even bother to check if her mother had locked her in. After five minutes of work, the window swished open. B'Elanna quickly hopped out of her window and headed down the street.

Upon arriving at the house, B'Elanna found the best way to sneak around back would be through a hedge of heavily thorn bushes called Tek'nar. Taking a deep breath, she dropped down on her hands and knees and began to crawl.

Watching Teznar fight would make up for the pain she was going through to get there. The large thorns tore at her skin, like daggers ripping the flesh open. The scratches stung furiously. Slowly, cautiously, B'Elanna grouped her way through the darkness. Every movement seemed to cause some part of her body to come into contact with another one of those blasted thorns. She occupied her self by contemplating which was worse; the ritual of the twenty pain sticks she had endured earlier that morning, or climbing through the Tek'nar hedge. She decided to Tek'nar was worse, much worse.

Spotting the tree, she began to climb. About twelve feet off the ground there was a branch and she pulled herself up. It took her a moment, but she finally got herself arranged so that she could see the ceremonial-fighting circle, but so that (she hoped) no one could see her.

At the moment, Teznar seemed to be on the offense. That was good, he fought best on the offense. After a few moments, Teznar had disarmed his partner.

Luckily for the Klingon, Teznar was fighting Trills were considered honorable or else his honor would be seriously tarnished. B'Elanna was quite enjoying watching Teznar prepare for the deathblow. He lowered his bat'leth, than quickly stopped lowering it to his side and stepping back. Thick strands of B'Elanna's coarse brown hair slipped from the braid she had carelessly woven it into this morning. Quickly, she reached her hand up to push the hair from her eyes. The change in position caused her to loose her balance, which, in turn, sent her straight down to the ground.

A pain shot through her back, where she landed. She knew she'd be sore tomorrow.

"Hey, B'Elanna, nice of you to drop in." Teznar called. Suddenly realizing where she had landed, a cherry blush crept over B'Elanna's face.

"My goodness, child, what were you doing in that tree?" Teznar's mother, Jezneka, asked. B'Elanna like Jezneka, but sometimes she was just too nice.

Picking herself up, B'Elanna tried to explain, but all she could get out was some senseless mumbling.

"Well, I guess we'd better call your mother." Jezneka volunteered.

"No, that's all right, I'll just be on my way." B'Elanna said, regaining her voice.

"No, no, that's not acceptable, you are injured. We wouldn't want you to fall over in the middle of the street." Jezneka told her, her mind already made up as she headed into the house to contact D'Elaine Torres.

"My mother wouldn't care." B'Elanna mumbled under her breath. She thought about sneaking out before Jezneka returned with her mother. Then she realized that wouldn't work because everyone was watching her now. After a few moments, a furious D'Elaine Torres appeared, trailed by Jezneka.

"bID tlhInga pahtk, what are you doing here? How did you get out?!" She screamed. B'Elanna didn't respond. After years of fighting with her mother, she had learned when she should respond and when it was useless. Right now, it was pointless.

Grabbing her daughter's wrists, D'Elaine dragged B'Elanna out of the yard. B'Elanna didn't know which was worse; how mad her mother was at her, or the embarrassment she felt from getting caught.

***

You're never safe 'till you see the

Dawn

And if the clock strikes past midnight

The hope it gone

To move under

The moonlight

Savage Garden

-Carry on Dancing

***

"Dad, I don't feel good!" 12-year-old Tom yelled at his dad.

"Tom, that's enough." Admiral Paris ordered. "You're going to school." He turned on heel and stormed out of the living room.

Tom growled, then shouted, "I wish mom were here," before turning and running up to his room.

Tom paced back and forth in his room, his headache growing. His mom and Danielle had gone to Los Angeles to find Danielle, now 17, a good school for people interested in plants. That left Tom and 14-year-old Nicole Paris with their dad until mom came back. So far, his mom had been gone for 3 days and in that time, Tom not only became moody and uncontrollable, but stubborn as well.

His dream of becoming a highly respected person at Starfleet had long since vanished, along with any time he wished to spend with his friends. His parents had received Tom's report card.

Tom stopped pacing and flung himself onto the bed. "Damnit." He mumbled, then yelled. "I'm still not feeling very good," at the top of his lungs.

"You're going to school!" Admiral Paris yelled back.

Tom muttered a Klingon oath and got up, jamming his foot into his boot. His stomach cried out in pain his throat from when he had yelled, and his headache had grown bigger. He really was sick, and he knew it. Why couldn't his dad see it?

Ever since Tom turned 8, his dad had spent a lot of time at work. That's during the time that Tom started getting in trouble, learning the Klingon language, and becoming more interested in piloting.

His friends were a group of kids that had a 'unique' aspect about them. His best friend was Jeff Hunter. Jeff had a temper, but was Tom's best friend anyway. He was the first out of both of them to kiss a girl, something Tom was envious of.

"Tom!" Nicole yelled, then entered his room. "It's time to go."

Tom glared at his sister. "Don't you ever knock?"

Nicole rolled her eyed and grabbed her brother's arm. That was all it took. Tom threw up on his sister.

"Levodian flu." Dr. Allen Johnson confirmed, putting away his medical tricorder. "Well, Tom, you are sick."

Tom sent a smirk in his dad's direction, though Admiral Paris didn't see it. He hoped this stupid flu was curable, and could be fixed right there on the spot. He had to meet Jeff after school so they could go swimming.

"Levodian flu is a 29 hour flu. It's only curable by staying in bed, and drinking lots of water." Dr. Johnson looked at Tom. "How do you feel?"

Tom forced himself not to respond with, "You're the one with the medical experience, you tell me," and settled on, "Not too good. Can you do something for this sore throat?"

Dr. Johnson nodded, and handed him a spray bottle. Tom sprayed it in his mouth and it felt better. But the second that was over, he broke into a fit of sneezing.

Dr. Johnson laughed. "It's a good thing it's a weekend. You won't have to miss any school."

Tom groaned. Just what he wanted.

"I hate staying in bed." Tom complained to his mom the next day. She had returned, without Danielle, yesterday and had taken immediate actions towards her sick son.

Mom put down her tray of food, mainly homemade chicken soup, and pulled the covers up over her son. "You'll be out of bed by Monday morning, Tom. Get some rest." She kissed him on the forehead and headed out of the room, almost crashing into Nicole.

"Hey, Tom, Jeff's here. Says he has to talk to you." She said. Than she walked away.

Mom looked a little unsure as Jeff bounced into the room. She didn't say anything and closed the door.

"Bummer." Jeff retorted when he saw Tom. "And on the weekend, too." He sat on the foot of the bed, ignoring Tom's menacing glare. "Look, are you out of here by tomorrow?"

"No."

"Too bad. Because I ran into someone by the name of Maria Dunsford."

Tom sat up straight, eyes wide. "Maria?" His eyes narrowed. "OK, what did you say to her?"

"Nothing!" Jeff protested. "But I did say you would go out on a double date with her, me and Erin."

Tom groaned. "You didn't!"

"I did. Now, here's how I see it…"

"Two medium pepperoni and Kavarian olive pizza's and four cokes. Will that be everything?" The waiter asked, glancing down at the four kids in front of him.

"Yes." Jeff said and the waiter left with his menu pad. He leaned across the table.

"Boy, am I glad your sister has that stupid band recital today." He whispered to Tom, who nodded.

"So, Tom," Maria cut in. "Jeff tells me you're planning to join the Academy. Is that right?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I hear your father is a very highly respected Admiral." Jeff's girlfriend, Erin Callway, leaned across the table, interested. "Does that mean he's, like, head man at the Federation council?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. He works sometimes at Starfleet Command or the Acad-" Tom froze in mid-sentence. "Uh, Jeff, can I speak to you?"

Jeff frowned. "Why?"

"Please!" Tom was already out of his seat, leaving the two girls totally confused at the table. He heard Jeff apologize to them, then angrily barge into the restroom where Tom was hiding.

"What the hell was that for?" Jeff demanded. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"My parents are here." Tom was checking the window. "I have to get out of here." He pried the panel off the window controls and stared blankly at the mesh of circuits and a control pad.

He suddenly wished he knew what to do. Jeff wasn't helping much. He was pacing back and forth, snapping at Tom for leaving him alone at the restaurant.

Tom reached forward to touch a wire. He felt a shock and yanked his hand away. He tried again, with the same results. "Jeff, will you stop complaining and help me?"

Jeff sighed. "I don't know anything about circuit panels."

Tom muttered a Klingon oath. The one time he needed an engineer and there was none to be found. He typed an overload command into the panel.

"Authorization code needed." The computer said blandly.

Tom punched the wall and immediately regretted it.

"If you swear in Klingon again, I'll kill you." Jeff threatened. "Look, why don't you just slip out the front door?"

"Forget it. Too risky." Tom hesitated, trying to remember what he learned in school. Maybe it did pay to pay attention in school. He had had enough. Bracing himself, he reached forward and ripped the wires out of the box. It sparked and crackled, but the window opened.

Tom grinned and crawled out the window. "I'll see you on Monday." He called to Jeff and ran home.