Author's note: This is one of my oldest P/T stories, originally written in the summer of 1997. I have revised it slightly (added/fiddled with small parts) but it is more or less the same.
Legal B.S. Paramount's characters, my story. Elona, Kela, Alyssa and Jennifer Paris are my own creations, however.
Spoilers/references: "Caretaker", with a very small change.
Rating: PG
The Prophecy
by Cheile
A fair!
Sixteen-year-old Tom Paris rolled his eyes. Out of all the things his father suggested they go to during the 500th anniversary of San Francisco's founding, he had to pick the fair! How--twentieth century. Of course, this fair would have some modern attractions--like the aerial show, which was the only reason he had agreed to this dumb excursion in the first place.
"Tommy!" came a shriek outside his door.
"What?" he called back.
Alyssa Paris, his eighteen-year-old sister, walked in. "Are you ready yet? You're holding the rest of us up."
"All right, already, I'm coming." He raked his fingers through his unruly blondish-brown hair, and followed his sister.
"They're going to have the Cloud Streaker." An excited Alyssa bounced on her seat in the hovercraft as though she were a five-year-old. Her pale blue eyes were gleaming.
"The Cloud Streaker is an old design, 'Lyss," Tom snorted. "That was a fair ride in the twenty-second century."
"So?" Alyssa shot back. "It'll still be fun."
"All I really want to see is the aerial show, anyway," Tom said.
"You're obsessed with flying, Tommy."
"What's so wrong with that?" he demanded.
Admiral Owen Paris laughed. "She's jealous, son. Don't worry about it."
"Daddy! I am NOT jealous!"
"My daughter, the queen of late reaction time when at the controls? That'll be the day," Owen teased.
Tom turned around to grin at his sister, and received a dark look in return.
Twenty minutes later, they had arrived, Owen had parked the hovercraft, and they were inside the fair gates.
Tom looked around. Off to the left was the wide area where the aerial show would be held. Two big buildings held contest displays. There were food booths, selling everything from exotic Bolian dishes to old-fashioned ideas from the past centuries, in keeping with the theme. Directly to the right were the rides: an antique design ferris wheel, some rides obviously intended for the very young children, a 21st century roller coaster, a remodel of the 20th century Himalaya, eight or nine virtual reality games, a good-sized Fun House and the Cloud Streaker.
Behind him, he could hear Alyssa talking to Jennifer. "Oh, honestly. It's a ride!"
"No, I will not go on it."
Alyssa tugged at his arm. "Tommy, you have to ride the Cloud Streaker with me. Jennie's too afraid."
Nineteen-year-old Jennifer Paris childishly made a face in Alyssa's direction.
"All right, kids. Where to first?" Owen grinned at his daughters and son.
"The Cloud Streaker!" Alyssa insisted. "And Tommy's coming with me!"
"Hey, I didn't actually agree," Tom pointed out.
"Now, Alyssa, let Tom decide what he wants to do first."
"'Lyss, I kinda wanted to walk around by myself for a while. I'll ride the Cloud Streaker with you later, though."
Alyssa pouted briefly, then sighed. "Oh, all right. Just don't get tied up at the aerial show, Tommy. Meet me back here in three hours." She reached out and messed up his hair, though he tried in vain to duck away.
"I promise."
"Good." Alyssa grinned. "Then get out of here."
Tom sighed. He had briefly checked out the aerial show, but decided to wait until the next day, when they were going to watch the whole thing. Other than the Cloud Streaker and some of the holo-action virtual reality games, there wasn't much to this fair to be of real interest.
"Thomas Paris?"
Tom spun around. At first, he saw no one. But then he peered closer into the nearby shadows and saw a small girl beckoning to him. He moved toward her.
"Are you Thomas Paris?"
Tom studied the child. She couldn't have been more than four or five--possibly Betazoid, from the looks of her. She had the typical high brow, chocolate eyes and glossy black hair. But why was she alone? Where were her parents? A quick glance around revealed no one that could have been related to her.
"Come." The small girl reached up and boldly took his hand. "Elona has been awaiting you."
Puzzled yet curious, Tom allowed the child to lead him to a small tent, almost unnoticed among the rest of the fair attractions. The girl pushed aside a section of the purple cloth that was obviously the doorway and led him into the shadowy interior.
"I have found him," said the girl.
"Thank you, Kela. You may go."
Almost immediately, the girl released Tom's hand and then vanished into the shadows. When Tom's eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, he detected another person in the room. She was sitting at a small table. On the table were two lit candles, the only light in the tent. An empty chair sat across from her--a chair meant for him, he was sure. At first, he was confused. Then it clicked in his mind. She was a fortune-teller. They were a popular attraction at fairs in the late twentieth century. But usually, they just put out a sign and let customers come to them. Who was the Betazoid girl and how had she known him by name?
"I see Kela has located you, Thomas Paris. Come sit down."
Tom remained where he was. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Elona." She gestured to the empty chair. "Come sit. I will tell you everything you need to know."
Reluctantly, he crossed the distance and perched on the edge of the chair. Now that he was closer to Elona, he studied her for a minute. She had dark flowing hair, chocolate eyes like Kela's, and was wearing dark purple. A veil covered the lower half of her face.
"How do you know my name?"
Elona laughed lightly. "Such spirit, Thomas. You are every bit
like your father."
Yeah, right, was his sarcastic thought. The admiral was many things, but he didn't think "spirited" was a fitting term.
"Why did that girl bring me here?"
"Kela brought you here so that you may know about your future."
Tom was still skeptical, but interested. "So tell."
Elona's dark eyes bored into him. "You doubt me, Thomas?"
Tom was taken aback. How did she know that he had been
thinking that?
"You are a charmer with the young ladies, are you not?"
Despite his unease, Tom grinned. "There are some who say that."
"Many will love you, but you will not feel the same way toward them. It will be many years before you meet she who is your soulmate. Even then, it will take more years for you to know that she is the one."
"What are you talking about?"
"You will first meet her on a faraway world. She will be near death. You will not know her, yet in your heart you will be praying that she will live. Do not worry, for she will, because she is your destined love."
"I'm still confused, Elona. How will I know her? Will there just be, you know, chemistry between us? Or will it be love at first sight? How will I know?"
Elona's eyes closed. "I am seeing her. Raven-dark hair, dark eyes, tall and slender. She is of two worlds, belonging to neither one nor the other. Her soft side is challenged by her warrior spirit. She is proud, like you, Thomas. She is tenacious, her determination boundless."
"Is there anything else I should know?"
"She has not had the love and cherishing your parents have given you, Thomas. Those who are like your father's friends seek to destroy her happiness. By the time you meet one another, she will have lost much faith. She will trust almost no one. It will be up to you to restore that faith--and show her the love she has been longing for all her life."
Tom was still confused. The girl was of two worlds? Those like his father's friends? Not having had love?
"You must go now. Your sister will be waiting."
Tom glanced at his watch and saw that it was indeed time to meet
Alyssa at the Cloud Streaker.
"Go now--and remember. Do not forget what I have told you."
Tom nodded and dashed out of the tent. When he was about a hundred meters away, he turned. He thought he saw Kela waving to him. He waved back and, with a shrug, hurried to meet Alyssa.
Tom lay awake late that night in the darkness, pondering what Elona had said.
He was still greatly confused. Okay, so he was supposed to meet some girl on a faraway world. Was she of that world?
"She is of two worlds, belonging to neither one nor the other. Her soft side is challenged by her warrior spirit..."
Were her people of a sadistic warrior race, like the Cardassians? Or were they gentle people, like Kela and other Betazoids?
"Those who are like your father's friends seek to destroy her happiness. By the time you meet one another, she will have lost much faith..."
He had no idea what she'd meant by that, unless she was referring to the other admirals, some of whom were quite prejudiced towards races either not of the Federation or just those they considered inferior.
"Raven-dark hair, dark eyes, tall and slender..."
He tried to form a mental picture in his mind, but gave up an hour later. He supposed he wouldn't know until he saw her.
Still confused, he turned to one side and finally drifted off to sleep.
Many years later...
The metal stairwell rocked beneath his feet.
Tom silently cursed Janeway for sending him with Neelix and Kes to look for Kim and Torres. But for Harry's sake, he kept going.
"I see them!" he exclaimed, noticing a faint light above them. Running up the last few stairs, he pocketed the tricorder.
He had never expected Harry to look so terrible. He was slumped against one wall, his face pale, his eyes nearly closed, and Tom was instantly relieved when they fluttered open. "Took you long enough."
Tom's eyes darted to the young woman a few stairs up. She was glowering furiously at him. But the second her dark eyes locked with his, Tom felt a sudden chill go down his back.
"Raven-dark hair, dark eyes, tall and slender..."
It had to be her! It all fit: the alien world, Elona's description, and her close to death. As it was, his mind was racing with one constant thought: Don't let her die, don't let her die... He tried in vain to ignore it. He didn't even know her--why would he be worried about her?
"How could I let down the only friend I've got?" he said, lifting Harry to his feet.
"Friend? What makes you think I'm your friend?"
As Kes slithered past him to help Torres to her feet, Tom slapped at his commbadge. "Paris to Janeway. We found them, Captain."
"Good. Don't wait for us. Get them to safety."
The communication ended as Kes led them up the stairs, leaving Neelix with Torres. "This way. I know where we can get through the barrier."
Kes led them down a bigger tunnel, where at the end, a shimmering reddish-blue blur blocked the way out. A small hole could be seen in one side--just big enough for a person to slip through.
"Whatever you do, don't touch it," Kes warned as she climbed up to prepare to slither past the barrier. "We've been told it'll burn your skin off."
With practiced ease, Kes slipped through the hole. She and Tom guided Harry through next. When he was safe, Kes reached out a hand to Torres. She took Kes' in one of hers and Tom took her other.
In her weakened state, Tom thought she might not make it, that she would slip and fall forward into the barrier. Unconsciously, her grip tightened on his hand. Her eyes darted to his and he thought he saw a hint of fear in the dark depths.
Please, God, don't let her die...
She stumbled, but didn't fall forward as he feared. She fell sideways, nearly knocking Kes over. Tom breathed a sigh of relief and released her hand as Neelix went to slide through. He followed.
A few meters more through the twisting tunnels brought them to the point where they would have to dig out.
Like hell. We don't have the damn time. "Neelix, get out your phaser."
Neelix did so and both pointed and fired. Rocks came tumbling down for several seconds and Tom waited until the dust had cleared. When it had, he saw sunlight streaming through.
Climbing up the piled rocks that had fallen, he hefted himself out of the hole, then turned to help the others. He took Kes' hand and pulled her up. She helped him get Harry out, then got him to his feet and began to walk away from the hole.
Torres was halfway up, determined to climb out on her own, he could tell. But he hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her the rest of the way out. She could chew him out later if she wanted.
Neelix climbed out unassisted. As Tom got Torres to her feet, he touched his commbadge. "Paris to Voyager. Can you get a lock on us now?"
"Affirmative," Rollins answered. "But I'm reading only five signals."
"The others are--" Tom's voice was cut off by a shriek and he saw one of the flashes of light from the Array's weapon shooting toward the nearby mountains.
"Get down!" he hollered. He threw himself over Torres just as the weapon hit the surface. The ground rocked beneath them. For those few seconds that seemed like hours, he clutched her close, his face buried in her back. Take me, not her. Don't let her die.
The dust cleared again and he let go of her, embarrassed that Neelix, Kes and Harry had had to see such a thing, embarrassed at his ridiculous thoughts. I don't even know her yet...what the hell is the matter with me?
He turned toward the hole to see it partially caved in. He tapped his comm badge. "Paris to Janeway."
Silence.
"Chakotay, Tuvok, do you read?"
No answer.
Something had happened. He had to go after them. He tapped his badge again. "Voyager, prepare to transport everyone in this group except me."
"You're not thinking of going back in there, are you?" Neelix demanded.
Tom simply stared him straight in the eye without answering.
Neelix sighed and shook his head. "The fool needs company!" He turned to Kes. "Take care of them, dearest. I'll see you later."
Tom took Neelix's comm badge and handed it to Kes. "Voyager, make that three to beam up. Lock on the other comm badge and energize."
His gaze fell on Torres again. She looked up at him, her dark eyes wide with a hint of fear. He desperately wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her, but he had to help Captain Janeway and the others.
Kes put an arm around Harry, then slipped her other hand into Torres' as the transporter beam surrounded the three. They vanished a second later.
A few years later
Tom studied his wife. Her raven-dark hair was sleep-tangled, a few errant locks falling across her face. She was perfectly calm in slumber, none of the fiery temper he loved showing on the surface.
He reached over, brushing back the stray wisps of her hair. Elona had been right. She had been everything he had dreamed of--and so much more.
She stirred. "Tom?"
"Shh, B'Elanna." Tom leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. "Go back to sleep. I'm right here."
A soft smile touched her face, then her eyes closed again.
He smiled himself, then after ordering the computer to turn the lights out, lay down, drawing B'Elanna close. She snuggled against him as he, too, drifted to sleep.