There's Something About Harry Chapter 4 By starstruck
Note: Ew, sorry I've been so neglectful. I fall in and out of obsessions waayyyyy to quickly.
This chapter is a little weird. It kindof flowed out, but not in the really good way. Which is why the Neelix/Tom friendship is kindof really off. I'm going to blame it on typical male one-upping. In any case, try to ignore it, and hopefully the next chapter (the dinner!) will be sooner and faster.
--
One day, Tom speculated, he'd like to know how he got himself into these things.
B'Elanna had insisted that they cook the meal themselves. She had stated it quite clearly. The trick, of course, was interpreting her words. Luckily Tom was quite the expert.
First of all, she meant that he would cook the meal. Not that he was really a good cook, in fact, he was absolutely average, but B'Elanna managed to burn everything she tried to make, and that was unacceptable.
Second, no pizza. Pizza was a replicator food. He didn't see why not, though. Harry liked pizza just fine, Seven would tolerate it, and what did he care what Angela liked?
The simple fact was, he needed Neelix. He had more important things to do than make dinner. And while Neelix's touch was familiar and easily ignorable to himself, B'Elanna, Harry, and Seven, Angela would probably find it disgusting.
Good old Neelix.
"Hey, B'Elanna," he called.
"Mm?" she called.
"Miral and I are going out," he said.
"Where?"
"Astrometrics. We'll be back soon."
&&
If Seven was surprised to see Tom and Miral stroll casually into her private domain, she didn't show it.
"Lieutenant Paris," she acknowledged.
"Hey, Seven," he said. "Can we talk to Neelix with that, um, transmittor relay?"
"You wish to establish contact with the Delta Quadrant?"
"Yeah, you know, how we used to talk to our families..."
"I am aware of what you were referring to," she said, already at her station, her fingers jumping calmly across the panel. "You have come at precisely the right time, Lieutenant Paris. The technology you wish to use only functions for eleven minutes each day. As it is, you will have approximately seven point six four minutes to speak with Mr. Neelix. Taking into account, of course, the time it will take for him to reach his relay station.
"Of course," said Tom, biting back a grin.
Neelix's hairy face appeared immediately.
"It appears you miscalculated," said Tom.
"My approximation was by no means definite," she said. "You now have approximately eight point four eight minutes to speak to Mister Neelix. Do you wish for privacy?" she asked.
"Er, sure," said Tom.
"I will return," she told him before exiting.
Neelix was already grinning when Tom turned back to him.
"Is this...?"
"Miral," Tom said. "Say hi to your Uncle Neelix, honey."
Miral stared.
"She's not much for conversation yet," frowned Tom.
"She's beautiful, Tom," said Neelix, understanding perfectly.
"Thanks," said Tom, fully aware of it. "Sorry I didn't come earlier, but it's been a busy couple of days, what with getting home, Chakotay crashing the ship, and Seven liking Harry and all..."
"Seven and Harry?"
Had he just said that?
"What?"
"Well, you just said – " began Neelix.
He really had to stop blurting things out. Bad habit, really.
"Well, um, yeah, actually. Seven and Chakotay were... involved – I know, you knew that – anyway, they um, broke up. And then she came up to me and asked for advice. Rumor is that the Captain and Chakotay – "
"– have finally gotten on with it already?" inquired Neelix.
"Um, yeah," said Tom, for lack of any other word to say.
"You know, that was the Captain's problem – she never had any real competition for the Commander's affections," sighed Neelix.
"Yea – wait. Seven said – "
"Did she?"
"You wanted – "
"Did I? Oh, don't look so stunned, Tom."
"I'm not stunned. I am totally, totally confused. I mean, really confused. What the hell is going on here?"
"Oh, well. I just figured since you were failing abysmally at the matchmaking on board ship..."
"I was not!" protested Tom.
"...I could certainly take on another job. Besides, ship's matchmaker couldn't be that hard, could it? In any case, I convinced Seven than Chakotay was right for her, and she went after him, and now, the Captain and Chakotay are together after all these years."
"That's one couple. I've made six."
"And how many of yours have lasted?"
Tom frowned. Neelix kindof had him there. The six couples he had managed to get together hadn't been as perfect for each other has he had originally assumed. Although Jenkins and Molina had lasted two whole weeks before breaking up. It was almost a record.
Still, Neelix couldn't win this argument. Because that would just be wrong.
"How do you know yours will?" asked Tom smugly.
"Because one of them already has."
Now Tom was really confused.
"You and B'Elanna." Neelix clarified before Tom had spoken a word.
"You did not get us together," said Tom indignantly.
"I didn't. I kept you from breaking up," said Neelix.
"There is no way..." Tom began, but Seven chose that moment to re-enter Astrometrics.
"You have approximately point four eight seven minutes remaining in your conversation. You may wish to wrap up your conversation."
"Did you just say 'wrap up'?" Neelix asked.
"Seven, are you feeling okay?" asked Tom.
Seven merely raised an eyebrow and silently turned to a console.
"Oh, Neelix, I forgot, can you send me the leola root stew recipie? Er. Craving."
"Did you check the database? I thought there was a copy..."
"Oh. Right," said Tom. "Well, talk to you later, Neelix."
Neelix was about to reply when the picture fizzled out.
&&
Of course, after talking to Neelix, getting Harry and Seven together wasn't so much a matter of feeling bad for Seven as it was before. Now it was more of a matter of matchmaker pride. Because Harry and Seven would be the perfect couple, and they would get married and have lots and lots of children, which was, of course, the happiest ending for a matchmaker. He actually was really concerned about losing his position as the ship's best matchmaker (ignoring the fact that Neelix wasn't on the ship anymore) – because none of his couples had succeeded in the long run, and even though Neelix's claims that he had shaped the relationship between Tom and B'Elanna were absolutely ridiculous, Tom couldn't deny that he had had something to do with the Captain and Chakotay's newfound love.
Which was horrible, because Tom had spent so much energy getting them together. And the matchmaking credit was actually going to Neelix.
And even though the relationship still had the potential to fail, Tom had serious doubts about that. Everyone on Voyager knew that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were absolutely destined to get married and have lots and lots of children.
So, credit to Neelix.
This time.
--
I'm totally assuming that the system they used in Author, Author works to communicate with Neelix. I mean, if it works between the Quadrants then, it should work now, right? Hey, if they can make up stuff up, so can I.
...yeah. Okay.
Note: Ew, sorry I've been so neglectful. I fall in and out of obsessions waayyyyy to quickly.
This chapter is a little weird. It kindof flowed out, but not in the really good way. Which is why the Neelix/Tom friendship is kindof really off. I'm going to blame it on typical male one-upping. In any case, try to ignore it, and hopefully the next chapter (the dinner!) will be sooner and faster.
--
One day, Tom speculated, he'd like to know how he got himself into these things.
B'Elanna had insisted that they cook the meal themselves. She had stated it quite clearly. The trick, of course, was interpreting her words. Luckily Tom was quite the expert.
First of all, she meant that he would cook the meal. Not that he was really a good cook, in fact, he was absolutely average, but B'Elanna managed to burn everything she tried to make, and that was unacceptable.
Second, no pizza. Pizza was a replicator food. He didn't see why not, though. Harry liked pizza just fine, Seven would tolerate it, and what did he care what Angela liked?
The simple fact was, he needed Neelix. He had more important things to do than make dinner. And while Neelix's touch was familiar and easily ignorable to himself, B'Elanna, Harry, and Seven, Angela would probably find it disgusting.
Good old Neelix.
"Hey, B'Elanna," he called.
"Mm?" she called.
"Miral and I are going out," he said.
"Where?"
"Astrometrics. We'll be back soon."
&&
If Seven was surprised to see Tom and Miral stroll casually into her private domain, she didn't show it.
"Lieutenant Paris," she acknowledged.
"Hey, Seven," he said. "Can we talk to Neelix with that, um, transmittor relay?"
"You wish to establish contact with the Delta Quadrant?"
"Yeah, you know, how we used to talk to our families..."
"I am aware of what you were referring to," she said, already at her station, her fingers jumping calmly across the panel. "You have come at precisely the right time, Lieutenant Paris. The technology you wish to use only functions for eleven minutes each day. As it is, you will have approximately seven point six four minutes to speak with Mr. Neelix. Taking into account, of course, the time it will take for him to reach his relay station.
"Of course," said Tom, biting back a grin.
Neelix's hairy face appeared immediately.
"It appears you miscalculated," said Tom.
"My approximation was by no means definite," she said. "You now have approximately eight point four eight minutes to speak to Mister Neelix. Do you wish for privacy?" she asked.
"Er, sure," said Tom.
"I will return," she told him before exiting.
Neelix was already grinning when Tom turned back to him.
"Is this...?"
"Miral," Tom said. "Say hi to your Uncle Neelix, honey."
Miral stared.
"She's not much for conversation yet," frowned Tom.
"She's beautiful, Tom," said Neelix, understanding perfectly.
"Thanks," said Tom, fully aware of it. "Sorry I didn't come earlier, but it's been a busy couple of days, what with getting home, Chakotay crashing the ship, and Seven liking Harry and all..."
"Seven and Harry?"
Had he just said that?
"What?"
"Well, you just said – " began Neelix.
He really had to stop blurting things out. Bad habit, really.
"Well, um, yeah, actually. Seven and Chakotay were... involved – I know, you knew that – anyway, they um, broke up. And then she came up to me and asked for advice. Rumor is that the Captain and Chakotay – "
"– have finally gotten on with it already?" inquired Neelix.
"Um, yeah," said Tom, for lack of any other word to say.
"You know, that was the Captain's problem – she never had any real competition for the Commander's affections," sighed Neelix.
"Yea – wait. Seven said – "
"Did she?"
"You wanted – "
"Did I? Oh, don't look so stunned, Tom."
"I'm not stunned. I am totally, totally confused. I mean, really confused. What the hell is going on here?"
"Oh, well. I just figured since you were failing abysmally at the matchmaking on board ship..."
"I was not!" protested Tom.
"...I could certainly take on another job. Besides, ship's matchmaker couldn't be that hard, could it? In any case, I convinced Seven than Chakotay was right for her, and she went after him, and now, the Captain and Chakotay are together after all these years."
"That's one couple. I've made six."
"And how many of yours have lasted?"
Tom frowned. Neelix kindof had him there. The six couples he had managed to get together hadn't been as perfect for each other has he had originally assumed. Although Jenkins and Molina had lasted two whole weeks before breaking up. It was almost a record.
Still, Neelix couldn't win this argument. Because that would just be wrong.
"How do you know yours will?" asked Tom smugly.
"Because one of them already has."
Now Tom was really confused.
"You and B'Elanna." Neelix clarified before Tom had spoken a word.
"You did not get us together," said Tom indignantly.
"I didn't. I kept you from breaking up," said Neelix.
"There is no way..." Tom began, but Seven chose that moment to re-enter Astrometrics.
"You have approximately point four eight seven minutes remaining in your conversation. You may wish to wrap up your conversation."
"Did you just say 'wrap up'?" Neelix asked.
"Seven, are you feeling okay?" asked Tom.
Seven merely raised an eyebrow and silently turned to a console.
"Oh, Neelix, I forgot, can you send me the leola root stew recipie? Er. Craving."
"Did you check the database? I thought there was a copy..."
"Oh. Right," said Tom. "Well, talk to you later, Neelix."
Neelix was about to reply when the picture fizzled out.
&&
Of course, after talking to Neelix, getting Harry and Seven together wasn't so much a matter of feeling bad for Seven as it was before. Now it was more of a matter of matchmaker pride. Because Harry and Seven would be the perfect couple, and they would get married and have lots and lots of children, which was, of course, the happiest ending for a matchmaker. He actually was really concerned about losing his position as the ship's best matchmaker (ignoring the fact that Neelix wasn't on the ship anymore) – because none of his couples had succeeded in the long run, and even though Neelix's claims that he had shaped the relationship between Tom and B'Elanna were absolutely ridiculous, Tom couldn't deny that he had had something to do with the Captain and Chakotay's newfound love.
Which was horrible, because Tom had spent so much energy getting them together. And the matchmaking credit was actually going to Neelix.
And even though the relationship still had the potential to fail, Tom had serious doubts about that. Everyone on Voyager knew that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were absolutely destined to get married and have lots and lots of children.
So, credit to Neelix.
This time.
--
I'm totally assuming that the system they used in Author, Author works to communicate with Neelix. I mean, if it works between the Quadrants then, it should work now, right? Hey, if they can make up stuff up, so can I.
...yeah. Okay.