He stopped, his breath caught in his throat as he looked into long legs and black boots. At first he was sure it was a guard, but as his scared eyes traveled upwards he knew he was wrong. The legs belonged to a humanoid that Tom swore was taller than his father. The name of it on the edge of his tongue it came to him. Klingon.

It spoke once. "Food"

The large Klingon woman looked exactly like the ones he has seen in the war books, and she had a raw look in his eye that made him feel the very pit of his stomach. She continued to stare right at him, through his eyes and into his head. She seemed annoyed as her breathing was heavy, and she kept grunting at him. Tom didn't know what to expect, or do. Her statement scared him, he hadn't thought that Klingons ate humans, but then again this place was different to any place he had ever been. He noticed he was crying silently as she continued to observe him, and let out a small scream when her hand bent down and painfully grasped his shoulder. This was it, all his father would find was remains, for this Klingon was probably hungrier than him, and was going to do something about it. All that was left was to close his eyes, and wait for the inevitable to come.

He felt the hand that still clung onto his shoulder, pull him around, and the rough voice spoke again.

"Open your eyes human," He didn't want to obey, but he felt he had no choice. Feeling his eyelid open, he focused on what was in front of him.

Food. In troughs, the prisoners were fighting to get handfuls of it and then running back to their hideouts. It was a desperate picture, but now Tommy understood what the Klingon had been trying to tell him. For this reason, he feared her less, she had been brave enough to help him. She was here to help, not to hinder his survival. She roughly pushed him towards the food, but this time he moved quickly in response with glee. He wasn't alone here anymore. He wasn't alone.

He was finally alone in his quarters where he could breath a sigh of relief. Today had been infuriating, and rumors of what had happened this lunch were already circulating. Paris leaving without a fight and only an ensign standing up for him. He wouldn't be surprised if Harry got tired of all this and decided to make friends with people who cared. But he didn't want that, he really didn't know what he would have done if it wasn't for Harry. The kid may be a little green, but he was smart and had more guts than Tom had ever imagined.

Other than Harry, he was on his own. It was true that the Captain showed a lot of faith in him, but she maintained such distance, perfecting her captaincy even out here. If there were one person on this crew that he wished to no better it was Kes. She reminded him so much of Moira it was uncanny. She had that calm exterior but had hints of a fiery soul. He missed Moira greatly, she had always been there for him, after his escape from Krisist she had been the one he confided in, even though he barely remembered her face. She had visited him in Auckland behind their fathers back, and he had ideas that she had even kept tabs on him when he became no better than a penniless drunk. Now, she was nowhere near, and he was desperate for release. She had always seen past his façade, the one he now refused to let down even around Harry.

Walking across the room, Tom sat down of the sofa. In the comfort of these quarters, his situation here on voyager didn't seem so bad. God knew he had been in worse, but he didn't like to think about his time in Krisist, it was to long ago to bring those memories to surface now. Not that he remembered a lot about it, only certain things that happened, things of significance. And the people there as well, the good, and the bad. He always found it easy to forget about in the day…ever since they found him, near death on that planet, 5 years after he had first been reported missing, ever since his kidnapping.

Those first few days had always been a blur to him, the panic, and the hunger. On person he would never forget was Rali, the Klingon women who had taken him under her wing those first few days. She hadn't been what Tom could describe as nice, but she had kept him alive, and taught him how to survive in that place.

Sighing, Tom tried to stop this train of thought and change it to something more positive. He still had nightmares about the day when she disappeared, yet he always knew she was dead. She had been taken up top, and no one survived that.

The chime brought him back to the present, yet it seemed like he could still smell the blood and sweat which has inhabited Krisist. But this was no time to think of such things. Again the door chimed, and Tom called out so the visitor could come in.

Harry stormed through the door in haste, and sat down without asking on the sofa next to Tom. The gesture itself made Paris smile, a couple of months ago, Harry would have been terrified to be so casual around a more senior officer, or around anyone actually. Now they had grown to become friends Harry was as casual as Tom ever was. The visitor finally spoke, and Tom had known from he minute he had arrived that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"I want you to go to the Captain," He had been right, Harry, dear Harry was always one to want to use the official channels, who still believed in the good and bad and all that fairy tale stuff. Tom tried to smile, though he knew he couldn't talk his way out of this one, as this wasn't the first time that someone had made a scene about Tom's position on this ship.

"About what…" His sentence was cut off, and this was to be expected. Harry was not going to give up this time, and Tom felt anxious, he didn't want to have to go to the captain. He knew it would just get worse if he did, and that was one thing he couldn't take. What if he snapped, then it would all come out…all of it, stuff even his father didn't know.

"About what happened in the mess hall, listen if you don't talk to the Captain…I will. See you at the briefing," And with that he left, leaving Tom feeling desolate. He just knew he couldn't let that happen. He wasn't going to be a victim again, ever. Here he was, them thinking him strong. They couldn't know the truth.

I'm sorry this took me so long, but i thought i write this after i had a number of reviews so here it is. I just got my exam results and am now forever in a good mood so should be writing more soon. I go back to school soon so I'll try to get as much as possible done when I can. This chapter isn't long but I'm tired so sorry.

Kate