Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all characters therein are the property of Americans who are not me. No infringement of copyright is intended.

NB: This story is set approximately around Season 5-7, but not particular spoilers other than this happens after Thirty Days (but after Tom re-makes it to Lieutenant again) and before Drive. Rating T/PG14

OF RYALS & RELATIONSHIPS

Chapter 4 – The Green-Eyed Monster

B'Elanna drank the last of her cup of Zerin as she finished recounting her day cheerfully to Harry and Tom as they sat together as their usual trio in the Mess Hall. Harry, however, could see that B'Elanna was so interested in her new toy that she was oblivious to the ever-growing thundercloud above Tom Paris's head, or such clues as the precise movements with which he speared the Delta Quadrant's equivalent of pasta quills, clearly wishing he was stabbing something, or rather, someone, instead.

"You enjoyed yourself, obviously." Tom cut in sharply.

Puzzled and slightly irritated by the obvious edge to Tom's tone, B'Elanna chose to ignore it and take the statement at face value. "Yes…" she carried on describing her wrestling with the intricate machinery, "…then the circuitry relay disintegrated and singed my fingers –"

"Aaah," Tom snarled in mock sympathy, "I'm sure Jeren kissed it better."

B'Elanna paused, still confused, but Paris was clearly spoiling for a fight and she was only too happy to give him one right now. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why is one little cylinder taking you so long to fix?" Tom instead challenged. "Or do you have another reason for wanting to hang around this dump?"

"It's a completely alien device," B'Elanna pointed out with the beginnings of real anger, "and if you've got something to say, come right out with it, Paris."

Harry couldn't help the laugh that escaped him at he was a spectator at point blank range.

"Care to share the joke?" B'Elanna's tone was taking on that genuinely dangerous edge.

"Jeren came to find me today, he wanted access to Voyager's replicators." Harry reported with glee.

"What did he want to replicate?"

"A single red rose."

B'Elanna still didn't get it. "So?"

Lips twitching, Harry spelled out, "Jeren has a serious crush on you, B'Elanna."

There was a moment of silence and Tom's face went from peeved to murderous as B'Elanna digested this information with pleased surprise for just a fraction too long. Rashly he tried to give his lady-love an order. "Send someone else to finish repairing the damn thing, you stay on Voyager."

"Don't be ridiculous!" B'Elanna snapped, now as irritated as he was. "Jeren's a nice…being…that's all there is to it!"

"I'll bet!" tossing down his fork, Tom surged upright and stomped off, his angry demeanour causing several crewmembers to pull aside and cast looks towards B'Elanna that could be categorised as 'knowing curiosity'. Everyone was accustomed to the volatility of the Paris-Torres merger. As Tabor put it, who needed space soaps like Starfleet Frontier when you had that pair around?

"P'targh!" B'Elanna muttered to his departing back, concentrating on her meal; she had enjoyed herself today bending her mind to a different problem, and she wasn't going to let an obstreperous male spoil it for her. Besides, where did Tom Paris get off acting like it was unbelievable that anyone else would find her attractive?

Harry concentrated on eating his dinner and not laughing aloud, aware that Tom was going to be hell to live with for the next day or so until he got over his snit. B'Elanna's unwise dismissal of him as 'silly' would provoke a litany of angry complaining to his favourite agony uncle – Harry S L Kim. Still that was part of being classed as the 'best friend' of Tom and B'Elanna; you had to take the rough with the smooth and accept being caught in the middle sometimes.

To be continued…

© 2005, C D Stewart