Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager is owned and horded by Paramount.

The author of this story has not and will not make any profit from it.

Authors Note: No beta, I own my every mistake. If you would like to beta, GREAT. Do it, send it to me and I'll fix it with a credit to you.

Summary: Tom thinks about the Captains offer. Not so old memories help him decide what to do. Lots of Tom angst.

Warnings: Non graphic Non-Con. Lots of hurt, not so much comfort. Language not suitable for sensitive ears, or in this case, eyes.

Gen so far, No SLASH yet. May contain SLASH later. I haven't decided. If you don't like slash, better just not get into the story;)

Dominos and Deities

Chapter Two

"Memories and Motivations"


Tom had gone straight to his quarters after the meeting with Captain Janeway. He didn't know whether he should be grateful at her attempt to give him an assignment, or insulted at the sheer absurdity of it. He hadn't even decided on whether he would do it, or just run his Sandrines holo program 8 hours a day until he got caught.

Tom smiled and relaxed his shoulders as he walked over to the drawer that held his memory cartridge. He pulled the drawer open, and pulled back the clothes on the left side enough to see the small black object that he had been so careful to hide during his time in Auckland. He figured he'd probably spent at least a few hundred hours, carefully programming every detail into authenticity with the tiny home made holo program device he had created from scrap. Sandrine had saved his sanity, even when she didn't realize it.

He hadn't actually gotten a chance to try the holodeck program, as federation penal colonies were equipped with holodecks but prisoners were only allowed access to them when the guards threw them in specially designed reform programs. The prisoners called them what they were, punishment programs, no prisoner had ever been reformed, but many came close to death from sheer boredom. Tom grabbed the cartridge and walked over to one of the port holes. Looking at stars he'd never seen before, Tom grinned to himself. How many times had he been put in a reform program?

At least once a week for the time he was there, but it wasn't really his fault. Well, yeah it really was. Despite Toms golden boy image to the rest of the world, most of the prisoners at Auckland took him at face value and he got along quite nicely with them. Then again, most isn't all. In the beginning his trips to the punishment programs were inspired by jerk 1, and his one time encounter with guard Evil Bitch who created jerk 2.

Jerk 1 was a short, lean Bajorin who went by the name Diba and touted a chip on his shoulder for all things Federation. Tom didn't think Diba ever purposely sought him out except the first time. It seemed the near site of Tom set the little Bajorin into a barely contained rage. Tom often dodged him, giving him a wide birth when ever possible, but seeing as he and Diba shared the same cell block and so the same schedule, they unavoidably encountered each other fairly regularly.

The first time Tom met Diba was a few weeks after arriving in Auckland. There were new inmates arriving every day and he hadn't noticed Diba, but Diba had noticed him. The small Bajorin confronted him, while he was in the work yard trying to recalibrate a replicator power matrix from an Oberth science ship. He had been so focused on the recalibration that Diba had been able to walk right up to Tom and land several good punches to the side of Toms head. As Tom picked himself up of the ground, Diba had introduced himself. "My name is Diba, and you Tom Paris disgust me. I know your only here for appearances, to prevent your assassination by a maqui. But the maqui are not so easily fooled, we know it was a trap. Stay out of my way traitor."

Before Tom had time to formulate a reply, Diba was already walking away. Tom watched the Bajorin walk away while massaging his jaw and wondering what the hell that had been about. If he hadn't been in a penal colony he would have stood there longer. He would have thought about what Diba said, perhaps calculate his next move more thoroughly. However, there were certain social standards and norms in prison, he had learned them his first week in Auckland. If he wanted to survive his time there, he had to abide by them. Tom couldn't afford to be the guy who took the high road. There was no high road where prisoners were concerned.

Tom knew most of the prisoners within visual range were watching him. Waiting to see what he would just take it. At the time, he thought he had no choice, and so he pushed his conscience aside, and began running at Diba as fast as he could. Diba had already put about a hundred meters between them.

Diba turned around with his fist raised a few feet before Tom actually hit him. By that point Tom had so much momentum behind him that when he braced his elbow for impact with Dibas shoulder, there was nothing Diba could do but take the blow. They both hit the ground rolling, stopping several meters from where they went down. Tom picked himself up instantly and half limped half fell to where Diba had landed. He then grabbed Dibas collar, pulled the Bajorin half off the ground and landed three consecutive punches to his face. The last thing Tom remembered was a horrible burning sensation in his back, and desperately attempting to fall beside Diba instead on top of Diba.

When Tom woke up, he was setting in a hard plastic chair. The back of the chair was so low that Toms head had simply hung off the back of his shoulders while he was unconscious. He raised his head, and immediately winced. His neck was stiff and sore. He wondered how long he had been setting there unconscious.

There were people setting to either side of him, in front of him and Tom guessed there were even more behind him, but was unwilling to turn his head that far yet. As Tom grew more awake, he also became more confused. The carpeting was orange, the windowless walls were covered with red polyester and the rooms lighting was dull and glossy, creating a surreal feel to the whole situation. There was a rather dull looking man and a woman standing in front of the audience, like the rest of the people in the room, they were motionless.

Tom had almost immediately deduced he was in a holodeck, but wasn't sure why until he noticed the huge screen behind the frozen man and woman up front. The words on the screen read [Anger Management Seminar: Lesson 1 "Physical Aggression is Wrong."]. Tom couldn't stop the groan "Oh, no." that emanated from somewhere in his stomach. As soon as the words left his mouth, a soft male voice filled the room."Prisoner 247192, you must complete reform program 3A, Anger Management: Lesson 1, Physical Aggression part A, B, C and D."

Tom waited a few moments, but there were no further instructions. The figures in the room stayed eerily quiet and still. Tom looked around instinctively and muttered "Whatever." The room suddenly erupted in noise and motion all around Tom, as the audience chatted and adjusted themselves in the uncomfortable seats. Tom had nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden unexpected change in volume. The man and woman began introducing themselves and the audience began to hush to an eerie quiet.

The man stood taller then Tom with dark features, brown eyes and black hair. His nose seemed disproportionately big for his face and he ended every sentence with a closed lip smile. "My name is Luke, and this is Cindy. We will be your guides to a better, calmer, less angry and more productive life. The you, you want to be, starts right here, right now. You need to be a better person. You think you are OK the way you are? You really aren't. If you were OK, you wouldn't be here, would you? You are different then others. Everyone experiences anger, but few resort to physical aggression. To reap the full benefits of all 4 sections of our seminar, you will need to actively participate. Fail to participate in any exercise, fail any one review, or fail to ask a minimum of 7 appropriate and thoughtful questions per section, and the lesson will be repeated until you fulfill each requirement."

Tom crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. He really didn't think he could listen to four hours of such horrible, horrible dialogue. He was having a harder time processing the horror of the program he was currently stuck in, then he had had processing the concept of going to prison!

Almost immediately, Cindy had looked directly at him and said "Mr. Paris, are you aware that you are displaying a mild gesture of aggression at this very moment? Please uncross your arms." Tom momentarily forgot she was just a holo character and immediately put his hands in his lap before rolling his eyes in amusement. Once again, the woman informed him of his aggressive gesture. This time Tom spoke up saying "Oh, your misreading my amusement and disrespect as anger and aggression. Maybe you should attend a seminar on how to read body language."

All at once, the program restarted with Lukes opening lines "My name is Luke, and this is Cindy. We will...". Tom blinked and sat up straighter. Had that been a program glitch?

30 minutes and 8 restarts later, Tom was convinced that he had died and gone to the hell his father had warned him he would go to if he didn't straighten up. This reform program had been created to restart on a variety of cues. If Tom laughed, if Tom spoke to often without permission, if Tom spoke more then twice in the wrong tone of voice, if Tom did anything but set there and actively participate in a serious manner the program would restart! After the sixth restart, Tom had had enough. He rarely, so fully admitted defeat...but he could not win with this program.

He got out of his seat, made his way to the end of his row and began investigating the walls for anything that could be a possible holodeck panel. It was hidden well under the sink at the back of the room. When he found it, he wasn't even sure he could break into it and gain enough access to do a little reprogramming. With his head under the sink, the sounds of Luke and Cindy threatening him with more reform programs was muffled and Tom was happy for it. Tom didn't know if the programs were actively monitored, but if they were he was sure he'd know any minute.

Turned out the programs were not monitored, at least not in real time. It had only taken Tom half an hour to tweak the program to his liking. When he returned to his seat, Cindy gave him a wink. Cindy who had previously been short and monotone in every way, was now tall with curves, long red hair and sparkling green eyes. She was now wearing a form fitting dark blue skirt suit, with a plunging neck line and a skirt so short it hardly qualified as one.

Luke was now Lucy. Equally attractive to Cindy, she sported long black hair, brown eyes and a red skirt suit. The dialogue was the same as it had been all 6 times Tom had heard it, but Lucy and Cindy had a much more interesting and sexual way of talking then the previous characters. Every sentence was spoken as if it was the most sensual thing the women had ever thought of. Tom leaned back in his seat, arms behind his head with a big grin. As well as changing the speakers up a bit, Tom had completely erased all reset cues. He could now relax and be himself without the program restarting.

Over the next three weeks, with Dibas unwanted help, Tom had the chance to tweak 8 different programs. With Toms modifications, the programs had become much easier to work through, and a few dozen other prisoners had enjoyed them before the guards discovered the changes and reset the programs. Most of the inmates new Tom was behind the modifications, and he was more liked. Except Diba he still despised Tom, but never turned him in even though he knew what Tom had been doing. Tom did eventually get caught however, bringing Tom to Evil Bitch and Jerk 2.

Jerk 2 was an older guard by the name of Henry. He was about Toms height and completely disinterested in Tom. Well that was before the Evil Bitch inspired his interest. It wasn't until the ninth or tenth time Tom had modified a reform program that Tom met Evil Bitch and guard Henry became Jerk 2.

Tom had been in a punishment program meant to teach and convince inmates the importance and ultimate good of the Federation. Tom had been sent to this one when some true hearted federation prisoner had heard Tom growling about how unfederation he was to Diba, who had once again accused him of intentionally flying his maqui crew into a Federation trap. He had heard this program wasn't too long, just a four hour federation sermon. It didn't matter, Tom was on a roll and intended on tweaking every reform program they threw him in.

Tom had just found the right panel behind a book shelf, when the program suddenly froze and in walked guard Henry and a stern looking female guard by the name Berny. Tom had expected to be caught eventually, but he was still surprised when it happened. The female guard was in Toms personal space within seconds. So close Tom could smell her lunch, she scowled and whispered "What exactly is it, that you wish to accomplish with your little games Paris?"

Tom had to admit, she was more intimidating then any woman he had ever encountered. She wasn't tall by any account, her black and silver hair framed her face at shoulder length. With bright blue eyes that seemed out of place against a dark and over sunned complexion, she sized Tom up in seconds. He backed up a few steps without thinking until his back hit the wall. Once he had regained a measure of personal space, in a innocent voice laden with insincerity he said "This program is broken. You see, it keeps restarting only minutes after it has begun. I was only trying to fix it." Tom was was somewhat impressed with his answer, until he watched the womans whole demeanor change from stern to something else as a slow smirk grew into a menacing chuckle.

She looked over her shoulder at guard Henry and said "You here that? He thinks the program needs to be fixed." Guard Henry stared straight at Tom, but looked quite bored.

She turned back to Tom, looked him up and down and then with a bit of excitement, "I think your right Paris. The program DOES need to be fixed. Of course, I don't have any holo programing skills, but Henry here, he's a genius. I'll mention it." She watched Tom stare at Henry, and then look back at her with a small snort of disbelief. She grinned again. "Don't believe me, huh? O'well."

She then turned her attention back to guard Henry, who was obviously a thousand light years away. In a loud and sympathetic voice she said "Did you hear what Paris just said Henry? Can you believe it?!" Henry seemed to wake up and instantly focused his attention on Tom. In a low voice he asked the woman "What did he say Berny?"

The woman flashed Tom a quick smile and then walked over to guard Henry shaking her head while saying "It doesn't matter Henry, he's just a convict. We both know Harry wasn't a traitor. He lived and breathed Federation. Paris here was only a maqui for a week, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about."

Tom knew she had been leading up to something, and this was it. What he didn't know at the time was that Harry was Henry's older brother, and had died just two months earlier on a routine star fleet surveillance mission. The circumstances surrounding Harry's death had been suspicious at best with a file of circumstantial evidence placing doubt as to his loyalties. Harry had been given a fleet burial in space, but no officers or crewmen had attended.

Though Tom didn't fully know how or why, he realized that the nasty little female guard had just made him a life long enemy. As he watched guard Henry start striding over to him, Tom knew that he was about to experience pain, but for the first time in in a long time, didn't know how to avoid it. He gave it his best, but the guard was like one huge angry muscle, and Toms first and only punch didn't seem to effect his assailant. One punch to his kidneys conveniently took Tom to his knees, where he received a number of kicks to his stomach. The last thing Tom remembered was having his head forced down onto a very hard knee cap.

He woke up in a solitary cell. There were only two major difference between a solitary and general cells. A solitary cell was half the size of a general and had 3 walls and a solid steel door, while a general cell had 3 walls and a force field. Tom hurt. He felt like his skull had been kicked in, and his throat felt swollen.

It took him a few minutes to swallow the nausea, but once he thought his stomach was secure Tom set up. His vision blurred as pain exploded everywhere. It felt like knives had been twisted into his side and left there. He fell back in agony only to cause a new, fresher eruption of pain in doing so. The pain was too much, and Tom felt his stomach reacting. He had to set up again, or vomit on himself. In one pathetic attempt to set up, Tom miscalculated catapulting himself onto the floor, landing on his hands and knees.

Tears brimmed Toms eyes as his abdominal muscles contracted, causing worse pain if possible and his stomach contents splattered onto the floor. The pain in his right side was excruciating and he knew he must have broken ribs. Before he could dwell on that fact however, his muscles contracted again, and he felt bursts of new pain on his left side as something shifted. He was sure he'd just finished breaking a rib on his left side. With every bit of will power he had, he concentrated on controlling the nausea.

He had no idea how many minutes he had been on his hands and knees, eyes closed just trying to get through the moment, when he heard guard Berny chuckle. He didn't dare move, the throbbing in his head and stabbing in his sides had barely started to reach a tolerable pain level. Tom was sure that moving in any way would start a whole new pain experience. So, he kept his head down, closing his eyes once again so that he wasn't staring at the mess he'd made. All he could do was listen to the bitches antagonizing voice.

"Oh, Paris that must have been some fight you got yourself into. Don't worry, I won't send you to another reform program today, I won't even put this on your record. You see, I can be reasonable."

Tom heard the familiar trills and beeps of a medical tricorder, and in mock sympathy guard Berny said "Mm mm...You should really pick your fights more carefully. Let me see, it seems you have a class 3 concussion. Painful, but hardly fatal. And...yep, you have a variety of rib fractures. You've managed to crack an upper and lower rib, and break a middle rib on your right side. And on the left we've got 2 cracked middle ribs and a broken lower rib."

Tom concentrated on breathing. He had a cursory knowledge of broken bones, and he knew he could easily cause more severe damage by moving. Guard Berny sweetly said "I knew that information wouldn't be lost on you. You were smart enough to make it through the academy, just not smart enough to keep your uniform." She sighed "Well, I would suggest not moving until I get back with the proper medical equipment. My shift is over in just about three hours, I'll be back to fix you up before I leave."

Tom would had begged her to treat him then, but when he tried to cry out to her all that came out was a breathy whisper. She heard it, and crooned "I'm sorry Paris, what was that?"

Frustrated, in pain and thoroughly pissed off Tom tried again. A less recognizable noise came out this time. Guard Berny dismissively said "Huh, well hold that thought, I'll be back in a while." Tom wondered why he had lost his voice and then dropped his head even lower as he heard the door slide shut.

At first, Tom thought he could handle two hours. She'd have to be back within two because it would take at least one to fix him up. Tom didn't remember everything about those two hours. He did remember believing he was going to die, when an unexpected muscle spasm sent him to his side and he felt more ribs shift, probably breaking. Breathing became much, much more difficult after that and he eventually lost consciousness.

When he came too, it was at the biting insistence of a hypospray to his neck. Tom was actually relieved to see the evil bitch, as he had come to think of her in the last two hours. As she straightened up and stared down at Tom, he stared right back, refusing to show her his fear. But then, she began to shake her head and grimace as she looked Tom up and down. She wrinkled her nose and said "You stink."

Tom knew he shouldn't be embarrassed, it wasn't really his fault he was laying in his own vomit. He fought the urge to close his eyes or look away from her, but then her eyes narrowed and with a smirk she said "Disgusting Paris. You couldn't use the urinal? It's two feet away! Would it have really been too hard to take it out and at least try to aim?"

She glared at Tom, and he could feel the heat in his cheeks, as he turned his head away from her feeling something slimy on his cheek and in his hair. That's when he realized that as well as pissing himself while he was unconscious, he must have vomited too.

She hadn't touched him, but she still wiped her hands on her pants as she grumbled "Eh, I've got to get a portable sonic shower, I don't want to touch you." Tom felt a surge of panic when he heard the door slide shut, and he knew she was gone again. His breathing had become more labored, and if she didn't come back he felt sure he would die and be found laying in his own filth.

She was back mere minutes later however, and throwing a constant litany of insults at Tom as she ran the sonic shower over the floor and his fully clothed body. Toms pain level had only increased from when he had woken up on the bed, and he hadn't noticed how putrid his situation had grown over the last two hours until he was clean again. He felt a small sense of relief when the cell no longer smelled of stale urine and old vomit.

Now guard Berny was kneeling down beside Tom, running the medical tricorder over him again. She pursed her lips and growled "I thought I told you not to move. You have more broken bones now then you did the last time I was here. Do you enjoy pain?" Tom tried to tell the bitch what he thought of her, but this time when he tried to talk, the only sound that came out was an indistinguishable rasp.

Her smile softened and she said "Well this will be my good deed of the week, getting you fixed up." She then began to roughly strip Toms clothes off, not caring how much agony she caused him. Toms world suddenly narrowed to pain and new bursts of pain, every one worse then the last. His eyes went wild, he tried to tell her to stop but couldn't and finally in a move of desperation grabbed for one of her wrists. She saw it coming before Tom had even thought of trying it, and she jumped to her feet and away from Tom, acting mortified he'd even dare try such a thing.

She then said in mock anger "I see. Don't think I didn't come prepared for such behavior." She bent down and grabbed what looked like half of a metal wrist restraint. Before Tom realized what she was doing, she had his right arm pulled away from his body and in a magnetized restraint against the floor. Toms anxiety level quickly reached terrified, and he decided the next time she got close enough he was going to take her down broken ribs and all. She must have seen it because she looked at him and said "I don't think so." She then unholstered her phaser and fired.

When Tom woke up this time, he was completely restrained, arms and legs as painfully far from his body as they would reach. Breathing was torture, every breath felt like a crow bar to his side. Before he remembered where he was and how he had gotten there, the familiar voice of hell pierced through the fog and slammed him back to reality. "I doubt you'll ever under appreciate the stun setting again, will you Tom?" and then she chuckled.

She must have finished removing his clothes while he was out as she then started running various instruments over his body. Tom felt grateful for small mercies by this point, like the fact she left his underwear on. With her first sweep of the louder medical device, he immediately felt the pain dissolving. Tom hated her, but was thankful she was doing a competent job.

Tom was stunned when she began singing an old earth song. Tom absently thought that the woman could carry a tune. Then he thought that the song she chose to sing, and sing well while knitting his bones and regenerating his torn skin made her even more evil then he had originally thought. Still, there was nothing he could do but listen, so he closed his eyes and tried to relax while she worked.

"Don't worry, about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright.

I said don't worry, about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright"

When she began running a dermal regenerator over Toms throat he opened his eyes, and couldn't stop the confusion from showing on his face. Guard Berny stopped singing, and laughed whole heartedly. "You think Henry stopped after you passed out? I barely pulled him off before he choked you to death."

Tom let out a sigh for no other reason then he could. Guard Berny began singing and regenerating again, and Tom closed his eyes and tried to tune her out. He began thinking about the fact that in a few minutes he would be able to talk again. Tom was in the middle of thinking up a particularly scathing insult about guard Berny's age and station in life when the silence of the room cut through his day dream. Had she left? Left him in only his underwear secured to the floor? He began to panic and raised his head up of the ground as far as possible, only to see her staring at him while quietly setting on the bed.

His relief was short lived as the 50 something year old female guard began to talk. She was staring at him, studying him in a different, more feminine manner. She sighed and said "You know this is my last day? I'm not that old, only 52. Still that is two years older then prison guards are supposed to be. I'm in better shape then many of the younger guards here. But I'm the one their sending away. Unlike most of the guards, I was at the top of my graduating class. I chose this station."

She laughed for a minute and then wiped a tear off her cheek. "I actually believed I could change people. I came here with the theory that all people are naturally good, some just have to be reminded."

She looked Tom in the eyes again and said more harshly "The reform holo programs were my idea, the biggest project of my career. While I didn't have anything to do with the actual programming, I designed the curriculum among other things. I admit over the years they got a little stricter, but over the years I realized that while most of you people had the capacity to be good, it had to be forced out of you." She grew quiet.

Tom closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself. So that is why she had sicked guard Henry on him.

Her tone softened again as she fixated on Toms prone form. "I guess you really highlighted the complete failure the whole project was. I suppose it doesn't matter now though."

Tom couldn't believe it. She couldn't really expect him to have sympathy for her at this point, could she? Except, Tom grudgingly admitted to himself that he did feel a small amount of sympathy for her situation. He could talk now, use that line he had fine tuned into a verbal photon torpedo. Instead he mustered as much sincerity as he could and said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect. And I certainly didn't mean to make you feel like a failure on your last day. It wasn't personal."

Her eyes narrowed, but she continued in a blasé manner. "Oh, don't you feel sorry for me. I can admit my failures. Besides, I've already lined up my next job. Security on a federation ship. I'll be starting from the bottom, but I'll be doing what I know."

Tom was about to say something else when she walked over to him, and knelt beside him. She reached out her hand and caressed his face gently. "Tom, you know life isn't fair for anyone."

Her hand trailed down Toms neck and rested on his chest for a moment. Her voice lowered, taking on a even softer, slower quality. "Take you for example. Here you are. Need I say more?" Her hand slowly wondered down to Toms abdomen tracing invisible lines with her manicured nails.

Tom had been too shocked to really believe what was happening at first. But he was suddenly, fully aware of the situation. In a voice louder then he had intended, he half laughed "You've got to be kidding? Is this really happening? No, I don't think you would really...come on! I don't want you. I mean, your a fine looking woman...a...a...beautiful woman, but...this isn't gonna happen. Seriously..."

Tom kept on talking, the longer he talked, the more fervent and adamant he became about the thing he thought was about to happen, not happening. She calmly grabbed a medical tricorder, adjusted it and slowly dragged it over Toms throat.

Tom knew what she was doing, and started screaming for help, hoping someone might hear. But the tricorder did it's work fast, and within seconds his voice was gone again leaving his throat on fire.

She looked at him smiling, voice gentler then before saying "I mean, really. Here....you....are! In a situation you don't want to be in, but you can't change it. It's not fair, but we have to accept the situations we can't change, don't we?"

Tom thought to himself that not only was she evil and bitch, but she was crazy as well! She wasn't even making since at this point, but her intentions were clear.

She laughed as Tom violently struggled against the restraints. Letting her hand sneak under the waste band, and dip down between his legs. She smiled again, a deep laugh shaking her body as she said sweetly "Haven't you been listening. You've got to accept what you can't do anything about. This is going to happen. Accept it." She paused and stared at him for a moment and then said quickly "Or keep fighting it, either way I don't get off for another 20 minutes."

Tom stood stock still, eyes glazed over lost deep in a dark memories. Guard Berny began teaching him a vital lesson that day, and set guard Henry up to continue it after she was gone.

Harry had been buzzing Toms quarters for 3 minutes without a response. He started to think Tom might be asleep, but doubted it considering what the Captain had just told the senior staff. He tried comming Paris again.

Tom startled at the sound of his comm badge. "Ensign Harry to Tom Paris."

Tom took a deep breath, physically shaking himself from the memory he had been lost in for...who knew how long. Tom asked "Computer, time?" The computer answered with "The time is 0322 hours". Shit, had he really been standing there spacing for over an hour? Tom walked over to the drawer, tossed the memory chip back in and slammed the door shut.

Tom drawled "Come on in Harry" as he walked over to meet him at the door. Tom almost laughed when he saw how on edge Harry was. Tom smiled at Harry as they walked to Toms couch and said, "Jeez Harry, calm down before you give yourself a heart attack."

Harry watched Tom set down, he looked tired. Harry wondered if Tom already knew. He asked in an even voice "Tom, did you hear? About the maqui?"

Tom, reclined as far back as possible, stretched his legs out in front him and said "What about the maqui?"

Harry finally took a seat, leaning forward and ringing his hands. "Tom Captain Janeway has decided to integrate them into our crew, giving them stations, ranks and full privileges." He waited for Toms reaction. The fact that he had publicly befriended Tom, had made him the target of the TOM PARIS IS A CREEP story hub. He had heard at least a half dozen different stories about how Tom had betrayed the maqui by faking being thrown out of star fleet and how he had betrayed star fleet by being a maqui spy the whole time. He didn't believe any of it, but it had given him a good insight on how hard things were going to be for Tom, at least until things cooled off.

Toms reaction was not what he expected. Tom just grinned at Harry, and said "Harry, Harry, Harry. You have got to relax." Seeing the confused look on Harry's face Tom explained.

"Look. The Captain made the right call. What else was she going to do about 30 plus Alpha quadrant allies, who just happened to blow up there ship for the greater good? I mean, really it was a noble thing to do. Of course she is going to take them in and reward them. Now she just has the problem of assimilation. Which shouldn't be too hard since both sides have already found a common ground." Tom grinned again.

Harry was annoyed at how cool Tom was being, but also slightly impressed. With resignation he said "Yeah Tom, they all hate you. I know we're on a federation ship, but I think you should be careful just the same."

Tom was slightly touched by Harry's concern, and decided to act a bit more serious to ease Harry's worry a bit. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and said "The Captain has taken care of that for now. I'm suppose to stay in my quarters, except for meals and some holodeck time."

Harry looked shocked, but then said "Thats not right Tom, but it's for your own good, and probably just until she gets things more settled."

Now Tom was annoyed, but accepted that fact that Harry was fleet, and thought like fleet so his opinion on the matter would be equally fleet. Tom looked at the ceiling and said "Harry lets talk about something else."

Harry looked concerned but said "OK, why did it take you so long to answer the door?"

Tom laughed out loud this time. The kid was a bit nosy, but not in a bad way. "I was making a decision."

Harry leaned back and said "Oh yeah, about what?"

Tom looked down at his lap and said "An assignment the Captain offered me."

Harry asked "So, what did you decide?"

Tom looked back up at Harry "I'll take it."

Harry didn't want to seem to invade Toms privacy too much, especially since many times assignments were on a need to know basis, but he could see Tom was drifting away from the conversation, and he didn't care for the dark look passing through Toms eyes. He tried to reign his new friends attention back in by asking "What made you decide to do it? What kind of assignment it is? Tom...Tom?"

Tom forced his attention back to Harry, but couldn't seem to find the energy to say more then "Memories provide good motivation some times Harry. I can't change the situation, so I accept it."

Harry became very sad for Tom all at once, even though he didn't quite understand why.

Better then the first, yes? I hope so. I was wrong, I would like a review or two. Like it, don't like it? Anybody interested in Ch.3?