"So, that's when I told Tom that no one chooses my friends for me." Harry was telling this story to a group of listeners.
"Thus began the dynamic duo." B'Elanna quipped to anyone who could hear her. The group laughed and Tom began with a story of his own.
"Yes, but as I recall, this dynamic duo became a trio."
"Oh, Tom, don't. That's not a good story to share!"
"Yes it is... see, B'Elanna and Harry were friends from day one on Ocampa. Harry and I had been friends since Deep Space Nine and well...one night Harry and I were at Sandrine's, on the holodeck, and in walks this vision of beauty. The most gorgeous half-klingon I'd ever seen-"
"Stop that, Tom. You don't have to lie. I was a wreck."
"Ok so she was a wreck. She needed Harry's help with something..."
"Harry, you got a minute."
"Does it look like he has a minute?" Tom was annoyed at being interrupted and then not even being acknowledged as being there.
"As a matter of fact, it looks like he's got all the time in the world."
"Looks can be decieving, Leutenant. We're quite busy."
"Doing what? Ogling the locals? Playing pool?"
"We were having a very important discussion."
"Unless it has anything to do with Operations than I really don't care."
Harry had been sitting back and watching this exchange quietly. He finally decided to intervene.
"Tom, it's ok. What is it, B'Elanna?"
"I need your help with something. I don't have time to explain it, but trust me, you'll want to be there."
"Ok. Sorry, Tom, I gotta go. Duty calls." He grinned back at his friend who was grinning at him as well.
"Oh that's fine, don't worry about me." And that was that. They had walked off together leaving Tom to wonder about the true nature of their friendship. Tom had thought about it before, but dismissed the idea. But now he wasn't so sure. Did Harry have feelings for B'Elanna? If so why hadn't he told Tom? He was definitely going to get to the bottom of it. Soon.
Unfortunately soon was much later. Especially after B'Elanna was taken hostage by the artificial lifeform Harry had helped her revive. Tom had taken a shuttle to rescue her and she was recovering in sickbay. Tom knew that Harry had been worried about her and again he wondered if he cared about her as more than a friend. He had to satisfy his curiousity and he would as soon as an opportunity presented itself.
That opportunity came a few weeks later. Voyager had discovered a planet with a new type of dilithium.
"Wow, can you imagine if we could travel Warp 10?" Harry's eyes were glossing over.
"It's kind of unimaginable." Tom couldn't help but laugh at his friend's eagerness.
"Where's B'Elanna? She was supposed to meet us here."
"Relax, Harry, I'm sure she's just running late. Why you so anxious to see her? Do you have a crush on her or something?" Tom could have smacked himself. The look Harry was giving made it obvious that Harry had never even thought of B'Elanna like that.
"What? That's ridiculous. We're just friends, that's all."
"Well, it's not THAT ridiculous. She's a beautiful woman and you two seem to get along well..."
"Look, just drop it ok?"
B'Elanna had walked in at that moment and noticed how tense her commrades were. "Everything, ok?"
"Fine." Was the answer she got from both.
"OOkkkkk, well shouldn't we be getting started with the simulation?"
"Right." Tom walked up to the simulated shuttle, while Harry moved to the console.
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"Well, we did it." Harry was the first to speak up at the table for three. Tom, B'Elanna and Harry had went to Sandrine's to celebrate the Warp 10 Project's success.
"Yeah we did!" Tom couldn't contain his excitement now.
"Well there's still more to do and-"
"Don't be a killjoy, B'Elanna. Just enjoy the moment."
"I'm just trying to be realistic."
"Harry, tell me again how you, the most optimistic person I've ever met, became such quick friends with the most pessimistic person I've ever met?"
"Tom, that's not funny." Harry didn't want to remind Tom that he was also quite pessimistic.
"It's ok, Harry." B'Elanna had sat down on the other side of Harry. Harry was stuck in the middle as usual.
"Look, can't you two please get along...It's been fun working together and I was so glad that my two best friends were actually agreeing. But if you two can't find a way to spend one evening together without arguing then it's going to be a long trip home."
"Sorry, Harry." Both said in unison. They looked at one another and nodded.
Tom finally spoke up, "Well, there's one thing we do agree on."
"Yeah and we have something in common. We both like to hang out with you."
"Thanks, for trying. So, can we celebrate now?"
"Of course." B'Elanna clinked her glass with Harry's, who clinked his with Tom.
"So, B'Elanna, how'd a pretty girl like you end up with the Maquis?" Harry glanced at Tom, who had just asked this question, and saw that he wasn't goading her, he was actually trying to be her friend.
"I could ask you the same thing, Paris."
"You could, but it's not that interesting. I'd much rather hear your story."
"Not much of a story. I quit the academy. Worked with some civilian ships. I got into trouble and Chakotay saved my life. I was recruited that day."
Tom felt something in his stomach twist around when she said Chakotay's name. It was a foreign feeling, but it resembled jealousy, but there was nothing to be jealous of.
"Well, I'm glad you joined."
"And why is that?"
"Because then I'd have missed out on seeing your beautiful face everyday."
B'Elanna was not amused and Harry looked like he was going to choke on his synthehol. He finally caught his breath and said, "Tom, are you flirting with her?"
"No."
"Sounded like flirting to me. It's a good thing you weren't though because you'd be wasting your time."
"Harry, I can speak for myself, and he's right. You'd be wasting your time."
"Thanks for the warning, Torres."
"No problem, Paris."
"And that's the moment when I realized that B'Elanna was flirting back. The whole arguing thing was only a ruse. These two had been flirting back and forth with each other for awhile and I didn't even know it!" Harry had ended Tom's story for him.
"Yeah, well, what can I say? She just couldn't resist the Paris charm." This got the whole room laughing again. Miral was enjoying the stories, but she was also waiting for John to show up.
"Paris charm?" John had snuck up behind Miral and startled her.
Miral was genuinely pleased to see him so she ignored his smart remark. He knew very well that there was something about the "Paris charm" that was irresistable.
"John, don't sneak up on me again. So, where's my surprise?" She looked like a little girl on christmas morning.
"It's not here." At the pout on her face, John decided to clarify. "It's somewhere else. Go get your jacket, it's cold outside." John turned and walked out the front door with Miral trailing behind him. Her parents had noticed John's arrival and saw Miral follow him out, but they knew she wouldn't get into any trouble with him and she was an adult. No need to check in with them.
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