How To Save A Life- Chapter 2

Deep Space Nine

Tom had just watched Jadzia die for the second time in less than an hour. It was hard to see it again, but he knew he had to watch it so he could think over what he would have to do to try to save her. Q snapped his fingers and they went back in time five minutes before Jadzia walked into the shrine. Q snapped his fingers again making him invisible and Tom visible. Tom looked around and began to walk towards the Bajoran shrine where he knew Jadzia would come to. After walking there, Tom intercepted Jadzia on her way in.

"Don't go in there!" Tom said to Jadzia and ran up to her. Jadzia looked at him as if she had seen a ghost.

"Tom?" Jadzia asked. "Tom, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Tom replied in a hurry. "You can't go in there."

"But Tom Paris is in the Delta Quadrant." Jadzia continued. She began to get angry; and she then tapped her comm. badge. "Dax to Odo, get down to the Bajoran shrine immediately, we have a security problem."

"What?" Tom asked in surprise. "Why'd you do that? I'm not that dangerous…at least not anymore."

Several security officers and Odo ran up to Jadzia and Tom. Jadzia pointed towards Tom and told them to arrest him. Tom was in shock; his best friend for no reason was having him arrested.

"Why the hell are you arresting me?" Tom yelled as the security officers took him away towards the security cells.

"You're obviously a shapeshifter." Jadzia responded. She walked with the security teams and used the comm. line to get Doctor Bashir to join them in the security office.

After being thrown into one of the cells, Tom's blood was taken for examination. Just fifteen minutes later, Jadzia walked into Tom's holding cell and stood in front of him. The forcefield was down and Odo, Chief of Security, was waiting just outside the holding cell with his arms crossed.

"You're human." Jadzia stated though it was more like a question.

"Most people don't need to take my blood to figure that out." Tom replied sarcastically.

"Is it really you, Tom?" Jadzia asked.

"Yes, it's still me." Tom answered.

"Prove it." Jadzia said, still not believing him.

"When you came to visit my sister for the first time, we had a dog that jumped on you." Tom replied, though apparently that wasn't enough. "Her name was Serenity. I named her after one of my favorite movies."

Jadzia stared at Tom for a little bit longer not knowing to believe him or not. "Which old Earth movie did I introduce you and your sisters to?" Jadzia asked.

"Rent." Tom replied. "And I still hum the songs…"

"It's really you." Jadzia said in amazement. "I can't believe it."

"Well believe it." Tom responded. "Not that I don't love spending time here, but I want out."

At that moment Doctor Bashir, who was standing behind Odo, was called down to Sickbay. Bashir, Odo, Jadzia, and Tom left the Security Office and rushed towards Sickbay. Once they entered, a Bajoran was on the biobed being treated.

"Dukat…Dukat…" the man mumbled. "The Prophets have a…aband…abandoned us."

Tom stared at the man as walked back a couple steps. Saving Jadzia's life meant another person, an innocent, would die in her place. This had gotten more complicated then he imagined it would. The Doctor froze in place as did the others, as if someone had pushed pause on an old Earth remote.

"Shall we go back in time again, Tom?" Q asked as he appeared next to Tom.

"You never said that someone else would die in her place." Tom said to Q angrily.

"You never asked." Q replied. "Again?"

"Again." Tom mumbled.

15 Years Earlier on Earth…

Jadzia was enrolling in Starfleet Academy and had arrived on Earth almost one month before the new semester began. She had come early to stay with a friend and her family that she had met via their school programs. The Paris family was a well known family in Starfleet and meeting them would be incredibly interesting.

Jadzia was met at the train terminal by one of the family members. Moria, her friend, was unable to come and instead sent her younger brother, Thomas Paris. Tom, 16, walked up to Jadzia smiling. Tom Paris was younger than her by only two years, but he was taller and…handsome. Though Jadzia would never admit it because of him being so close to a good friend of hers.

"You must be Jadzia." Tom said to her, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Yes, that's me." Jadzia returned the smile and shook his hand, though she had to shuffle around some of her stuff to get a free hand.

"Here, let me take some of that." Tom offered to take some of her baggage. After giving him a couple bags, they boarded the train that would take them near the Paris household.

After a ten minute ride on the train and many interesting conversations, Tom and Jadzia walked into the house only to be greeted by a very excited golden retriever. The golden retriever jumped up with the front paws on Jadzia's stomach. Tom put a couple of Jadzia's bags on the floor and shooed the dog off of Jadzia. But that wasn't before the next dog, a German shepard, came running towards them.

"Sorry," Tom started trying to keep the new dog from jumping on Jadzia. "They get excited."

"It's alright, I love animals." Jadzia replied, she began to pet the golden retriever. "What are their names?"

"Well, the golden retriever is Serenity." Tom answered.

"How ironic." Jadzia muttered.

"Yeah, I named her after one of my favorite movies, but I didn't know she was going to be like this." Tom responded smiling. "And the German shepard is Bishop." Jadzia giggled at the name. "Why'd you laugh?"

"Oh no, nothing, it's just, the name Bishop reminds me of a movie I saw." Jadzia replied.

"Alien or Aliens?" Tom asked, though he knew she probably wouldn't get it.

Jadzia looked shocked at him. "I was thinking Alien then Aliens." Jadzia replied. "The robot with the milk! You know that stuff?"

"Of course! You're talking to the king of old Earth movies." Tom added. "Those were amazing movies, I can't believe you've seen them!"

"Are you kidding?" Jadzia asked. "When I wasn't studying –which wasn't often- I watched old Earth movies because they were apparently very good."

"Wow, we are definitely going to have to talk about some of these movies!" Tom said. He grabbed some of her bags and motioned for her to follow. "You'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom which is on this level. Moria will be home in an hour and my mother will be home in half an hour. My father won't be home until next week, since he's on assignment. I'll help you get settled in your room."

"Thanks, this is going to be great!" Jadzia replied. She followed Tom to what would be her room for the next month. This was definitely going to be one interesting trip.

Voyager

B'Elanna Torres walked onto the Bridge. She had been looking for her boyfriend Tom Paris and the computer had stated that he was not on board. She had gone to his quarters and they were in complete disarray as if he had been taken. But apparently Tom had put up a struggle.

"Captain, any luck?" B'Elanna asked with concern in her voice.

"Not yet, B'Elanna." The Captain replied. "Last person to see him was Harry and that was only an hour and a half ago."

"Have there been any ships in the area?" B'Elanna asked as though no one had thought of these ideas.

"None have been seen in the past two hours." Harry answered.

"We're trying the best we can, B'Elanna." The Captain reassured her. "We'll find him."