Look After You- Chapter Five

Chapter: 5/?

Rating : T

Pairing: P/T

Summary: Set after the episode "Faces." After their ordeal in the Vidiian mines, two very different people find they share a common ground.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything, apparently. The title comes from The Fray's song Look After You. Information on Tom's ship came from here: www . lib . mq . edu . au / all / journeys / ships / vessels. html (with no spaces in between)

"Pathways" belongs to Jeri Taylor, and it would help if you've read that. In that book, B'Elanna too has a passion for sailing. HMS Pinafore "We sail the ocean blue" belongs to the geniuses who created it.

Author notes: Thanks to Pepper for the beta! I hope you all enjoy reading this, and it was fun to write.

***

"This is what you wanted us to see?"

There were a lot of things B'Elanna was, but at that very moment impressed wasn't one of them.

"Yeah," Harry's voice echoed, just as unimpressed. "You brought us onto a boat?"

"It's a ship actually," Tom corrected, not bothered by their reactions. "A 19th Century Hermaphrodite Brig."

B'Elanna snorted at the name.

"I don't get what you wanted us to see," Harry said confused. "It's just a ship."

At that moment, Tom looked like he wanted to push Harry overboard. "It's not just a ship, Harry! Look around, can't you see how brilliant it is?"

Harry and B'Elanna cast their gazes around them. They were on the deck of a pretty big ship, and B'Elanna couldn't help but admire the magnificent sails and masts. They were so noticeable and seemed incredibly superfluous, but were apparently essential for the ship to move. B'Elanna never could get her head around how basic ancient things were. Not to mention silly.

"It's…big," she supplied.

"125 feet long," Tom said proudly.

"And you intend to drive this thing?" Harry asked.

"Steer, Harry. And yes, I do."

"How long did it take for you to create this?" B'Elanna asked.

"I started working on it as soon I got holodeck privileges. I love sailing."

"Really? I could never have guessed," said Harry, sarcastically.

She took from Harry's tone and look of queasiness that he did not. Inwardly, she couldn't help admire Tom's passion for ships. When she was younger, she used to love going sailing on the lake back home. Only in small boats, though. She didn't think she could sail in something as pretentious as this. It was rare to see another person whose passion for sailing matched what hers had been. She expected Tom to love all the flashy and indulgent things of their time. His love for ancient things was unexpected, and slightly endearing.

"So are we going to go sailing?" she inquired.

He grinned. "You bet. Anchors away!" he hollered to some of the holographic crew.

Moments later, they were setting sail in the middle of an ocean, with only vast space ahead of them. B'Elanna revelled in the sea breeze against her skin, and the movement of the ship as she glided effortlessly against the sea. Harry too was absorbing the sensation of sailing; the wind in his hair, the gentle rocking of the ship and the unique smell of the ocean. B'Elanna smiled when she noticed him with his eyes closed and chin lifted upwards.

"Enjoying yourself, Harry?"

He opened his eyes and grinned at her. "This is kind of relaxing isn't it?"

They were both at the bow of the ship, leaning over the rail and just admiring the ship cutting through the waves.

"Relaxing for some, yes," Tom mused from his position behind them at the wheel.

"Hey, I offered to steer but you wouldn't let me," Harry pointed out.

"She's my baby," Tom said. "So I get the honour of steering."

"Does 'she' have a name?" B'Elanna asked.

"The Bold Ego."

"The what?" That from Harry.

"It's a play on words. The Bold Ego. Boldly go."

"I don't get it."

"You know? To boldly go where no man has gone before."

"Ohhh," B'Elanna and Harry chorused.

"I didn't know you were a fan of Picard," Harry mused.

"He does have pretty cool phrases," Tom quipped.

Harry and B'Elanna exchanged grins.

"So are we heading anywhere?" Harry asked.

"I've programmed in a few islands to explore," Tom answered, as he proceeded to tell them about explorers of the 19th Century.

"If we have to hear anymore," Harry muttered after a while, "there is going to be a 'man overboard situation,' and that man isn't going to be me."

B'Elanna laughed. The history lesson was tiresome after a while, but the trip was fun. She hadn't been this relaxed in ages, and for a while she was able to forget her troubles. Maybe that's why Tom wanted her to see this, because he knew it would help. If he had, it had worked. It also helped remind her how much she loved being on or in water. The ocean, lake or river- she loved them all. She hadn't done something like this in a long time. In fact, the last time she had even been near water was back in the Maquis with Tom. They'd come across an M-class planet whilst hiding out in the Badlands, and they and a few others were working on building a base there. It was unbearably hot, so the two of them decided to cool off in the nearby stream. She had decided to try and knock Tom down a few pegs or so by playing a trick on him, but her plan had backfired, and had he not rescued her, she would have ended up dying. Looking at him now, steering the ship with a grin the size of the Alpha Quadrant, it was hard to think that he had been that cocky, arrogant, irksome man she'd met back then. Oh, he was still those things, but a more dilute form, which was definitely saying something. She'd never have guessed that she'd befriend him, much less come to like him. She was glad to find out that he wasn't as bad as she previously thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tom starting to sing.

"We sail the ocean bluuuue, and our saucy ship's a beauuuuty. We're sober men and truuuue and attentive to our duteeey…" He began in an awful operatic voice.

B'Elanna and Harry looked at each other in concern.

"Tom, what are you doing?" B'Elanna asked.

"I'm singing," he replied defensively.

"It's disturbing," Harry said.

"Yeah," B'Elanna agreed. "I think some holographic dolphins heard you singing. And died."

"Hey!" he cried. "I'm not that bad."

"I don't know. My heart's still beating pretty fast from the scare," Harry put in. It was fun teasing Tom.

B'Elanna felt similar. Apparently you could be an extremely good pilot or a good singer, but you could not be both.

Tom glared them. "This is my ship, and if I want to sing, I will do. In fact, I'm going to go right ahead and sing the whole score of the HMS Pinafore."

Harry and B'Elanna groaned.

"How long does it last?" B'Elanna whispered to Harry.

Harry tried to remember it from a concert he had seen with Libby. "I can't remember. It's quite long. It's in several acts."

B'Elanna's eyes widened. "We chuck him over, we chuck him now!"

But they were spared Tom singing again, by the beeping of Tom's combadge.

"Casey to Paris."

"Paris here."

"Tom, where are you?" An annoyed woman's voice came through.

Tom looked confused. "Where am I?"

"You were supposed to meet me for dinner, remember? We had a date."

Tom's eyes widened in remembrance. "I'll be right there."

"You doubled booked us, Tommy?" Harry asked, mockingly shaking his head. "I'm disgusted." And relieved, he thought.

"I'm sorry, guys. I completely forgot I made a date with Alison. Catch you guys later?" Tom said, looking rather apologetic, before asking the computer for transportation out of the programme.

Well some things just don't change, B'Elanna thought with amusement.

"So it's just us two," Harry mused.

"It's just us," she agreed.

"You know, apart from Tom's 'singing,' this hasn't been so bad, but do you know what would be great?"

She eyed him warily. "What?"

"If we made a few important changes to this ship."

B'Elanna grinned. "I like your thinking, Starfleet."