Tom killed some time in his quarters. He got himself cleaned up and was just getting into some light reading. He left himself dooze off. It was barely noon but nevertheless fall asleep he did.
Tom could hear his com badge going off. It was mixing with his dream and thereby making him aware he was dreaming. As he became more awake he noticed that his dream had left him with a feeling of loss.
Ah well it was just a dream after all, Tom thought as he answered his com badge. At first Tom thought it was just an accident since nothing but inaudible sound came out. Then with a shock of terror he recognized the maker of the sound.
"B'Elanna!"
The only answer was continued sobs.
"I am coming over. Stay put," Tom said and he turned the com badge off, jumped out of the reading chair, dressed asked the computer to locate her and was out the door.
He rang the bell and the door to her quarters opened.
And there was B'Elanna curled up on the sofa, clutching her chest and bawling.
Tom moved to sit next to her and put his arms around her; she grabbed him tight.
Tom wasn't sure if she could speak through her sobs so he just sat there and held her tight while she cried into his shoulder. Thinking all the while he should have gone with her no matter what she said.
And slowly her vibrating body calmed and her breathing evened out. When Tom thought she could answer, he said "I should have come with you!"
"No it's okay," B'Elanna said. "I am just being silly."
"No you're not," Tom said. "I am pretty sure I can guess what the doctor said."
"The doc warned me my hormones would be out of whack for a while," B'Elanna said. "After after…"
"After you lost the baby," Tom finished for her.
B'Elanna nodded.
"Thank you for calling me," Tom said.
B'Elanna realizing she was still in Tom's arms and moved away to sit on her own. She looked at him closely. Her tears drying.
"You're disappointed aren't you?" She said.
"I think so," he said. "This is all just so new."
"Why?" She said. "I never thought you were the paternal type."
He smiled. "Me neither," he said. "It's just with you I think it would be worth it." He had to say it. It was now or never.
"Even before the pon farr I liked you," he continued. "But after I couldn't think of anything else. My whole body seemed to vibrate with excitement just being in the the same room as you. I am so aware of you. I can't turn it off and I can't deny it anymore."
She was stunned. He was now standing right in front of her holding her face in his hands.
"I need you," he said. "I can't be just your friend anymore. Trying to just be your friend since that night in the cave has been hard but now I think it is impossible."
"How come you never told me before?"
"I asked you if you had meant what you said in the cave remember?"
"And I said I wasn't sure." She said softly.
"And then you pretended like everything was the same. Like didn't know what it felt like to-" He broke off not sure how to describe what had happened in that cave. "What was a suppose to do? Tell you I loved you when you clearly didn't?"
He said it so casually she almost didn't notice it.
"You love me?"
He rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been listening?"
"Please," he said. "Let's stop messing around with our hearts. Just be mine and I'll be yours." He smiled.
"Is it really that simple."
He leaned in and whispered 'yes' in her ear.