Prompt: JD - "How come you never tortured me, you know like, when I first started?" - 'Scrubs'
Paris glanced up to see two Starfleet crewmen hovering around one of his former Maquis crewmates. From the uncomfortable look on the young Bajoran's face, he'd guess that it wasn't a friendly encounter.
He glanced around the table. With Harry, Nelix, Kes and himself at the table all of the chairs were taken. It didn't mean that they couldn't add another, however.
"Harry, grab another chair, will you?" Tom asked, as he got to his feet.
He didn't wait to see if Harry would comply to the request as he started across the mess hall.
As he approached the small group, he didn't like what he overheard. He hated when people ganged up on others. He had hated it when he was a kid, and he was the one usually being ganged up on and he hated it now that he could stand up for himself.
"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" Tom asked smoothly, stepping in between the two Starfleet personnel to put himself and Gerron. He was aware of Gerron taking a step back, just as he always had when Tom had intervened on his behalf on the Val Jean. The reserved Bajoran had been a target ever since Tom had met him.
"What's it to you. Didn't you sell these guys out?"
"That's the rumor and yet I ended up in prison and they didn't. Guess I didn't do such a good job."
"Not doing a good job must run in the Maquis as many mistakes as he makes," the crewman wearing blue whose name escaped Tom commented. Tom had a feeling he was in Gerron's department.
"Gerron does a good job when he's given a fair chance. If he had the same training as you, he'd probably run circles around you," Tom countered, knowing that his former crewmate had always been a quick study.
"Yeah, whatever," the guy scoffed. "Let's go," he said to his companion.
As the two walked away, Tom stepped to Gerron's side and put his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Why don't you come eat with us and I promise you that at least jerks like that will leave you alone."
Gerron didn't resist as Tom lead him toward the table he had been sitting at. Tom was happy to see an extra chair now placed at the end of it.
"I don't get you, Paris. We've never exactly been friends but you've always stuck up for me, right from the start."
"You seem like a decent guy and I hate bullies. Let's just leave it at that," Tom replied, not about to go into the childhood he'd like to forget.