Author: B’Elanna Paris

Title: ‘Will We Ever?’

Rating: G

Date: 11/2001

Disclaimer: All characters and Star Trek related material belongs to Paramount Pictures.

Feedback would be much appreciated.

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Blood Fever Coda. Tom & B’Elanna find themselves in each other’s arms until Vorik interrupt them again!

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It had been 13 days since she had been gripped by the Ponn Farr, 11 days since Tom had told her that he wouldn’t mind seeing her Klingon side again.

They hadn’t really spoken since except for saying ‘Hi’ once or twice. Life on Voyager had been uneventful, so they had not been forced to work with each other. She found it hard not to speak to him. For a couple of months before Sakari IV, herself and Tom had begun to get to know each other better and she desperately missed his company.

B’Elanna left engineering to go to the mess hall for breakfast, she went to Engineering, first then went to have breakfast, this was all in an effort to avoid Tom who would be no doubt with Harry, whom would make her go and sit with them.

As she exited the turbolift, to the mess hall when she saw him talking to someone, she was about to turn around when... he had spotted her and he was walking this way. What was she going to do?

"B’Elanna!" he called. She couldn’t move she was rooted to the spot.

"What?" she said rather harshly.

"Well, if your gonna be like that!" Now B’Elanna felt guilty.

"No, I’m sorry, what did you what?"

"I was wandering whether you would like dinner on the holodeck tonight with.... me," he with caution.

"Oh, I don’t know, maybe another...." she was cut off.

"Oh, come on B’Elanna, I won’t try anything. Promise." She wasn’t worried about him, she was worried about her.

"Okay then."

"Good. Holodeck One. 19.00 hours."

"I’ll be there." this was easier than she thought.

He began to walk past her to the turbolift, he turned around, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot wear a dress it’s a formal dinner."

He walked on to the turbolift, B’Elanna walked into the mess hall "Huh, formal indeed." she said under her breath. She knew Tom full well, he just liked seeing her in dresses, he had told her that a couple of weeks before the Ponn Farr incident and that she should wear dresses more often.

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The day flew by, B’Elanna had been distracted for most of the day. What was she going to wear, the only dress she wore was that brown velvety one, where she wore dark black tights and her boots with that. But when she thought of it she wanted to impress Tom, she knew that wasn’t a good idea but she wanted to.

She wasn’t going to ask anyone else for advice, people might start to gossip, so she went through the casual clothing database but everything looked like her dress but a different colour. And then she remembered that Tom liked the 20^th century so she looked clothes up on that database. She found a lilac strappy knee length dress. She actually liked it. So she replicated it with a pair of lilac mules.

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Tom was walking to the holodeck, he was fifteen minutes early, he had checked and no one was using it. So he decided to run the programme to make sure everything was perfect, that’s if B’Elanna shows up.

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After she had got dressed, she looked in the bathroom mirror, she wasn’t so sure about this outfit now. Maybe it was too revealing or maybe Tom won’t like it. B’Elanna glanced at the time. She was 5 minutes late. She couldn’t do anything now. She’d better get up there.

She took the route which didn’t have many people on, a couple of crewman glanced at her, but she just focussed on her route. She looked at the display next to the doors ‘Programme Active’ it read. She went through the doors.

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As she walked in she was astonished by what she saw. She had stepped out on to a sort of balcony over looking a lake, the balcony was on the side of a valley. She saw the dinner table, overlooking the lake, two candles where burning in the middle of the table, the food was laid out waiting but no sign of Tom. She was going to ask the computer where he was when, "You’re here !" he exclaimed coming in from a marble arch at the side of the balcony.

"Great program you’ve got here, Tom." She complimented him.

"So is this Lake Como?" she guessed.

"Yes."

"Right, well we should have something to eat." she was beginning to feel uneasy in this beautiful place with Tom.

Tom was taken back by what she was wearing. Her bare shoulders, he hadn’t seen that since Sakari IV, stop it, he told himself, if you want her your going have to do it the right way.

"You look," he choose his next words carefully, "... nice." Nice, she looked beautiful, he thought.

"Thanks," she responded. Nice, she thought, maybe this dress wasn’t the right choice after all.

They both sat down, Tom pulled her chair for her to sit in, then he sat down himself.

They began to eat, they started to talk, at the beginning it felt a bit uneasy but then they began to enjoy each other’s company. The candles were nearly burnt out before B’Elanna realised they had been there for over two hours.

"I really should be going now and anyway your holodeck time should be up soon." she said pushing her chair out.

"Oh, no I have plenty of holodeck time. You don’t have to go." Desperate to have her stay.

"I really think I should."

"No, you don’t! I still have some of this program to show you!" blocking her path to the exit he seemed to be getting pushy.

She stopped for a moment contemplating her next move. She’ll take the dive, she thought.

"Okay."

There was an old record player in the corner, he went and put some music on, Tom also dimmed the small flood lights that were surrounding the back of the balcony where they were.

B’Elanna looked up, she was going to say something but then thought why spoil a perfect moment. The music was still in a instrumental stage, then she began to hear a voice. Tom guided her over to the middle of the balcony and took her hands in his and they began a slow dance.

This is good, she thought, she was watching her feet most of time, as she wasn’t very good dancer.

This was, in Tom’s mind making things harder, he wanted to stop but he just couldn’t. This woman had such a hold over him. He just wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her in his arms, but he knew he couldn’t.

B’Elanna in his eyes. She knew that all that she wanted to do was kiss him. Some where along the line she had fallen for this man, all she had to do was resist the urge. But why should she, he wanted her didn’t he?

They moved closer, Tom’s hand slipped around B’Elanna’s waist. B’Elanna was about to pull away but didn’t instead she slipped her arms around Tom’s waist.

Was this finally going to be it? Tom thought.

I can’t rush things, B’Elanna thought. This is to fast. If only I hadn’t looked up into his blue eyes. I can’t help but sink myself into them.

At the same time, Tom leaned down and B’Elanna stretched up, this was it the were going to take the plunge, they were centimetres from each others face but then:

They pulled away from each other. The moment was ruined. The question was will they ever get it back?

"I have to go." B’Elanna headed for the exit and left, "I’ll be there in a moment Vorik"

"B’Elanna....." Tom called.

She didn’t have to go it was a minor problem. You scared her off, great going! Tom thought.

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Why did I have to leave? You idiot! It’s only a minor problem.

B’Elanna was in the turbolift heading to engineering. She could still feel Tom’s hand’s resting on her waist, that had been heaven. They had both nearly taken the plunge but Vorik had interrupted them again! She exited the turbolift and entered engineering. Some engineers had turned around stunned by what she was wearing. But she couldn’t care less any more she ruined her best chance with Tom she’s ever likely to have.

"So, Vorik....." as she spotted him.

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Tom was fuming, as he walked back to his quarters. The evening had been perfect until Vorik had interrupted them. How can B’Elanna work with him after what happened?

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It had been four weeks since, the holodeck date, Tom had asked B’Elanna to dinner on the holodeck a couple of times since, she had flatly refused, until last week. She had told him, that she would have dinner with him but not on the holodeck in the mess hall. Not the most romantic place, but Tom thought, B’Elanna wanted to be somewhere public so things wouldn’t happen, he guessed.

To be honest the dinners, didn’t reveal anything new, B’Elanna thought. It had just become continuous flirting. Every time, Tom thought, he had cracked her, she would push him away.

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Tom Paris’ Personal Log Stardate 50623.5

She did it again. B’Elanna I mean, pushing me away. It won’t always be like this, I hope. One day I just want be dating her and be able to call her my girlfriend, lover, whatever. I know she’s the one, I don’t how but I do, I gonna spend the rest of my life with her. I mean I’d ask her to marry me now, but she’d say no. I know we’ll get there, but sometimes it feels like... ‘Will We Ever?’

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B’Elanna Torres’ Personal Log Stardate 50623.5

It gets harder to resist him, every time we’re together. I’m not sure why I do really, it’s probably because he might say he doesn’t feel the same? Deep down I know he feels the same way. My room mate at Starfleet Academy used to use the phrase, ‘Love is just friendship set on fire’. I mean we are good friends, I suppose all we need now is a spark. I want to be with now and forever. I feel like he’s the one, to whom I will spend the rest of my life with and I’ll be happy. But with all these false starts recently, I wonder ‘Will We Ever?’

THE END