Emotions Series 01 Silent Emotions Read online

  at his plate as he ate, keeping his eyes only on his food. He

  didn't notice the concerned looks the two were giving him or each

  other. Kim tried to get him to talk, but Paris only shook his

  head paying more attention to his meal.

  Torres growled often during those morning hours. She refused to

  play whatever game Paris was trying to play. She was actually

  more concerned on why she had caught Paris' scent. She had heard

  about a Klingon catching a potential mate's scent, but she had

  thought it was only a myth. Kim was her mate, but she hadn't

  caught his scent. But why did she feel so aroused and stimulated

  whenever she smelled her hands? Why did she feel a tingling in

  her legs and toes when she was near Paris?

  Torres shook the answering thoughts out of her head. Paris

  couldn't be interested in her. Besides, she was getting married

  and Paris wasn't the type to take someone's girlfriend,

  especially his best friend's. Everything was becoming confusing

  to her. She could smell Paris wherever she went, but she was

  about to be married to Kim. She shook her head again and looked

  at Paris, who averted his eyes back down to his plate.

  she asked silently,
  is something going on here, and you are in the middle of it, Tom.

  You are going to tell me what's wrong with you.>

  Around lunch time, Harry tried to get Tom to go to the Mess Hall

  with him. Neelix was serving a new dish, and he wanted to try it

  out. Paris, though shook his head and said he was staying in his

  quarters.

  "Tom," Kim said, trying not to shout, "You've been eating in you

  quarters for too long. People think you're a figment of their

  imaginations, only popping up when you have Bridge duty. You have

  got to get over this and move on!"

  Paris glared at Kim then, "Get over it?! I can't get over it,

  Harry! There is no way I can!"

  Kim was shocked at Paris' tone of voice. That was the first time,

  the pilot said anything to him, "Tom, if you tell me what's

  bothering you, maybe I can help you through it."

  Paris chuckled humorlessly, "I doubt you would want to help me

  once you found out what's wrong."

  "Try me," Kim said, glad to finally be making some lead way, but

  Paris just shook his head, "Why? Don't you trust us? Trust me?"

  "I do, but I don't want...."

  Torres came in at that time, fuming. She cursed in Klingon as she

  stalked into the room, tossing a datapadd on the floor and

  heading into the bathroom. During this time, Kim backed all the

  way to the replicator, and Paris watched her, smiling. The two

  could hear her, cursing as she showered. Paris laughed out loud

  as Kim sank to the floor.

  "What is so funny, Tom?" Kim asked, after a moment, "She could

  have torn into us if we stood in her way."

  Paris leaned back into his couch, still laughing. Kim shrugged,

  glad at least to hear his friend laughing.

  * * * * * * *

  The next morning, Kim again found Torres beside Paris' bed. He

  shrugged and went to the replicator to order them some breakfast.

  He figured that Torres was just concerned that Paris would try it

  again at anytime. He also figured that she was trying to get the

  pilot to talk and thought some privacy would do just that. He

  hoped that Paris would talk soon, for it was nearing his and

  Torres' wedding day, and he wanted Paris to be his best man.

 
  wedding,> Kim thought as he placed the plates on the table. He

  was about to call the two to breakfast when his commbadge

  chirped.

  "Janeway to Kim."

  "Kim here, Captain."

  "How's Tom?"

  "Still moody, but a little bit better. He laughed up a storm last

  night."

  Kim could hear the smile in her voice, "That's wonderful, Mr.

  Kim. Maybe he's coming around and will be back to his old self."

  "That's what I'm hoping for, Captain."

  "Harry, the reason I called is that I need you to go on an away

  mission."

  "An away mission?" Harry was surprised, "What about Tom?"

  "B'Elanna can watch over him. You are assigned to go with Ensign

  Lerise to an abandoned communication station to look for any

  salvagable parts we could use, when she was with the Maquis she

  had experience in demolition. You leave in forty minutes."

  "Understood, Captain. Kim out."

  The link closed and he stared at the bedroom entrance. He

  wondered what the two would say about him leaving. He wondered

  what B'Elanna would think about Janeway assigning him to an away

  mission when Tom needed them the most. He took a sip of his

  coffee and went to face the music.

  "B'Elanna," Kim began, choosing his words carefully, "Captain

  Janeway has assigned me to an away mission. I don't know when

  I'll be back. She has left you to watch Tom."

  "An away mission. Now?" Torres glared at him, her dark eyes

  flashing, "Tom needs you as much as he needs me right now. She

  can't do this!"

  "She just did," Kim said quietly, "I leave in forty minutes."

  Torres growled, but looked back at Paris. He was staring at both

  of them calmly. He looked at her the longest. Her dark eyes

  full of emotion. He offered her a small smile and she returned

  it.

  "I think you're afraid you'll tear me apart and you need Harry

  here to keep you in line," Paris said, smiling.

  Torres snorted, "Right."

  Kim smiled as well, glad to see thatTom's humor had returned.

  Maybe seeing an angry Klingon was just what Paris needed. Then

  again, he was still wondering why Tom had started laughing. He

  would have to ask him about it later.

  "Look, I need to get going," Kim said, draining his cup, "I want

  both of you alive and in one piece when I get back."

  Paris mock saluted him and Torres nodded. Kim walked over to

  Torres and kissed her on the cheek, not noticing Paris tightly

  closed eyelids. The ensign then left the room.

  Torres looked back at Paris to see the tears stream down his

  face. She stroked his hair and the eyes popped open. She stared

  into his pained blue eyes and wondered what had happened.

  "Tom," she began, but he just shook his head and got out of bed.

  Torres watched in wonder as he wandered around the room toward

  his bathroom. She felt herself become aroused as she stared at

  his half-naked body. She felt her mouth water as she moved her

  eyes down his body. He then disappeared into the bathroom,

  leaving her hot and breathless.

  she asked herself as she stood and went

  into the main room,
  aroused? And all he did was walk into the bathroom. The question

  here is what is wrong with me?>

  Torres sat down on the couch and dove into her breakfast. Just

  then a vivid image of Paris taking a shower forced its way into

  her head. She again felt herself getting aroused, but she shoved

  it away before she went too far.
/>   She told herself,
  is not the time to be daydreaming about a naked Tom Paris!>

  She smiled anyway as the persistent image popped into her head

  again. Now, the half-Klingon was fighting two battles inside her,

  but in reality it was her Klingon half that was raging both wars.

  Chapter 7

  Ensign Harry Kim went through the pre-flight check list as Ensign

  Alera Lerise checked the equipment. Kim then opened a channel to

  the Bridge.

  "Kim to Bridge, are we cleared for take off?"

  "You are cleared for take off, Ensign," Tuvok stated, stoically.

  "Thanks. See you in a few days. Kim out."

  The shuttle left the ship, and headed toward the abandoned

  station. It was a quiet and peaceful flight. Kim stared at the

  stars flying by them at warp two. It made him think of his best

  friend, who had been extremely depressed for the past month. He

  wanted to know what was wrong with Tom Paris, but he refused to

  talk to anyone.

  Kim thought, thinking back to the first couple

  of days he and B'Elanna had stayed with Tom. He remembered the

  pilot had ignored, at first, both of them, but then just him. He

  was beginning to think he had something to do with Tom's

  depression.

  <"But, what did I do?> Kim asked himself.

  Lerise felt the confusion from the ensign beside her. She at

  first tried to ignore it. She stared at the datapadd before her,

  but the concern and confusion still assaulted her senses. She

  looked over at Kim, his confusion evident on his face. She knew

  then she couldn't ignore it much longer.

  "Harry, what's wrong?" She asked.

  Kim continued to stare at the stars, "I shouldn't tell you,

  Alera, but it's eating me up inside, and I believe that you could

  keep a secret," he said and she nodded in the affirmative, so he

  continued. "It's Tom. He has gotten worse. He tried to kill

  himself two days ago," he didn't notice the shocked expression on

  the Betazoid's face, "The Captain and Commander have assigned me

  and B'Elanna to watch him. Last night, he seemed better. He

  actually laughed, but he has ignored me the whole time. When I

  tried to ask him what was wrong, he yelled at me. I think it's

  me, but I don't know what I did to make him so depressed. He

  won't talk to anyone."

  Lerise squeezed his shoulder, "I also feel some guilt from you,

  Harry. You feel guilty for leaving him. Don't worry, Harry, I'm

  sure he'll be fine. Now concentrate on flying the shuttle."

  Kim nodded and went back to studying his console. He felt a bit

  better, but he still felt he should be there to watch Tom.

  * * * * * * *

  B'Elanna came back to Tom's quarters after a brief visit to

  Engineering to check on the progress Carey was making re-aligning

  the warp core. When the door slid open she noticed that it was

  still as dark in the cabin as when she left and poking her head

  in Tom's bedroom she noticed that he was still sleeping.

  Taking the opportunity presented, she closed his bedroom door and

  requested that the lights in the living area be brought up to 80

  percent. It was time to do a little housekeeping she thought, as

  much as she hated that chore, so she removed her uniform top

  which left her clad in just the gray undershirt. She began

  picking up the lunch dishes and deposited them in the recycler

  and then proceeded to pick up the other odds and ends that had

  accumulated since Harry had left two days ago.

  Two days ago. It seemed like Tom had somewhat improved over that

  time, but he still hadn't revealed what had been troubling him so

  much to resort to suicide. If he didn't tell her soon she'd rip

  it out of him, she determined as she lay on her stomach to reach

  under the couch to retrieve a couple of datapadds. Pulling

  herself out from under the couch, her undershirt caught on a

  fastener under the couch.

  "Damn," she muttered as she struggled to free herself. After

  several minutes of no success, in fact if anything she had gotten

  herself even more hopelessly entangled, she emitted a loud

  Klingon growl followed by a loud request to the occupant in the

  next room. "Paris, come out here! I need your help!"

  Tom was on the edge of being asleep and awake when her voice

  plunged him over the edge and he opted to wake up. "B'Elanna?"

  he questioned as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

  "Paris, I'm caught! I need your help!" she roared again, this

  time even more irate.

  Not even taking the time to pull on his robe he went in search of

  the half-Klingon clad only in his briefs. As he stepped into the

  living area all he could see of B'Elanna was a pair of legs which

  stuck out from under the sofa kicking away in frustration. "Easy

  B'Elanna, what's wrong?" he asked as he kneeled down beside her

  trying to avoid the moving feet.

  "I'm stuck, now get off your duff and help me."

  "Take it easy. Be still and I'll help you," he instructed as his

  hands reached up under the sofa and made contact with the skin on

  her back. Feeling the silken smoothness of her skin beneath his

  fingers, he stopped for a moment in his search for the

  entanglement just to enjoy the sensation.

  She could feel his fingers on her back and thought that she would

  all but melt into a molten pool of ecstasy.
  this is Tom remember, the pig of the Delta Quadrant! What the

  hell has gotten into you. You're getting married to Harry Kim,

  remember? You love Harry, right?> But a little voice inside her

  head continued to quarrel with her saying
  why does Tom's touch affect you so? Why does he make you heat

  up -- just like you had a fever?> She paused in mid thought.
  fever -- like a blood fever? that's a laugh, a blood fever,

  that's just a myth? It's just not possible. Is it?> She shook

  the thoughts out of her head and began to squirm again but this

  time it was accompanied by the sound of fabric ripping.

  Feeling her trying to disentangle herself again, Tom reached

  further in and he finally felt the reason for her predicament, a

  nail was caught in her shirt. Using his long fingers he

  carefully extracted the material from the nail and pulled up on

  the edge of the couch. "There B'Elanna, pull yourself out now."

  Still grumbling at the embarrassing situation she had put herself

  in, B'Elanna crawled out and sat up beside the pilot. Looking

  down she noticed that the nail had ripped her undershirt in such

  a way that her front was completely exposed to the pilot.

  Quickly, she turned her back to him and tried to pull the

  material together around herself.

  Tom was at an unusual loss for words and action. It wasn't

  everyday that a wish came true. It wasn't everyday that someone

  as beautiful as B'Elanna Torres graced him with a sumptuous,

  though innocent, view of her body.

  Aware of the silence, B'Elanna turned her head around and was

  aware for the first time of his intoxicat
ing stage of undress as

  he towered over her. She noticed everything from his hairs that

  entangled themselves on his chest, the slight scar that was

  etched along his lower thigh, and the bulge that continued to

  swell under his briefs. The heat in her body that she had felt

  earlier magnified and she was now even more aware of his scent

  than she had been before. She crinkled her pert nose and inhaled

  deeply a few times trying to capture as much of his aroma as she

  could knowing that she couldn't touch him but she couldn't help

  but enjoy the smell.

  Finally, she snapped to her senses. "Don't just stand there,

  Flyboy, get me something to wear! I can't go traipsing about the

  ship with this on!"

  "Sorry B'Elanna it was just that . . . you're so . . ."
  Tommy before she knocks you through the bulkhead.> he thought as

  he retreated to his bedroom and finally emerged with his robe on

  and one of his favorite shirts -- his Big Daddy-O Hawaiian

  Special for her. "Ah . . . here, B'Elanna, put this on, I think

  it's your color." he said as he dropped the shirt onto her lap.

  "I'll just go ah . . shower and change while you slip that on,"

  he explained.

  "Th. . .Thanks," she stammered.

  After she had dressed and Tom had taken a very cold shower and

  also changed, they met again out in the living area. B'Elanna was

  focused on only one thing breathing his scent, it was as if she