By Mickey M
© January 1997
Part 1
Through the flames and pieces of wreckage, B'Elanna could just make out a tousled blond head. She knew it was Tom--he'd been the shuttle's only other occupant. She began picking her way through the wreckage, trying to get to him as quickly as possible. Before she could reach him though, an errant piece of wiring at the nav console shorted out, and B'Elanna watched in helpless horror as his motionless body was caught in the resultant explosion. "Tom...NO!"
**********************
With that shout B'Elanna came awake, sitting up in bed, sheet balled up in her fists. Frantically she peered into the darkness, trying to remember where she was. Gradually awareness returned, and she began to relax. "It was a dream," she told herself out loud. Just a dream. Except that she'd had that same dream for five nights in a row now. "Computer, lights on, half."
The lights came up in her quarters, and she sighed. "Computer, what is the time?"
"The time is 0414 hours."
Well, she'd managed to sleep later tonight than any of the others so far. Still, she knew there'd be no more sleep for her tonight. Might as well get up and go down to engineering...
B'Elanna stood up decisively and went into her bathroom for a shower. The view in the mirror stopped her momentarily. Oh, Gods...was that her? There were dark shadows ringing her eyes, and the eyes themselves were puffy and swollen from lack of sleep. She'd really catch hell from Chakotay today--she'd had trouble putting him off yesterday. Damn. Well, maybe a shower, a *real*, hot water shower, would help. She stripped off her pajamas and stepped in.
Twenty minutes later a clean, but not refreshed B'Elanna was on her way to engineering, hoping she could avoid the First Officer for the whole day.
Just as B'Elanna was beginning to think she might make it through the morning without any crises; and thus, without having to see the first officer and justify her appearance, the ship shuddered violently. B'Elanna grabbed onto a console and regained her balance, then furiously began typing commands into the console. She had barely begun to scan the data screen when the ship shuddered again and the red alert klaxon began sounding. Deciding that her guardian angel must be sleeping in, B'Elanna hit her comm badge. "Torres to Bridge. What's going on up there?"
It was Chakotay's voice that answered her. "We've encountered some sort of undetectable forcefield. Senior staff meeting in five minutes, Lieutenant."
"Aye, Sir." She closed the channel then turned to see her staff looking at her. "Get back to your stations, people. Nothing much going on with the engines." Yet, she added silently. An *undetectable* forcefield? This I've got to see. She was halfway to the bridge when she remembered why she'd wanted to avoid seeing Chakotay this morning. Now it seemed she'd have to face Chakotay and the captain both. Apparently her guardian angel was on vacation.
The senior staff was gathered around the briefing table, waiting for the captain. She walked into the room with a concerned look on her face. "We've been hailed from a planet that is apparently undetectable as well," she told her officers. "Mr. Curan, put that transmission through to the briefing room."
"Aye, Captain."
The viewscreen flickered to life, but there was no image to be seen, just a bright...whiteness. B'Elanna blinked and looked away, only to see Chakotay's concerned gaze on her. She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the viewscreen. This time Harry was giving her a once-over. She sighed. She must look even worse than her mirror had indicated. At least Paris didn't appear to notice anything out of the ordinary. Just as everyone began to wonder what sort of a transmission this was, a disembodied voice poured forth.
"STARSHIP VOYAGER...YOU HAVE TRESPASSED ON SACRED GROUND. WE COMMAND THAT YOU UNDERGO THE TESTING TO PROVE YOURSELVES WORTHY."
Captain Janeway addressed the viewscreen. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway. Whom am I addressing?"
"THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT. YOU MUST UNDERGO THE TESTING."
"We apologize for trespassing. We were unaware that this area was off limits-"
"IGNORANCE DOES NOT EXCUSE INFRACTIONS. PREPARE TWO OF YOUR PEOPLE FOR THE TESTING."
Janeway was glaring at the viewscreen. "And if we refuse to undergo your "testing"?"
"YOU AND YOUR CREW WILL PERISH, CAPTAIN JANEWAY. CHOOSE TWO."
"We'll need a bit of time to prepare our people for this."
"WE WILL GIVE YOU ONE FULL TURN TO PREPARE, CAPTAIN JANEWAY. WE WILL RE-CONTACT YOU THEN."
The viewscreen went black then, the transmission obviously cut off at the source. The officers around the table stared at it for a minute, then Tom asked, "One full turn?"
Tuvok replied, "I imagine he or she means the equivalent of one hour of time."
Janeway nodded. "I concur. We need to decide what we're going to do here."
Chakotay leaned forward. "It doesn't appear that we have a lot of choice in the matter, Captain."
Heads were nodding in agreement around the table. Ensign Kim spoke up, "How can we fight something that we can't see, that can produce force fields that we can't see, and that can cloak entire planets?"
"Mr. Kim, you are assuming that a planet actually exists there," came Tuvok's calm reply. Harry blushed slightly and sat back in his chair.
"Well, people, if we are actually going to go through with their testing, then we need to decide who will go. I don't want to order anyone to do this, if I don't have to. I would prefer volunteers.
There was silence around the table for a moment, as everyone tried not to look at anyone else.
"I'll go," B'Elanna offered. Heads swiveled to look at her. She shrugged. "I'm curious about undetectable forcefields and planets."
Janeway smiled. B'Elanna was a scientist at heart, whether or not she'd admit it. Her smiled faded in the next instant. Who else to send? She was curious, too. She couldn't really afford to have both B'Elanna and Harry off the ship, since Harry could often come up with ideas to rival B'Elanna's--
"I'll go, too." Tom Paris spoke up, wondering immediately what little imp had gotten hold of his tongue. "She'll need a good pilot with her."
"Very well then. Lieutenants, go prepare yourselves, and stand-by for further instructions. Dismissed." The officers stood and departed the room, only Chakotay hanging back to talk to the captain.
"Do you think that's a good idea, Kathryn?", Chakotay asked.
"Do I think *what's* a good idea?"
"Allowing B'Elanna to go. Something's obviously troubling her--did you see how she looked this morning?"
"I noticed she looked really tired. Was there something else?"
"Just that I don't think she's been sleeping well. I asked her about it yesterday, but she brushed me off."
"Do you think she's incapable of performing during this mission?"
"I don't know. I don't know what's bothering her."
"Why don't you try to talk to her once more, while she and Tom are getting ready. Maybe she's just had a touch of insomnia. I know I used to get it, every so often." She smiled at him, letting him know that it was his presence now that banished that particular problem. Chakotay grinned back, then leaned in for a quick kiss.
"Aye, Captain. I'll go see her now." He gave her another devastating grin that liquified her insides and turned to leave, then changed his mind and turned back. "Oh, by the way--dinner at home tonight? I've been saving my credits for something special."
Her eyes twinkled at him. "Let's see if we can resolve this first. We may pull an all-nighter."
"Agreed." He turned and strode through the doorway, heading for the turbolift. Kathryn smiled after him, thinking of how lucky she was to have him in her life, then turned her thoughts back to their unwelcome situation. They didn't even know the name of the beings that were demanding this testing of them. Neelix wasn't able to much help any longer, as a guide: Voyager had traveled nearly out of his range of territory. On one hand, Kathryn was glad they were finally seeming to make some progress toward home; on the other hand, now they were really sailing blind. She sighed momentarily, then turned to leave the conference room herself. As she walked toward her chair on the bridge she reflected that they would all benefit nicely from some shore leave. She'd make a point to have Harry check all planets they came to in the next couple of weeks for suitable spots.
With that settled in her mind, Kathryn Janeway seated herself and waited for communications to open again with the mysterious race.
**************************************************
"Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres."
"Lieutenant Torres is currently in Sickbay."
Chakotay told the computer to halt the turbolift, and continued down the hall toward Sickbay. As he rounded the curve of the corridor he nearly bowled B'Elanna over. Instinctively she threw her arms up, nearly knocking him over as well.
"Hey! Watch where you're--" She broke off as she realized who it was. "Commander. Sorry about that." She moved away from the tangle of arms and tried to resume her pace down the hall.
"Lieutenant! B'Elanna, wait. We need to talk." Chakotay quickly caught up with her and took her arm to slow her down.
"B'Elanna, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing is wrong, Chakotay. I just haven't been sleeping very well lately."
"That's all?"
"That's all." She returned his gaze, then smiled at him.
"I'm really okay. Probably just been working too hard. Even Sandrines gets boring sometimes. Okay?"
"I just want to make sure that you're okay to go on this away mission. We don't have any idea what's going to happen to you or Tom. Or how to get you out of there, should that become necessary."
"I really am okay, Chakotay. Honest." Mentally she crossed her fingers, praying that he would believe her. Apparently her guardian angel was back from vacation, because he broke the eye contact and let go of her arm.
"As long as you're sure..." He knew deep down that there was more to it than just sleeplessness, but didn't know how to prove it. Might as well give up now while he was still ahead.
"Just be careful, okay?"
"I will, *dad*." She gave him another smile, then pushed past him to continue on her way. Chakotay sighed and turned around to return to the turbolift.
Paris and Torres were both on the bridge when the next transmission came through. Janeway had been pacing for a quarter of an hour, and the whole bridge crew was relieved when Harry announced that their mysterious captors were signaling the ship.
"On screen, Ensign."
"Aye, Captain." Harry's fingers danced over his console, and soon the entire bridge was shielding it's eyes from the brightness viewed there.
"VOYAGER--HAVE YOU PREPARED THE TWO?"
"We have. We are awaiting your instructions."
"HAVE THEM PREPARE A SMALL VEHICLE AND EXIT YOUR SHIP; WE WILL GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE FORCEFIELD."
"Can you tell us how long this test will take?"
"IT WILL TAKE AS LONG AS IT TAKES."
"Do we at least have your guarantee that they won't be harmed?"
"WE CANNOT GIVE ANSWERS WE DO NOT KNOW. THEIR STATUS WILL DEPEND ON THE FAVOR THEY FIND WITH THE ONES."
Janeway was angry now, and trying not to show it. "I cannot permit two of my crew to be handed over to you if you will not guarantee their safety! We have agreed to submit to this testing of yours--"
"YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SUBMIT, ELSE ALL YOUR CREW WILL PERISH. IF THE ONES FIND FAVOR WITH YOUR TWO, THEN ALL WILL BE WELL. PREPARE THEM NOW. THE ONES AWAIT THEM BEYOND THE FORCEFIELD."
The viewer reverted to the starfield view, and the bridge was silent for a moment. Janeway turned to Paris and Torres, who were standing by Harry's station. "You don't have to go through with this. We can try to run for it."
"No, Captain." Surprisingly, it was Paris who spoke for them. "We need to do this." He turned to look at B'Elanna for confirmation, but her thoughts were turned inward, her mind crying, "Not in a shuttlecraft! No!" Sensing that everyone was waiting for an answer from her B'Elanna returned to the present and told them, "Yes, we need to do this."
"Very well," Janeway nodded. "Report to shuttlebay two."
As the two lieutenants made their way into the turbolift they could hear the bustle of activity behind them as Voyager prepared to launch two of her crew into an unknown situation.
B'Elanna took the co-pilot's seat while Tom finished running through the pre-flight check. She re-inventoried her emergency bag and tried to calm her frantic thoughts. Just because she and Tom Paris were about to take a shuttlecraft into an unknown situation--*and she'd been dreaming about a crash with him for days*--didn't mean anything. Maybe this wouldn't be the crash.
Deep down inside though she knew it would be. She started with surprise when she heard Tom's voice; she'd been deep in her thoughts.
"I'm sorry?"
"I asked if you're ready." His clear blue gaze speared her, and she looked down at her console, uncomfortable now.
"Yes. Let's go and get this over with."
"Agreed. Harry, are we clear for launch?"
Harry Kim's voice came over the shuttle speakers. "Confirmed, Tom. Shuttlecraft Cochran cleared for take off."
"Affirmative. Powering up engines." Tom couldn't suppress the little pang he felt every time he heard the name of the shuttlecraft; it served now only as a reminder of his failed Warp 10 flight. *No*, his inner voice said; *not failed. Just not successful.* And if that wasn't a paradox, then what was? He shook his head a little, and expertly guided the Cochran out of Voyager's bay doors.
"Cochran, you're all clear." Harry's voice again, followed by the Captain's.
"Lieutenants--we're not sure what's going to happen at this stage: just sit tight, and keep this channel open. We'll monitor you closely from here, and beam you out if necessary."
"Aye Captain. Shuttlecraft Cochran out." Tom sat back in his seat and looked at B'Elanna. She looked tired. "Hey, you okay?"
She swiveled to look at him, a retort springing to her lips. It died down though when she saw that he was serious, not mocking her. She couldn't keep the slight edge out of her voice when she replied, however. She was beginning to get tired of explaining herself to everyone.
"I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping well lately." She thought about telling him about the dream, then dismissed that idea as silly. It was *just* a dream, for gods sakes. No need to get so worked up over it.
"Sorry to hear that. Want to talk about it?"
She was tempted again. "No."
"Okay. But the offer stands." He leaned over to check the console. "How long do you think this will take?"
B'Elanna didn't even have a chance to reply before the shuttle shuddered as it was gripped in some kind of invisible tractorbeam.
On Voyager, Harry Kim's eyes widened in surprise as the shuttlecraft suddenly disappeared off his screen. "Captain! They're gone!"
"Gone?" She asked sharply.
"The shuttle doesn't appear on any of my scanners, anywhere."
Damn. Janeway was about to ask Harry to use long-range sensors when the disembodied voice of their contact thundered through the bridge.
"THE TESTING HAS BEGUN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE--IT WILL ONLY RESULT IN DEATH FOR YOU ALL. WE WILL RETURN YOUR TWO WHEN THE TESTING IS OVER AND THEY HAVE FOUND FAVOR. THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS."
Janeway stood up from her chair. "Commander, you have the Bridge. Hold our position until I give orders otherwise. I'll be in my Ready Room."
Chakotay acknowledged her order with a grim look of his own toward Harry and answered, "Aye, Captain." Now the waiting would begin.
***************************************
Tom and B'Elanna watched the stars streaking past them outside the shuttlecraft and exchanged worried looks. Finally Tom voiced his concerns. "I don't think this is a tractor beam like we understand them. According to the sensors in the shuttle, we're traveling at a speed of Warp 9.999--no Federation shuttlecraft can go that fast."
"I know. It's going to cause a tremendous strain on the hull of the shuttle--" Even as the words left her mouth, B'Elanna suddenly knew how the shuttle crash happened. "Tom, I-" She never got a chance to tell him before the world around them exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors, then went dark.
***************************************
When she came to there were hunks of burned, charred metal laying everywhere, and exposed wires were shorting out all around her. Oh, Gods...it was her dream in real life... Sitting up cautiously she was relieved to find she had no serious injuries, but then she hadn't expected to have any. *She* was the one who would be unhurt, while Tom...Tom! She had to find Tom, and quick. Before the nav console shorted out and killed him in the explosion...
She stood up and began peering through the smoke. There. That was him--had to be. She began picking her way through the debris, mentally working through the dream. Surely she was moving quicker than she had then, wasn't she? She glanced around, alarmed, when she heard a fizzing noise begin. Oh, no.
She was almost there...calling on her reserves of strength, and blessing her Klingon heritage for a change, B'Elanna shoved a large piece of the bulkhead aside. She grabbed Tom by the shirt collar and pulled him away from the wreckage. No more than five seconds later the console exploded, showering the entire area, including where Tom had been laying, with sparks and flames.
B'Elanna flopped down on the ground next to where Tom was sprawled, panting. He was alive. Thank the Gods. But what about emergency supplies? How long did she have before the shuttle exploded, or disappeared, or whatever these strange aliens decided to do with it? She stood back up and went to scavenge the interior of the shuttle.
Half an hour later she'd been able to retrieve her emergency bag; the shuttle's medkit; one sleeping bag and two extra blankets, and some of the emergency supplies. She didn't know where Tom's bag was; probably burned up in the console fire. They each had a canteen strapped on and intact; she'd checked. She also knew that her emergency bag contained another full canteen, and some additional ration bars. Tom was still out--whether asleep, or unconscious, she had no idea. Deciding it was time to see to him she pulled out the medkit and removed the medical tricorder, pleased to see it had survived the crash. She scanned herself just to be sure, and wasn't surprised when it read nothing beyond a couple of scrapes and bruises. When she turned it on Tom the tricorder told her that he had a leg fracture and a mild concussion, but no other injuries. Of course, in a survival situation like this one, a leg fracture could be a big problem; they'd deal with that later. Meanwhile, she could make him comfortable, and when he came to she could work on regenerating his leg. The dermal/bone regenerator that came with shuttle medkits weren't very powerful, but it should provide enough power to at least set the bones, until Tom could get to Sickbay. B'Elanna was getting tired. The stress of their situation combined with very little sleep had left her vulnerable. She propped one blanket under Tom's head and covered him with the other. Then she settled down next to him and pulled the sleeping bag up over herself. *I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute and rest,* she told herself. She was asleep a minute later.
*********************************************
Part 2
Tom could feel the lovely warmth next to him, and recognized the scent that went with it as B'Elanna's. B'Elanna? What was she doing sleeping with him? With a conscious effort he wrenched his eyelids open and struggled to sit up.
"Ow, Shit!" His heartfelt yell as he jostled his injured leg startled B'Elanna awake.
"Tom! You all right?"
"No," He ground out through his teeth. "What's wrong with my leg?"
B'Elanna shifted her position to reach the medkit. "You broke it when the shuttle crashed."
"Crashed?"
"You don't remember either, huh?"
"Not at all. What d'you mean 'either'? You don't remember?"
"No. Just waking up in the wreckage. You've been out for several hours. I think I was asleep for an hour or so."
"Damn. Where are we?"
She shrugged as she eyed the bone regenerator. "I have no clue. The sensors weren't working well just before we went down."
"What about our commbadges?"
She shook her head. "They're not working either. Or the signal's being interfered with. In any case, I wasn't able to raise Voyager."
"So we're stuck here, on an unknown planet; I'm injured--here, give me that!--" He grabbed the regenerator from her as she banged his leg trying to get it started. "And we can't contact our ship."
"That's about the scope of it. And," here B'Elanna looked around suspiciously, "I have no idea where our "testers" are. If they're even on this planet. We don't know where we were heading..." Her voice trailed off as she watched Tom. He was busy trying to rip the seam of his uniform. "*What* are you doing?"
"The regenerator won't work through clothing. I have to get my uniform off."
"Well you don't want to tear it--that might be all you have to wear for who knows how long. Just pull it down."
Tom flushed slightly. "I didn't want to move my leg, and I can't get the uniform down otherwise."
"What if I helped you? Then you wouldn't have to move so much."
He grinned rakishly at her. "Designs on my body, Lieutenant Torres? I'd figured you were above such a thing."
She smacked his shoulder gently. "Pig. I'm just trying to help, all right? You can do it yourself for all I care, but I did have honorable intentions." She managed to look wounded even while her eyes were flashing with humor.
"Okay, okay. Here, if you can help me raise up a bit, I can--oof, that hurts!--push it off---*Ouch*!" He shuddered for a moment as the movement pushed spikes of pain down his leg, then breathed in relief as B'Elanna helped him settle back down on the ground. Tom pushed his hair back off his sweaty forehead and gave B'Elanna a woozy grin. "At this point, I wouldn't care if you *did* have designs on my body, Torres. Putting me out of my misery sounds pretty good."
She frowned at him, concerned. "Are you okay?"
He waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, fine."
"You're three shades paler than usual."
"Just need a little sun..." His hand wobbled and the regenerator fell to the ground.
"Tom Paris--" She began in a harsh voice. B'Elanna stopped at the look on his face. "Tom?"
"I'm okay, B'Elanna. Really. It just--hurt." He heaved a great sigh then, and opened his eyes. "See? Okay. Let's regenerate." He groped about for the regenerator and found it next to him. With a flourish that he hoped would erase the concerned look on B'Elanna's face (although a small part of him really enjoyed the attention...) he thumbed the on switch and began waving it over his leg. Tom looked up when he felt the pressure of a hypospray against his neck.
"Pain reliever," B'Elanna answered the question in his eyes. "You look like you could use one. I'd have given you one before, but wasn't sure about it since you were unconscious, with a concussion."
Tom nodded then returned his attention to his leg. With the jumpsuit off the regenerator was able to work its magic, however feeble, and his leg at least *looked* a little better; it would be several days though before all the bruising and swelling went away.
While Tom was busy with his leg B'Elanna folded up his jumpsuit and placed it in her emergency bag. They weren't going to repeat *that* exercise, at least until he could move about without causing such pain. He'd just have to make do in his boxers and turtleneck. Hopefully it wouldn't get too cold here.
Wherever here was. She began scanning the area, looking for possible shelters. There hadn't been time to get the emergency shelter out of the shuttle before most of it had been consumed in flames; therefore they'd need to find a place to shelter them. *At least this planet, or whatever, has a breathable atmosphere for us. Now we just have to find food, water, shelter...* Her thoughts trailed off as she watched Tom, the back-and-forth motion with the regenerator almost hypnotic.
At last he sat back with a sigh. "There. That's all I can do for now. I'll take another pass at it tomorrow, but we should splint me up, at least until I can get to Sickbay."
"We need to find a place for a camp, Tom. We have no idea how much daylight we have left; weather conditions; predatory animals..."
"I'm not going to be much help to you like this, Torres. I can just stay put while you look around--"
"I hate to leave you."
"I've got a phaser. Nothin's gonna get past me. Anyway, I can make an inventory of our supplies. It's anyone's guess how long we'll be here."
She paused for a moment, torn, then common sense won out.
Tom was right--he *couldn't* be of much assistance looking for camp, and they did need to have an inventory. She nodded decisively and picked up her tricorder and phaser. "I'll be back as soon as I find something."
"I expect I'll be here," came the cocky reply.
B'Elanna rolled her eyes and left the crash site.
**********************
*Where is she?* Tom scanned the horizon for the third time in ten minutes. B'Elanna had been gone for more than two hours, and the sun was beginning to set. If he'd been able he'd try to go and find her; one attempt to stand had disabused him of that notion. "Okay Torres, if you don't show up soon I'll--"
"You'll what?"
Tom jumped in surprise, wincing as he jarred his leg again. "Jesus, B'Elanna! You might give a guy some warning!" He sank back down to the ground, rubbing at his leg. He looked up at her. "Did you at least find a place? Do you have any idea how long you've been gone?"
B'Elanna nodded. "This would be a great place for shore leave, Tom. But it took me a while to find a place that was near to water. I found a cave."
"A *cave*? Are you crazy? What if they have earthquakes here, or something?"
"Well, it's not really a cave. More like a dug-out, almost. And the tricorder isn't picking up any kind of seismic activity."
"How far away? You might have noticed," here Tom gestured to his leg, "I'm not exactly mobile."
"Yes, I noticed, Paris. It's about a kilometer and a half from here." Her look was sympathetic. "Let's get you splinted up and make some crutches. I'll carry the supplies."
"It's gonna be dark soon."
"I know. Let's get busy. Sooner we're settled, the sooner we can try to figure out how to contact Voyager."
It took them forever to reach the cave. At least, Tom reflected, it seemed like forever. They'd had to stop frequently to let him rest, and even after a number of short breaks the ache in his leg increased and kept increasing. He noted with interest the last time they'd stopped that the whole leg seemed hot.
Deciding that he couldn't do anything until they were settled he forged on, mentally running through the Starfleet Piloting Manual to keep his mind off the pain. It was with no small amount of relief that he heard B'Elanna's voice through his pain-induced fog announce that the cave was in front of them. She was right. It *was* more of a dug-out than a cave--but it looked cozy, and warm; and it could've been located in the midst of a Kazon stronghold and he wouldn't have cared. So long as he could sit down.
B'Elanna had watched him throughout the trip, her concern growing as his color diminished. As they came upon the cave she dropped their stuff and went to support Tom. She guided him into the cave and sat him down, just as he passed out. Shaking her head she went out to retrieve their things so she could make him more comfortable. When she returned she noted that he was thrashing about, and became alarmed when she saw blood pooling under his leg.
"Tom!"
"Huh?" He opened his eyes groggily.
"Your leg...what's happened?"
"Umm..." He licked his lips, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Come to think of it, what was B'Elanna doing in his quarters?
"B'Elanna...turn the temperature up, would ya? I'm freezing..." His eyes, which had never focused, closed again.
B'Elanna had been momentarily paralyzed, but sprang into action then. She grabbed the medical tricorder and began scanning Tom. The walking had jostled the barely-mended ends of bone apart and one jagged edge had punctured through his skin.
Mindful of the possibility of infection from the open wound B'Elanna ran the regenerator over the cut, then dug out the painkillers. She was going to have to set this bone--apparently without Tom's assistance. Might as well make him as comfortable as possible. She injected him with the strongest painkiller she could find, then rummaged around in her bag for the one lantern they had. She was going to need more than moonlight for this.
Tom shivered, then shivered again. Okay, time to warm him up. She pulled both blankets and the sleeping bag over him, concerned that loss of blood would lead to shock. She propped his feet up on the emergency bag, being very careful not to move his leg any more than necessary; then added a stone underneath that. Had to get his legs higher than his head..."I'm going to need to re-splint his leg..." She mumbled to herself, as she looked around her.
"'Lanna...wha's happenin'...?" Tom's eyes were open, although not very focused.
"Your bone broke apart again, Tom. It's a compound fracture now."
"Need to...need...a...splint." He licked his lips again.
"Water?"
"Here," B'Elanna held the canteen to his mouth, and he drank eagerly. "Slow down, Tom. That's it...slowly..." He pulled away and leaned back. She capped the canteen and returned it to her belt. "You go back to sleep, Tom. I'm going to look around for some wood to splint your leg."
"Okay...just for a few...minutes..." He closed his eyes again, and B'Elanna watched for a minute as his breathing deepened and evened out. She watched a minute longer to be sure he was resting comfortably, then turned and left the cave to find wood for splints, and for a fire.
It wasn't until quite a bit later that she managed to get Tom's leg splinted (no easy task by herself); get a fire made, and get their extra canteen filled up. By the time camp was made the moon was beginning to go down and a faint pinkening along the eastern horizon heralded the coming dawn. Tom had slept through it all, only rousing slightly once as the pain medication began wearing off. B'Elanna had injected him again and he eased back into a deep sleep, the pain lines on his face softening as the medication took effect. She reached out to gently stroke his face, then pulled her hand back quickly. What was she doing?
She surveyed the rough camp with satisfaction, then decided to get some sleep before she passed out on her feet. She took one of the blankets off of Tom, then put his folded up jumpsuit under her head as a pillow. She was asleep almost before her head hit that pillow.
**************************************
The sound of rocks banging together woke her sometime later. Judging by the light coming into the dugout she estimated it was around mid-afternoon. Her stomach rumbled then to confirm that it had been some time since she'd last eaten, and she looked up at the sound of a chuckle.
"Hungry?" Tom was sitting with his back propped against a rock, smiling at her.
She sat up, shaking her head to clear the last remnants of sleep away. "Yes. How do you feel?"
"Better." He glanced down at his leg and indicated the new splint. "You do this?"
She nodded as she began rummaging for a ration bar. "I had to. Your leg was in too bad of shape to leave it for long. Do you remember anything about last night?" She bit into the bar and waited for his reply.
Tom shook his head. "Not much. I remember the walk here--or at least, part of it. Things get pretty hazy after that."
"The hike over here dislodged the bone where you'd mended it; one of the ends punctured through the back of your thigh. You were pretty much out of your head for a while--shock, the whole bit."
Tom pursed his lips. "I wondered about the blood stain when I moved. Uh, B'Elanna...I don't mean to be indelicate, but I need to...uh, use the facilities." Color crept up his face, and B'Elanna realized with a start that Tom was blushing.
"Oh. Okay. I've still got the crutches you used last night. Your leg should be okay to move around a little bit--let me help you up--make sure you stay close, okay?" She moved over to Tom and bent to allow him to put an arm around her neck.
"Ready?"
He bit his lip in concentration. "Ready. Oof!" After standing shakily for a moment he smiled. "Good splinting job! Okay, point the way."
"I recommend the group of trees just to the left of the entrance. It's fairly private." She grinned at him. "I'll wait here for you."
Tom nodded and moved off slowly.
The next several days saw them settling into a routine of survival. When B'Elanna hiked back to the crash site to survey the wrecked shuttle she discovered it was gone. She and Tom decided that wherever they were must be the testing place; that was the only explanation they could come up with for the shuttle's disappearance. Meanwhile, until their testers revealed themselves, or sent them back, there was the matter of their survival and comfort. After two days of doing nothing but sitting around letting his leg heal, and assisting it with repeated bouts with the regenerator; Tom assessed his condition with the medical tricorder. It showed that the bone in his leg was weak, but mended. Tom gratefully began to help B'Elanna gather materials in the wooded area near the dugout to make mattresses. Although the floor of the dugout was dry it was uncomfortable with the limited bedding they had. They also laid in a supply of firewood, and improvised storage containers out of rough baskets woven of grasses.
****************************************
The first time it happened, Tom shrugged it off. The second time he woke with B'Elanna's name on his lips and a sticky blanket he began to become concerned. Sure, he'd always been attracted to B'Elanna--she was a very beautiful woman, and he admired the kind of courage he'd seen her display in the past.
But to have this kind of response to her nearness, when he had no idea when, or even if, they'd get off this planet...he didn't want to jeopardize the only friendship he had here. This was going to be tricky, even for him, because there was nowhere he could go to hide for a while. Maybe a couple of nice long hikes to "explore" the area around them...
B'Elanna glanced away in embarrassment when Tom looked up at her. She'd been staring at him. Again. What was with her? Paris certainly wasn't her type. Not even if he was the only one here--he was entirely too cocky for her. Nice as a good friend, but nothing more than that. Still, the muscles in his arms and chest were very nicely defined, and...she growled low in her throat. She did *not* need an attraction to Paris...life was way too complicated right now as it was. Distraction was definitely in order here.
"Hey, Paris!"
He stuck his head out of the dugout he'd just entered. "What?"
"Do we have anymore of that sunscreen in the medkit?"
"I don't know, why?"
"Because you're getting burned, that's why." B'Elanna got up from her spot under the shade tree right in front of the dugout and moved inside. "I saw when you walked past. Your whole back is bright red."
"Damn. I thought I covered it well enough."
She wrinkled her brow as she frowned. "You could always try wearing your shirt."
"It's *hot* outside."
"Better hot than fried."
"Yes, mother," he mumbled as he pulled the offensive garment on. A muffled groan followed by a distinctive string of cuss words issued forth and he pulled the shirt back off. "Dammit! Take a look, would you?" He turned toward B'Elanna who gasped when she got a good look his back and shoulders.
"You look like you're on fire!"
"Do we have any lotion?" He asked, pain making his voice tight.
"I think so. Sit down, I'll check."
He sat down on the large rock that served as their table, shivering a bit as the intense burn on his back transmitted the coolness of the dugout into a chill.
B'Elanna came back with a tube of ointment. "There's not much left, so we'll have to use it sparingly," she warned. "Let's try not to do this again, okay?"
"Mmm." He tensed as he felt her hands on his shoulders, but the gentle rubbing motion and the soothing, cool lotion felt good. "That feels nice. Thanks, Bea."
Her hands on his back stilled for a minute. "*What* did you just call me?"
"'Bea'? Do you mind? I can't say 'Torres' all the time, and 'B'Elanna' is such a mouthful."
B'Elanna resumed her gentle rubbing motion as she considered it. "No, I guess not. I've never had a nickname before. I've been called names before, but nothing like that."
Tom heard the sadness in her voice and wished he could have been there to take care of whoever had caused her such pain.
"Well, I mean this only in the best sense." He shivered again, this time from the intense emotions that suddenly assailed him.
B'Elanna took the shiver to be related to the sunburn and stopped rubbing his back. "We need to get you covered up. No more sun time, Thomas Eugene."
He snapped a salute. "Aye-aye, Lieutenant!" He leaned over to pick up his discarded turtleneck at the same time B'Elanna knelt down to retrieve the cap to the tube of ointment. They came up at the same time and bumped noses. As they sat there laughing at each other, staring into the other's eyes, B'Elanna felt a sudden surge of tenderness toward Tom. She stared into his eyes, that sharp blue gaze piercing the defenses she'd built around her heart. Tom watched her eyes dilate and saw her lips part. His heart knew he was going to kiss her before his head did, but they were both of accord when he leaned forward and brushed her lips with his own.
It was a very gentle, soft kiss; tentative. He pulled back a little, an unspoken question in his eyes. She answered with hers, and leaned forward toward him. Their lips met, then met again; then B'Elanna pulled away from him. "Tom--I can't do this. Wait. I have to..." She stood up and looked at him.
"I'm sorry." With that she hurried out of the dugout and was gone.
Tom waited in the dugout until the sun dropped below the horizon. B'Elanna still hadn't come back when he began a fire to start dinner. Dinner was ready and she hadn't returned. He waited for a while, then ate without her. The sun finished setting and the moon came up. Tom went outside to sit beneath the shade tree and watch the stars. He wanted to go after her, but had no idea where to look. Damn her! Damn him, for that matter. What was he thinking, kissing her like that. They were friends, nothing more. And now he had probably ruined that.
Sighing deeply, trying to find a comfortable position that would allow him to lean on the tree but not hurt his back, he didn't hear B'Elanna until she'd sat down next to him.
"Hi."
"Hi, yourself. Where've you been? I was starting to worry." *Liar*, he told himself. *You've been worried since she left*.
"Just walking around. This planet is incredible, but I still haven't seen any signs of intelligent life." She looked at him. "Tom--about this afternoon--"
"Forget it, Bea. It won't happen again. I promise."
"What if I wanted it to happen again?"
Tom lifted his incredulous gaze to meet hers. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"Do *you* know what I'm saying, Tom. I care about you, and I'm very attracted to you."
"But?"
She shook her head. "There isn't one."
"It certainly sounded like it."
"Just that I don't know if I love you. If I *can* love you. We're very different people, Tom."
"I can accept that."
"Can you? Do you love me?"
He was silent for a minute. "Honestly? I don't know. I'm very attracted to you, and I care about you--you've been one of my best friends for a long time now." He stabbed her with that brilliant blue gaze. "Do you want to try? Take a stab at a relationship?"
"Why don't we just kind of play it by ear and see what happens? I don't want to set any limits or restrictions, or feel pressured into something."
"Okay..." He stood up then and brushed the dirt off his legs. "Are you hungry? I kept dinner warm by the fire." He extended a hand toward her.
She eyed him warily for a minute. "*You* cooked? *What* did you cook?" She took the hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.
"Oh, like you're a gourmet chef? I made soup, for your information. Used one of the dried combinations we made up--it's pretty good."
B'Elanna gave a snort as they walked into the dugout. "I'm reserving judgement, Paris."
He shot her a look. "Don't you think we've moved beyond the last name thing, Bea?"
"Maybe. Depends on the situation, I would think. Now, are you going to feed me, or let me starve?" She put her hands on her hips, and it took all of Tom's self-control not to pull her into his arms.
"Guess I'll feed you. I'd hate to have to gather all the firewood myself."
"Mmhmm." B'Elanna paused in dishing up her soup. "See--I knew there were ulterior motives."
Tom shook his head. "Eat your soup. I'm going to bed--this has been a long day, and I don't feel good."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, other than the sunburn. It just hurts."
"Do you want me to put anymore ointment on it?"
"No...I'll stand it. It's not that bad. Goodnight, Bea."
"'Night, Tom."
*******************************************************
Part 3
Tom fell asleep right away, but B'Elanna found she wasn't able; so she laid in bed, watching the flames and thinking about the events of the day. Sleep was elusive, and B'Elanna gave up after a while--laying in bed was only making her more restless.
She sat up and poked at the fire, trying not to make too much noise. At least if she didn't wake Tom up then one of them would be rested.
After an hour or so of doing nothing but sitting and poking a stick in the fire B'Elanna was itching for something to do. Although her body was tired her mind felt like it was in over-drive. She longed for something to fix; or a holodeck exercise program, or even a novel to read. Although she enjoyed exploring new planets, and camping out, eventually that wore thin and she itched to get back to her beloved engineering. *The worse thing about this,* B'Elanna reflected, *Is not even knowing when the testing is supposed to begin...if it hasn't already.* That was a sobering thought. How could they pass a test when they weren't even sure it had begun--never mind what was involved with it.
She shook her head, then stood up and walked to the mouth of the dugout. The stars were shining brightly above wherever this was. Somewhere out there was Voyager...maybe. Who was to say that their unknown testers/captors hadn't already informed Voyager that they'd failed the test, and to move on. She and Tom had been here for about two weeks, give or take a couple of days.
The days here were about six hours shorter than the 24 hour terran cycle that ship life was based on.
A breeze came from the west, brushing past her with its cooling. B'Elanna shivered slightly, and wrapped her arms around herself. The days were beginning to cool, and the nights were beginning to get cold. She wouldn't be able to sleep in her tank top and workout pants much longer. With that thought came the ever-present thanks that she'd chosen the less revealing of her underwear choices when she'd dressed that particular morning...
A pair of warm, solid arms wrapped themselves around her, and drew her back against an equally warm, solid chest. B'Elanna tensed for a moment, then relaxed and closed her eyes as she breathed in Tom's scent. It was so familiar to her now--and comforting--that she sometimes could smell him in her sleep.
While that thought was accompanied by some twinges of panic, it was more often accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of desire. B'Elanna raised one arm and entwined her fingers with Tom's. She felt his chest vibrate behind her as he spoke--it was a comforting feeling.
"Couldn't sleep?"
She shook her head. "I'm so tired, and so wound up at the same time. I want to *do* something, Tom! I'm tired of just sitting around here, waiting for whatever to show up."
His free hand began to stroke up and down her arm, the caressing motion oddly soothing, and stimulating at the same time. "We could go for a hike tomorrow--I promise to wear my shirt." B'Elanna could hear the humor in his voice, and responded in a like manner.
"I don't know...you're kind of cute when you're bright red."
She smiled as she felt the shudders and vibrations of Tom trying to control his laughter. "Seriously though. Aren't you about explored out?"
She felt him shrug. "Yeah, but at least it's *something* to do." He paused for a minute. "You know, it's kind of funny--of all the people to be stuck down here. Chakotay, Harry...the Captain...they'd all be thrilled to death to have this place to explore, live off the land. Me? I couldn't be happier if I was beamed back to my quarters this instant."
B'Elanna laughed. "I was thinking the same thing. I don't mind camping out--but usually only for a couple of days at a time. Not for weeks--or longer--at a time!" She thought for a minute. "Although, at least you don't care when I complain about this."
Tom leaned his chin gently on the top of her head. "Why should I care? I bitch about it as much as you do. Ah well, it could be worse. I could be stuck here with Chakotay--he might be well-versed in surviving in nature, but I know he'd be damn obnoxious about it."
B'Elanna smiled, thinking about Tom and Chakotay stuck on a planet together--that would be interesting to see. Yeah, Chakotay probably *would* be a little bit of a pain..."Tom?"
"Mmhm?"
"It's been getting colder the last couple of days." She felt his arms tighten reflexively around her for a minute.
"Yeah...I noticed. Not so much during the day, but once the sun's gone down..."
"How long do you think the winter cycle is on this planet?"
"I couldn't begin to guess, Bea. Hopefully not long, or real severe. We don't have anything that approximates cold-weather survival gear." Not for the first time, Tom reflected that maybe getting stuck here with Chakotay wouldn't have been so bad, after all. He was still musing along these lines when B'Elanna turned in his arms.
"Tom?" Her voice was a near whisper.
"Yeah?"
"Are you...do you..." She broke off, not sure of how to ask what she wanted to know.
"Am I scared?"
"Yes." She stared into his eyes, barely able to see them in the dim light. "You seem so calm about everything...I just want to go punch something."
"Yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared to death we're not going to get out of here. But at least, if we don't make it--" Tom paused for a minute, "Then I got to share it with a friend." He stared down into her face, and felt her trembling in his arms. He drew her closer and tucked her head under his chin, then began rocking her slightly, moving to some internal rhythm.
B'Elanna snuggled into his embrace. Although the Klingon in her was watching all this with horror, the human part of her was basking in it. She raised her head a little, and looked at Tom. He had his eyes closed, and a peaceful look on his face.
B'Elanna shifted slightly to wrap her arms around his neck, then pulled his head down to kiss him. Tom's eyes flew open the instant her lips touched his, then he relaxed and deepened the kiss. B'Elanna's mouth softened underneath his, and her lips opened, allowing his tongue access inside. Their tongues tangled together, the beginning of the mating ritual. B'Elanna pressed herself closer to Tom and felt his erection throb against her.
Her nipples hardened in response; knowing she was exciting him excited her.
Tom had brought one hand around and was gently cupping her breast. He ran a thumb across the already hard peak, and felt it stiffen further in response. He pulled away from B'Elanna's lips to nibble small kisses down the curve of her jawline and across to her ear. Once there he sucked gently on her earlobe, then whispered, "Let's go inside." B'Elanna nodded and untangled herself. She moved in front of Tom, keeping hold of one hand, leading him back into the dugout.
Once inside, Tom poked the fire up and added a couple of logs. He didn't want to have to stop for mundane things like warmth for a while. After he had the blaze built up he and B'Elanna stood in front of each other; desire plain in their eyes, but nervous nonetheless. B'Elanna moved to take her shirt off, but Tom touched her arm in a staying gesture. "Let me...please." She shrugged, but acquiesced. He ran his hands down her sides to the hem of her shirt, then grasped it and drew it up over her head. As her breasts were exposed to the firelight and his gaze he gasped. She was absolutely exquisite.
High, beautifully shaped breasts with dark honey-colored crests and nipples. The nipples had hardened into tight little points, and he ached to suckle them. *Not yet*, he cautioned himself.
B'Elanna was reaching for his T-shirt, drawing it up over his head. Once she had it off she stared at him--he was beautiful. Although Tom didn't have a real muscular build he was still strong-looking. Well-formed arms and pecs, and a tight, flat stomach that spoke of working out. His chest was covered in soft-looking curls that glinted blond-red in the firelight. B'Elanna ran her fingers up through those curls, and gently caressed his nipples. They tightened into hard, tiny points on his chest, and he groaned low in his throat.
"B'Elanna...I want you..."
"Yes..." She didn't get a chance to say any more as Tom leaned down slightly and covered her mouth with his. They fumbled with the other's shorts until they were both naked, then they stood there, flesh pressing against naked flesh, devouring the other's mouth. B'Elanna could feel Tom's erection against her thigh, and shivered at the thought of him inside her. They pulled apart then, and laid down on the sleeping bag that B'Elanna had tossed aside earlier. Tom propped himself up on his elbow, and skimmed a hand along B'Elanna's length.
"You're beautiful," he whispered reverently. "I could look at you forever." In the firelight her skin glowed...a caramel color, overlaid with the luminescence of pearl. His hand moved down her, stopping to tease at the dark curls at the apex of her thighs, then moving back up to gently caress and tug at her nipples.
"I'm not...beautiful. I'm--Oh!" She gasped the last word as Tom gave into his desire to suckle her, and drew her nipple into his mouth. She arched her back slightly, offering herself to him, and he began caressing the other nipple while laving the first one over and over. He transferred his attentions to the other side for a minute, then began switching back and forth, caressing first one, then the other with his tongue, alternating between licking and sucking. After just a few minutes of this B'Elanna was writhing beneath him. Her little gasps and cries were music to his ears--he'd wanted to make love to her for a long time.
"Tom--Tom...I'm..." B'Elanna cried out, and stiffened her body for a minute, then relaxed back onto the sleeping bag, her breathing fast and harsh. "Oh, my God! Oh, Tom..." She looked up at him, and he grinned at her. "That's the first time I've ever orgasmed just from that..." She gestured to her breasts.
"That's incredible."
He smoothed her hair back and kissed her gently. "*You're* incredible, Bea." He lay back on his arm, content just to look at her for a minute. To his surprise he suddenly found himself flipped onto his back.
"My turn!" She grinned at him and bent down to take his raging hard-on into her mouth. Tom tensed as he felt her wet, warm mouth engulf him, and let out a groan as she began stroking her mouth up and down.
"Oh, Gods, Bea...yes, baby..." B'Elanna alternated with sucking on him, and licking up and down the hard shaft, until she felt him tensing up under her. She drew back for a minute, and shifted position so she was on her hands and knees next to him.
She gave him a playful lick on the head of his shaft, then took him into her mouth again.
Her new position afforded him a view of her posterior, and Tom shifted ever-so-slightly and began running his hands up and down her flanks, until she moved and parted her legs slightly. He sent a hand questing up toward her warm, wet center, and found she was slick with arousal and her recent orgasm. He stroked along her outer labia, then inserted a finger into her and began slowly stroking in and out. As he picked up speed, so did her mouth, until they were stroking each other furiously. Tom spread her open with his other hand and began caressing her clitoris with his thumb, all the while stroking his finger in and out of her. B'Elanna shuddered, then shuddered again, and pulled away from Tom. "Gods, Tom!" She shook her head in disbelief. "I want you, Tom. Inside me, now." She moved over him to straddle him, but he nudged her over onto her back.
"I want it this way--this time," He said, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Okay...Just, now, please..."
He pushed her legs open with his knee, and paused. "Are you sure?"
"Oh, Gods, yes...Please, Tom..."
With one sure motion he thrust into her, and B'Elanna screamed. Tom groaned as he felt her tight passage enclose him. He stayed still for a minute, grasping at the shreds of control that still remained; then he pulled back, and began moving in and out. B'Elanna tightened around him, and Tom moaned aloud, "Gods, Bea...you feel so good..." He began thrusting faster, moving in and out of her as quickly as he could. He could feel his orgasm building up inside him, and bent down to kiss B'Elanna, tangling his tongue with hers in an echo of what their bodies were doing.
B'Elanna cried out wordlessly, then shuddered over and over as her orgasm overtook her. As soon as she clenched her muscles around him Tom felt his control slip. With a shout that might or might not have been B'Elanna's name he came and came inside her. After as intense an orgasm as he'd had in a long time, Tom collapsed bonelessly on top of B'Elanna. After a minute she wiggled under him, and he rolled off of her, taking her with him in an embrace. They lay there for some time, not saying anything, just savoring the feeling of the other next to them.
Gradually, still entwined in an embrace, they both drifted off to sleep.
*******************************************
B'Elanna moved slowly from sleep to consciousness; she was aware first of a warm body spooned up behind her, then aware that the warm body was Tom Paris. Memory of the night before crashed into her and she tensed up for a moment, before realizing that was what she'd obviously wanted and needed for some time. She relaxed again into Tom's sleepy embrace, and closed her eyes.
When she woke the second time she was alone on the sleeping bag, under the blankets. B'Elanna opened her eyes, but didn't see Tom. She sat up cautiously, pulling the blanket up over her when the chilly air hit her bare skin. She'd just started poking at the fire when Tom appeared with a load of firewood.
"You'll never believe this..." He dropped the firewood and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Morning."
"Morning," she replied, a little surprised. "I'll never believe what?"
"It snowed last night."
"It *snowed*?"
"Yeah. We're in big trouble, Bea. We need to start thinking winter survival."
"How could it snow? It must have been eighty degrees yesterday!"
"I don't know. This is obviously part of the test. What we need to figure out now isn't why, but how we're going to survive this."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes. Tom Paris, theorist. She smiled then, picturing him lecturing a class of students at the Academy in winter survival situations. 'First, combine body heat whenever possible...' Before she realized it, she'd giggled.
Tom shot her an incredulous look. "You're giggling? Our lives are potentially in danger, and you're *giggling*?"
B'Elanna shrugged her shoulders and giggled again. "I don't think the snow is going anywhere, Tom. Why don't you come over here and get warm." She lifted the blanket invitingly, and he raised his eyebrows.
"You're kidding."
"Nope. Climb in."
"What's the catch, B'Elanna?"
"No catch." She stretched then, resembling nothing so much as a large cat stretching sensuously, and looked at him. "I enjoyed last night. Thank you." She finished softly, "I needed that. I need you."
Need you. Not past tense, but present. Pausing only long enough to tug his boots off, Tom dove under the blankets with her and crushed her to his chest. "I need you too, B'Elanna." He captured her mouth with his, and didn't let go until both of them were panting for air.
They stayed that way for a couple of hours; cuddling under the blankets, exchanging slow, lazy kisses and caresses and just talking. Eventually B'Elanna's need to use their makeshift toilet facilities and Tom's rumbling stomach drove them out of their warm nest. B'Elanna began pulling on her clothes, grumbling all the while about having to go out to go to the bathroom. She had everything on when Tom tossed her his turtleneck. "Here."
She caught it and held it up. "Why do I need your shirt?"
"It's freezing out there, Bea. You might like the extra layer."
"Tom, the toilet is only ten yards from here."
"B'Elanna, there's six inches of snow on the ground, and if the temp is 20 degrees I'd be surprised."
"Oh." She was silent for a minute, then hurriedly pulled the other shirt on and scuttled out of the dugout.
While she was gone Tom built the fire back up and put water in a pot to boil. He was really glad that B'Elanna'd been able to get some of the shuttle's emergency equipment--cooking without pots or utensils would have been challenging at best. It was bad enough they were reduced to cooking over a camp fire--having to make their own pots would've been awful.
The water boiled, and Tom added a double handful of a grain they'd found growing a couple of kilometers away. It looked like barley, but when it was cooked up it tasted like oatmeal. Flavored with some dried berries they'd gathered from the bushes near the river it wasn't half bad. Definitely better than some of Neelix' concoctions. Tom felt his heart catch thinking about some of the horrific meals Neelix had made for Voyager's crew. He could only hope they'd get the chance to endure those meals once again.
B'Elanna appeared under the slope of the dugout's entrance just as Tom was ladling goop into their only two bowls. "You were right," she gasped as she moved as close to the fire as she could safely get, "It's definitely winter out there. Brrr!" Tom only smiled and passed her a bowl of breakfast.
As they ate they discussed what they could do to "winterize" their shelter. Since they hadn't seen any animals, making a hide-cover was out of the question.
"What if we gather a bunch of smallish logs, and interweave them with leafy branches? This snow came early enough--most of the trees still have a lot of leaves on them." Tom was expanding on their first idea.
"That might work--we could make some ties of some sort inside here, so we could tie it over the entrance at night. That would go a long way to keeping it warm in here."
"We'd need to make a smoke hole then--unless you don't think it'll be *that* airtight."
"Not using logs and branches. There'll be plenty of chinks left that we can't do anything about."
"Okay then, we can do that. What about outerwear?"
"What about it, Tom? Unless you can invent this planet's version of a large, hairy animal, we're out of luck."
"Not if we can find a plant with large enough leaves--we could stitch some together, make ponchos."
"Ponchos?"
Tom furrowed his brow, trying to figure out how to describe a uniquely terran clothing item to B'Elanna. "Think of a dress or large shirt that you'd just pull over your head--no fastenings of any kind."
"Okay..."
"Well, a poncho is like that, except you usually have holes for your arms to go through, so you can use your hands and arms."
"So they're like a large shirt, but not."
"Yeah. There's no form to them...just a warm layer of whatever that covers you to the waist."
"Well, whatever." B'Elanna looked dubious in spite of Tom's description. "It might work though. We won't have to go out a lot--I hope." She looked around a minute. "We need to have an indoor toilet."
"There's no way this place is big enough to dig another latrine."
"No, no. That's not what I was thinking. We could take one of the baskets you made, and line it with some of that water-proof material from the emergency kit. If we find a big rock to cover it with then, it should do for indoor urgent use."
Tom shook his head. "You want to put a toilet in here." His tone conveyed his opinion of that idea.
"Only for use during the night and if we have a lot of snow. It'll be too cold to tramp through the snow at night, anyway."
"And what are we going to do when one of us has to use it? Turn our back?"
B'Elanna looked at him, considering, a smile curving her lips. "Well...if you're willing to make our sleeping arrangement from last night permanent, we could hang the extra blanket."
Tom stared at her, mouth gaping open in shock. "Are...are you...serious?"
"Did I sound as if I were joking?" She countered in exasperation.
He shook his head. "I'm just having trouble believing I'm hearing this..."
"Don't push it, Paris. I could still change my mind, and you'd just have to turn your back whenever I had to go."
Tom hastened to assure her he wasn't passing up a gift such as had been offered. "No, no...I just wanted to be sure you're sure."
She smiled at him then, one of those rare smiles that transformed her face into absolute beauty. "I'm sure." With that she set her bowl aside and stood up resolutely. "Come on, Tom. We've got work to do."
Tom stood up muttering, "B'Elanna, you scare me sometimes."
While B'Elanna went in search of small branches that would work for the shelter cover, Tom searched the banks along the small river near them for long grasses and leaves that would work for their outerwear covers. The grasses he and B'Elanna intended to weave together loosely into a sort of rope, and use it to tie the cover together with. They worked steadily all morning, taking turns going into the dugout to warm up by the fire, and make hot drinks for each other. They had the cover made by mid-afternoon; the shelter entrance was only about five feet across, if that, but they got hung up on what to use to tie it up with. Or rather, what to tie it to. After looking around their shelter, B'Elanna settled on using two pieces of their utensils, and heating them up with the phaser set on the lowest setting. Once the metal was warmed and pliable, they bent the two pieces into u-shapes, and pounded them into the dirt walls. Using some of the grass-rope they'd made earlier, B'Elanna and Tom tied the wooden shelter cover onto the ties, then stood back to examine their handiwork.
"It's not going to last forever. The fact that the pegs are pounded into dirt means it's not real stable." B'Elanna was examining their "anchors".
"Well...the best we can do is not mess with it much. While it's real cold we don't want to be out a lot anyway...we can go out once or twice a day, but not mess with it anymore than that."
"Yeah, I guess that's the best we can do with what we've got." B'Elanna looked around the shelter. "We should straighten this place up, and figure out what we need to lay in, in terms of supplies."
So their next project was "housekeeping", as Tom jokingly referred to it. B'Elanna made a couple of wooden pegs, and pounded one of the blankets into a corner space at the very back of the dugout. This would be their "emergency" bathroom. The bedding they moved to the other side, close to the fire. Tom hollowed out a shallow trench and they filled it with leaves and a type of pine-like needles, then covered it with the remaining blanket. The sleeping bag would serve as a comforter for them, and they could use their shirts for pillows. On the other side of the fire they established their "living area", and set up a shelf near the rock they used for eating. The shelf held their cooking materials, and food stuffs. The canteens would be filled every morning, as would their large pot.
"I hope the river moves fast enough that it doesn't freeze over," Tom remarked, looking at the canteens. "That could really cause some problems."
"We could always cut a hole in the ice with a phaser. Or just use snow. Snow's a lot closer...we could melt it in the pot, fill the canteens, then melt some more!" B'Elanna laughed as if she'd just solved a major problem. Tom laughed along with her, just because it felt good.
They sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes, then Tom sighed and stood up. "Guess I'd better bring some firewood in. Want to help?"
"Sure." They pulled all their layers on, then headed for the entrance. B'Elanna hesitated before stepping outside.
"Let's try sewing those leaves together tonight, okay?"
"Good idea." Tom shivered as they walked into the cold air.
The wind was picking up speed, and the snow had started again. It spun downward from the grey sky in large fluffy flakes. B'Elanna stared, entranced. "Hey, Bea? What's up?"
"Oh, I've never been this close to snow before. Not real snow, anyway."
"Seriously?"
"Mmhmm. We didn't have any real cold seasons on my home planet. Not cold enough to snow, anyway."
Tom smiled at her. "If we get our ponchos made tonight, we could come out and play tomorrow. Make snow angels."
"What're snow angels?"
"Well, you lay down in the snow, and move your arms and legs back and forth...it makes an outline in the form of an angel."
"Oh. Sounds cold."
"It is."
"It sounds fun, too."
"Well, it's fun, yes. But enough about angels for now. I'm freezing to death, so let's get the wood and get back inside where it's warm."
"Deal."
They moved off to the grove of trees near them to gather enough wood to see them through several days.
*************************
Later that evening, as they sat in companionable silence, sewing on big, rubbery leaves that Tom thought might work, B'Elanna reflected on last night; and her obviously changed level of comfort with Tom. He was a good man, she decided. Held a lot back, and hid a lot from public view, but a good man. He'd remained calm during this entire disastrous away mission, and had the ability to calm her. She smiled as she thought about last night...it had been wonderful. She'd never been with a man who'd pleasured her and satisfied her so completely. Not that she had many experiences to compare to, but something told her that she should hang on to Tom Paris, and never let him get away.
Tom could see B'Elanna covertly studying him across the fire. He'd look up every so often, and catch her staring at him, before she noticed and looked away. Last night had been...he didn't have words to describe how fabulous it had been. And to think that she was willing to share a bed nightly with him...! He didn't even care if they made love or not--just holding her would make him happy. He realized with a start that that's what seemed important now. Making B'Elanna happy. Before it'd always been making Tom Paris happy, and if the other person was too, it was an added perk. Now he realized he was...*He was what? In love with her? Since when?* Since the day she'd given him a chance by offering her friendship. He buried his head in his sewing to hide his smile. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time. Stuck down here on some gods-forsaken planet; not sure if he'd ever see his ship again, and he was happy. Go figure. Love obviously did weird things to the brain.
The fire was burning down, and B'Elanna decided that if she kept trying to see the little stitches she was making she'd go blind. She pushed the poncho aside and stretched out on the bed, and propped herself up on one elbow.
"Hey, Tom...ready to come to bed?" She gave him a slow, warm smile, and Tom felt his heart-rate increase.
"I could be," he drawled slowly. "What's in it for me?"
"Part of the blankets?"
He flashed her a mock-offended look. "Just blankets? Nothing else?"
"Well...maybe if you're a good boy. Have you been a good boy?"
"Oh, yes!" He stood up and began stripping off his uniform.
"I can be even better, too." He pushed his clothes down his legs and straightened up, eyes glittering in the firelight. B'Elanna shivered, remembering how those legs had felt against hers last night.
"You're right, you have." She sat up and undid her uniform, and pushed it off. "Come on to bed, Tom."
He banked the fire, then slid under the sleeping bag with her, delighting in the feel of her skin next to his. "You feel like satin and silk, Bea," he groaned, as he wrapped his arms around her.
"You feel pretty good yourself," she returned breathlessly. Those were the last words they spoke then as they lost themselves in each other, and the pleasure they made.
**********************************************************
Part 4
B'Elanna woke the next morning to Tom's lips tracing the outline of her face with tiny kisses. She wiggled against him and he moved his mouth to cover hers. As their tongues tangled deliciously B'Elanna muzzily wondered if it was normal to want someone this much, this often. She dragged her mouth away from Tom's and began gently biting him on the shoulder. He groaned at the feel of her teeth nipping at him, and began his own nibbling, up and down the smooth column of her throat. She growled faintly and shuddered, and pushed her hand down between them to pump at his erection. Tom had about three seconds to enjoy the sensation before he felt himself flipped over onto his back. He stared into B'Elanna's eyes, wondering idly if his were that dilated, then didn't care any longer as B'Elanna shifted her body over his. She slid down onto his shaft, taking him inside her body.
With a throaty sound halfway between a groan and a growl she began to rock back and forth over him. He reached up and lightly pinched her nipples, alternating between that and caressing her breasts. B'Elanna felt her peak approaching and started rocking faster. As her muscles clenched around Tom he began to orgasm, and they shuddered through it together for what seemed like endless minutes. B'Elanna collapsed onto Tom, and lay there, feeling her heart--and his--gradually begin to slow down and resume a normal beat.
"Whew." Tom raised a shaky hand to brush his hair out of his eyes. "If we keep this up it may kill me. But at least I'll die a happy man." He grinned at B'Elanna who mock-growled at him. "What about you?"
"What about me," she countered.
"Aren't you sore? Tired? Dead?"
"A little sore," she admitted, "But I feel great." She leaned in and kissed him, tenderly this time. "I love what you do to me...how you make me feel."
Tom reached a hand out to stroke her hair. "I love making you feel that way."
B'Elanna turned and kissed his palm. "Well...oof!...much as I hate to move...oogh...I really need to use the bathroom." She pushed herself off him and stood up. She quickly pulled her clothes on and headed for the entrance. Tom leaned forward to poke the fire back to life, and grabbed a handful of smaller logs he kept near the bed, to place on the smoldering coals. The fire roared to life, and Tom had just untangled himself from the covers when B'Elanna appeared. "Looks like I use the indoor facilities this morning," she called as she headed for the back of the dugout.
"Why?"
"Well...the snow comes halfway up the shelter cover this morning. I could be wrong, but I think we're snowed in."
Tom pushed himself into an upright position and pulled on his jumpsuit. This he had to see. Sure enough, when he peeked out through one of the chinks in the branches he could see snow, everywhere. "I hope we have some reading material somewhere..." He muttered to himself. B'Elanna drew up behind him.
"What'd you say?"
He turned around and gestured to her to proceed him. "Do we have anything to read? *Anything*?"
"I don't know. I might have a spare library padd in my bag...I'll check for you after breakfast, okay? Besides, we need to finish those ponchos, too."
"It's not like we're going anywhere now." Tom set the pan of water from the night before on the fire to boil.
"Maybe not, but the snow will melt, eventually. At least enough to get out of here."
"Yeah, yeah." He smiled at her. "I get cabin fever easily."
"Gods, I guess so. Well, deal with it, okay? I get it pretty easy too."
Tom smirked. "We're going to be fun today. Like bears that had hibernation disturbed."
B'Elanna shrugged off his reference, since she didn't understand it, and set out the grain for their breakfast. "Do you think we have enough of this stuff stored up?"
Tom peered into their storage basket. "Looks that way. Why? Feeling impending starvation already?"
"No...just wondering."
"Mmhmm."
"Seriously."
"Seriously, we're okay, Bea. I don't think the snow's going to stay *that* long. Eventually the sun has to come out, and it will melt."
"It's out now. I saw blue sky when I was trying to get outside."
"See? We'll be out of here in no time."
"Right, Paris."
On that dubious note they settled down to wait for breakfast to finish cooking.
They passed the day alternately making love, and talking. B'Elanna told Tom about her experiences growing up as a half-human/half-Klingon in an all-Klingon colony; Tom relayed his experiences growing up with a perfectionist father who expected the same from him and expressed displeasure with his fists. Tom found out that B'Elanna's favorite color was mauve, he shared his love for turquoise. They agreed on a favorite non-alcoholic beverage: Talerian anguara juice, which tasted a lot like apples and strawberries mixed together. For alcoholic drinks Tom favored dark ale, and B'Elanna preferred malt whiskey. Tom's favorite food was tomato soup and B'Elanna's was strawberries. Tom discovered that a gentle stroking up and down the area right behind B'Elanna's ear was enough to reduce her to a quivering heap; B'Elanna found out that the back of Tom's knees were ultra-sensitive. They progressed along these lines to ever more complicated topics. Tom asked B'Elanna what she'd like to do if they ever made it back to the Alpha quadrant.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe finish the Academy. Maybe I'd be able to stay out of trouble this time."
"You got in trouble there? I don't believe it." Tom gently laughed at her, and she swatted his shoulder.
"People used to start fights with me."
"And you finished them, right?"
"Well, there was that. No, my temper just wouldn't stay in control. I'd try, and end up in a fight anyway."
"I used to think people just wanted to be friends with me because of who I was--Gene Paris' son--and because I could always be counted on to foot the bar bill. That's why it was so hard for me--among other more obvious reasons--to believe that you and Harry *wanted* to be friends with me. No one ever just wanted to be my friend."
"I know how you felt, Tom. I was treated like some sort of organism that belonged under a microscope on my home planet. I was different--and Klingons don't do different well. I always wondered what the ulterior motive was when someone acted friendly toward me."
Tom and B'Elanna sat quietly for a few minutes after that, staring at the fire and reflecting on everything they'd exchanged over the last few hours. Then Tom looked up and asked, "Do you ever want to settle down with anyone? You know, like on a colony planet. Have kids, the whole shebang?"
B'Elanna considered this for a few minutes. "I don't know. Oh, not about the settling down with anyone. That I'd like to do. I *don't* want to live on a colony--that much I know. I don't make a good colonist. I far prefer life among the stars. As for kids...I don't know. I'd never really thought about it much. Maybe, someday. I don't know how I'd be as a parent. I didn't have great examples for parenting skills." She snared his gaze with her own. "What about you?"
"I wouldn't make a good colonist either--although I can see the appeal. Yes, I'd like to find someone to settle down with. Kids? I'm about the same as you. I didn't exactly have a good role model as a father, either. The thought of treating someone like that...especially a little kid...it makes me sick inside."
Tom heard the little catch in his voice, and hoped B'Elanna had missed it. Apparently she didn't though, because she put her arm around him and held him close to her. "I used to wonder if anyone would ever love me..." Tom broke off as he felt tears well up in his eyes, the pain that came with memories of his father slicing through him.
"I love you, Tom." The quietly-spoken words caught him off-guard and his head snapped up to stare at B'Elanna. Apparently, they'd caught her off-guard as well, because she looked like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide and alarmed. She shook her head. "Well," she began wryly, "I've been thinking it for a while...I guess it just seemed right to say it." She stopped, caught by the brilliant blue eyes that seemed to burn into her. "I...hope you don't mind...me saying it."
Tom shook his head, the beginning of a huge grin spreading across his face. "Mind? Hell, no. Do you mind if I tell you the same thing?"
"Not as long as it's true."
"Oh, it is. B'Elanna Torres, I love you." He couldn't stop the grin that felt like it was bisecting his face...he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy--unless it was laying in B'Elanna's arms. "I love you," he whispered this time, bending his head to kiss her gently. She turned in his embrace to allow him better access, and they lost themselves again in each other.
*******************************************
Tom's prediction about the snow proved true. Not only did the snow melt enough to get out of the shelter; in a few days it was gone completely, and the temperature had warmed considerably.
Had warmed so much in fact that Tom got sunburned again just a week after they'd nearly been buried. B'Elanna simply shook her head in dismay and squeezed out the last few drops of ointment.
"We're going to have to use the tricorder to find a plant that has similar properties. This ointment is made up primarily of aloe--which is also a warm-weather plant. I don't know if we'll be able to find an equivalent here."
Tom winced as he pulled his shirt back over his head. "Well, we'll have to try. Even allowing for sunburns--which are my fault, granted--we'd need something if one of us were to get burned badly by accident. Like, say, by boiling water or something."
B'Elanna grimaced. "Lovely thought, that. Let's hope nothing happens to either of us while we're down here."
"Well, I second that motion, but I'm not holding my breath. C'mon," he held his hand out to her. "Let's go gathering."
After several hours combing the jungle-like area south of their shelter they found four different plants that all seemed to contain parts of what equaled the chemical make-up of aloe. Tom decided it was worth it to try his hand at making a facsimile, and gathered them up. B'Elanna found a plant that the tricorder said contained analgesic properties, so they picked that as well, to add it to their diminishing supply of pain-killers. Both Tom and B'Elanna had discovered that this planet affected their sinuses; although they were healthy they'd suffered an extensive number of headaches each since being marooned here. They tramped around the jungle for a while longer, and ate the picnic lunch they'd brought along. It was nice out here--warm, with a gentle breeze blowing. The sun shone warmly down on them (B'Elanna had made sure Tom wore all his clothes, plus a hat), and it was hard to believe that a week ago they'd been snowed in. Clouds began blowing in with the breeze around mid-afternoon, and Tom became concerned when he saw how dark they were.
"It's probably going to snow again," he muttered to B'Elanna as they hastily packed away their stuff and began the trip home. The wind picked up speed and strength as they maneuvered through the jungle-like foliage. Tom looked up at the sky in horror when lightening flashed overhead. "It's not going to snow, Bea--it's going to storm!" He called over the sound of the wind.
"I know! We need to get to some shelter!" She called back, struggling to stay upright against the wind.
"Where?"
"What?"
"I said, WHERE?"
"I DON'T KNOW! LET'S TRY THOSE TREES OVER THERE!" She pointed to the north-east. Tom grabbed her arm and they headed into the wind. About a minute later the skies opened up and torrential rains poured down on them. Tom bent his head against the rain, and headed them both into the trees. B'Elanna hung on to him with all her strength--she was afraid if she let go the wind would pick her up and carry her away.
They gained the relative safety of the trees after a few minutes; there, the rain was still heavy, but bearable, and while it was still windy the trees blocked the worst of it. They paused by a particularly large tree to catch their breath, and then froze into their positions. For almost a month they'd been on this planet without seeing so much as a rodent. Now they were surrounded by what resembled large wolves with inch long fangs.
"Oh, *shit*," Tom whispered. One of the creatures barred its fangs and growled at them.
"Shh." B'Elanna caught Tom's glance and rolled her eyes skyward, hoping he'd understand what she was proposing. He nodded minutely. After a pause to take a deep breath they dropped their bundles and leapt for the nearest branch. Fortunately that branch wasn't real high off the ground--they made it with no problem. The wolf-creatures jumped at the tree, scaring the bark with claw marks. Tom noted that their claws were nearly as long as their fangs--and looked to be just as sharp. He and B'Elanna scrambled for the next branch, then the next, deciding they were high enough when they could no longer easily discern the creatures' fangs. They balanced themselves on the branches, and Tom tried to calm his racing heart. He hated anything that looked like a dog--no matter how distantly it resembled one. He'd been attacked by a dog as a child, and had never liked the damn things since. B'Elanna squeezed the hand she was holding. "They'll leave pretty soon, then we can go. Trouble is...I don't remember which way to go."
"We still have the tricorder--oh, no!" Tom finished in dismay.
"Yeah--it's down in the bundle." The bundle that was currently being ripped and shredded by the wolf-like things below. "Fortunately," she paused and patted her hip pouch, "Our plants are securely tucked away here. Maybe the tricorder will be okay."
"Maybe," Tom echoed, morosely.
"Hey, we still have another one at camp, Tom."
"We have to *get* to camp to use it, Bea."
"We will. Don't worry--we'll figure it out."
They sat in that tree for several hours; wet, cold and hungry, buffeted by winds that would whip in from nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Every time the winds picked up Tom would scoot to the trunk of the tree and wrap his arms around it, and B'Elanna would anchor herself to Tom. There was no way they could have withstood the wind otherwise. By the time the sun was setting and the creatures had slunk off, Tom's arms were aching from the strain of holding himself and B'Elanna in the tree.
They waited an additional half an hour after the creatures had left before climbing down the tree. The bundle that had contained a canteen and the leftovers from their lunch as well as a tricorder was laying in shreds on the ground. Tom picked up the remains of the tricorder. "I guess we fake it from here," he said. B'Elanna nodded, but peered into the trees.
"You know, Tom...I don't think these trees are normally here."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. We've explored the area around the river, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, the jungle area we were in today is near the river, just south of our camp. We didn't deviate that far off the path. Someone--or something--is trying to mess with our heads."
Tom turned around in a circle, as if he could see who was messing with them. "Do you think this is a part of the test?"
B'Elanna made a derisive noise low in her throat. "Probably. This is the most dishonorable test I've ever had to take part in. We haven't been told anything about it, other than that we had to submit." She paused for a moment, and began pacing a circle around Tom. He watched her, curious. She was awfully beautiful when she was angry, and if the rising color on her neck and face was any indication... B'Elanna whirled around and shouted at the sky, "WE'VE PASSED YOUR STUPID TESTS! LET US GO HOME!"
Tom grabbed her by the shoulders. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed in an angry voice. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"NO! I'm trying to end this charade. This isn't a test--it's a torture chamber."
"B'Elanna...we don't even know for certain that we're being tested. The shuttle crashed--"
"That was just the beginning, Tom! I saw the whole thing before it happened!"
"What?"
She began crying, tears of anger and frustration. "I dreamed about that damn shuttle crash for a week before it happened. Do you remember asking me if I was all right before we left? Commenting on how tired I looked?"
"Yes..."
"I hadn't slept in six days. I kept dreaming of being on a shuttle with you, and you dying in an explosion after it crashed."
"But I didn't die."
"No..."
"So how do you know that was part of this test? That we're even *being* tested?"
"I don't know! I can't explain it...I just know." She scrubbed angrily at the tears that were falling down her cheeks, embarrassed to be showing such weakness. "The shuttle! It was gone when I went back to do salvage on it."
Tom nodded consent. *That* was obviously the work of someone more powerful. "Okay. Point taken. But B'Elanna..." He dropped his voice to a soothing, gentle tone; "Shouting at the sky isn't going to change anything."
She sighed. "I know. I'm just so frustrated. I can't stand this. How will we know when we pass?"
"I don't know. Let's not worry about that right now. Let's concentrate on getting back to the dugout. It's getting really cold out here again."
She shivered then, as if just becoming aware of the temperature. "You're right. Let's backtrack the way we came...maybe we can find the river, and follow that back."
"Sounds good to me." Tom extended his hand, and B'Elanna slowly reached out and took it, and they set off.
The sun was peeking over the horizon the next morning when the two bleary-eyed castaways finally found their way home. They'd backtracked the way they had thought they'd gone into the forest only to discover that wasn't where they'd come from after all. They wandered around for hours before finding the river bank. By that time the temperature had dropped--by Tom's estimation--about thirty degrees, and the rain had turned to snow. They staggered into their dugout and stripped out of their freezing, wet clothing. Not even bothering to start a fire, Tom and B'Elanna laid down in bed, burrowed under the sleeping bag, and wrapped their arms around each other and shivered themselves to sleep.
It was a fitful sleep for B'Elanna. Tom fell fast asleep, once he thawed out a little. B'Elanna kept dreaming alternately of deep-freeze units and burning, exploding suns. Their sun was high in the sky when Tom woke up, to find B'Elanna shaking in bed next to him. He could hear her teeth rattling and chattering together she was shaking so hard. He reached a hand out to calm her down and jerked back as if burned. Tom jumped out of bed quickly and grabbed their medical tricorder to scan her. Temp was 104.5. Blood pressure 125 over 70. Pulse 86 bpm. Fluid in her...Fluid in her lungs? Where'd that come from? He tapped a couple of commands in the tricorder and it spit out the result: She had pneumonia.
"Oh, Gods, no..." Tom moaned out loud. He didn't have the medicines necessary for dealing with pneumonia. He shook himself harshly. Inaction and whining was not going to help B'Elanna get well.
Tom got dressed, and got the fire going. He put water on to boil then, and wet a small cloth with cool water to place on B'Elanna's forehead. He rummaged around in their medkit and found some hyposprays with a combination analgesic/fever reducer, and injected the strongest dosage into B'Elanna's neck.
Afterward he began stroking her head, neck and upper chest with the cool cloth, and started dripping cool drops of water onto her lips, trying to coax her into swallowing. All the while she continued to shake·and he began to pray.
A half an hour or so after giving her the hypospray B'Elanna's temperature dropped somewhat--enough to give her some surcease from the chills racking her body. She woke up a little bit then and he managed to coax her into drinking some hot broth he'd made up, as well as some water.
"You need the fluids," he'd told her when she protested. "Please. If you won't do this for you, then do it for me."
She gave him a tired glare, but opened up her mouth, enough for him to spoon some of the broth in. "'m so hot...and tired..." She'd had trouble keeping her eyes open, and had lapsed back into a restless sleep. The coughing began next, and woke her up; a deep, harsh sounding cough that hurt Tom's throat to listen. He searched through the medkit for some lozenges, but didn't find anything. When B'Elanna woke briefly a little while later he'd made up his mind to go gathering again. This time he would stay near the river, and the dugout.
"Don't...go..." She'd whispered to him. "Stay...with...me."
Tom brushed the hair back out of her eyes, and kissed her hot forehead. "I have to, Bea. You need medicine, and we don't have any here. I have to look for plants that contain antibiotic properties. I'll be back in a little while. I promise."
She moaned a little bit then, then sank back onto the bed, asleep. Tom stood up and left the dugout, medical tricorder inhand, a man with a mission.
To his complete surprise it was a nice day outside. *After yesterday, anything would be*, was his cynical thought. He tapped a couple of keys on the tricorder, and began aiming it at the plants he passed. B'Elanna had to get well. Nothing could happen to her... The tricorder beeped, and he stopped and scanned the two plants growing near him. Not the first one...there--the second plant, nearly obscured by the first. According to the tricorder data, it contained antibiotic properties. Steeped in hot water, and drunk as a tea, it should assist B'Elanna in recovering from the pneumonia. He gathered several stalks of the plant, then dug up the roots as well, since he wasn't sure which part he was supposed to use. He also gathered several more of the banana-like fruits that grew on the low bushes just behind their dugout. The tricorder dutifully reported that these fruits were high in vitamin C and potassium, which B'Elanna could also use. His stomach rumbling reminded Tom he hadn't eaten anything yet, so he peeled one of the fruits, and ate it right there. He finished his snack and entered the dugout to begin his foray into pharmaceutical practice.
When Tom took B'Elanna's temperature that evening it was down by at least a degree from that morning. She was also staying awake for as long as 15 minutes at a time now, and he was able to get her to drink more water. The only thing he couldn't do much about was her cough, except to give her a thick concoction he'd made out of a licorice-type root they'd dug up a couple weeks ago, flavored with this planet's version of honey. It was a very thick, almost gooey substance, but heating it over the fire thinned it some, and B'Elanna reported that it made her throat feel a little better.
Tom fell into an exhausted sleep that night, worn out from the long day they'd had before, and the long day today nursing B'Elanna and taking care of everything else. He managed a couple of hours of sleep before B'Elanna's fever broke, drenching both of them in what seemed like gallons of sweat. He wiped her forehead, face and neck down with cool water, and stripped off the T-shirt he'd put on her, replacing it with her own tank top. The T-shirt he set over their table to dry, to use it the next time. After getting her cleaned up, dried off and made as comfortable as possible, Tom got some water for B'Elanna to drink, then put water on to boil for the next dose of antibiotic and analgesic.
Morning dawned that second day, cold and gray. Tom snorted as he looked at the sky, and mumbled to himself, "This planet has the weirdest combination of seasons." Winter and spring seemed to mix together, with no real break. He could hardly wait to see what summer was like. He sighed and filled the canteens, then made the trip back up the river bank to the dugout. B'Elanna's fever was way up again, and she was shaking violently, in spite of the blankets he'd put on her. His hands shook with anxiety as he aimed the tricorder at her and took her temperature. 105.1. Shit! Much higher and she'd start having seizures, if she wasn't having them now. It was hard to tell, she was shaking so hard.
He gave her another hypospray, noting grimly that they were down to six, total. There was no way he could give her anything orally right now--she was moving about too much. Hopefully the hypospray would drop her temp enough to calm her down. The antibiotic tea should start helping soon...he was giving it to her every three hours... Tom started in surprise when he heard B'Elanna's voice behind him, but he quickly realized she was hallucinating. Fever dreams, nothing more.
"Tom..."
"I'm here, B'Elanna." He stroked her hair off her burning forehead.
"Make them go away--make the noise stop."
"What noise, baby?"
"Make the noise stop, please," She begged him, eyes filling up with tears. "I can't stand it."
"Okay, B'Elanna --I'll make them stop."
"Don't let it get us, Tom...Don't! It wants us..."
"I won't let anything get us, B'Elanna."
"It wants in...make it stop!"
It took Tom a few minutes to realize that she was talking about the wind--which had picked up speed and was blowing gustily outside their shelter. To her fevered imagination, it probably did sound like someone trying to get in. Tom shivered with the imagery. *An intruder. That's about all I'd need to deal with*, he decided. He turned back to the fire to remove the pot of water he'd been boiling...time to steep the next batch of antibiotic.
It took B'Elanna six days to shake off the pneumonia. By the time she was getting better Tom was nearly sick himself from lack of sleep and fresh air. He stumbled outside after her fever broke for the third time that day, and staggered over to their shade tree. It was a nice, warm day, with a breeze that smelled like fresh grass. B'Elanna was sleeping comfortably, so Tom decided to lay down under the tree just for a few minutes...
...and woke up when the cool breezes of early evening blew across his face. He sat up with a start, rubbing his face with his hands. Jesus. He'd been asleep for hours. What if B'Elanna had needed him? He wanted to rush into the dugout, but had to pee so bad he could hardly stand it. He decided not to waste the time going to the latrine, instead turned his back on the dugout and peed into the dirt behind their shade tree. He rushed down the slight slope of the dugout, and found B'Elanna still sleeping like she'd been this afternoon. He felt a little foolish then...surely he'd have heard her if she'd called out for him.
Trying to be nonchalant he retrieved the medical tricorder from the table and began scanning her with it. Temperature was down to 99.5--the lowest it had been in almost a week. He felt like jumping for joy. The tricorder showed a few residual traces of pneumonia, but the infection was gone, for the most part. She should be well in a few more days. Shaking with joy and relief, Tom put up the tricorder, stripped off his clothes and lay down on the bed with B'Elanna, spooned up behind her. They didn't wake for the rest of the day.
***********************************************************
Part 5
"Easy now, Bea. Take it easy...we'll get there." Tom guided B'Elanna up the slope and outside into the warm air and sunshine.
She made a noise in her throat, almost a growl, as she hung on to his arm. "Easy for you to say--it's not like you're taking your first steps again."
Tom smiled at her, blue eyes lighting up with joy at seeing her up once more. It had been a long, long week. Even now, two days after her fever had broken for good, she was still pale and thin. "Almost. I haven't been out much, either," he told her, tone mild with amusement. "Here we go..." He helped her sit down under the shade tree, and then sat himself. "Want some water?"
"Not right now, thanks." She sighed with pleasure and looked around. "I missed this." Looked back at Tom. "How sick was I?"
"Let's just say I don't care to repeat *that* experience anytime soon." Recalling the panic he'd felt as she seemed to get worse before finally starting to get better, he decided *never* sounded a lot better. He looked up to see her gazing steadily at him. "Oh, all right. Your temp peaked around 105.2 or 3. I don't know if you actually had any seizures or not--I didn't check. You were shaking so hard though, you probably did. Next time you decide to get pneumonia, wait until sickbay is available, okay?"
"Well, I certainly didn't do it on *purpose*," she said, defensive at his tone.
"I *know* that--I just...Gods, Bea! I was afraid you were going to die, or something. That I'd lose you to this godsforsaken place!" All the anger, fear and frustration of the last week and a half poured out of Tom's mouth. B'Elanna sat, staring at him, while he visibly tried to gain control over his emotions. He looked at her, unshed tears shining brightly in his eyes and whispered, "I don't know what I'd have done if something had happened to you. I love you..."
She reached out and pulled him into her weak embrace. "I love you too, Tom. I'm here, I'm okay. Shh..." She rocked him gently as he cried on her breast, trying to soothe him.
Eventually he sat up some, and wiped at his face, embarrassed that she had seen that. "Sorry. I'm okay. Gods, what a place this is." He gestured angrily at the beautiful expanse around them. "I'm so sick of this place! I just want us to go home..."
"How long have we been down here?"
"Um...about six weeks, give or take a couple of days. Why?"
"You know Voyager is long gone, Tom."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Come on, Tom. Janeway isn't going to wait for indefinite periods of time for us. Even when she and Chakotay got that virus...we only waited for a few weeks, for the doc to find a cure. No way are they still there."
Tom met her eyes with his own. "You know what you're saying, don't you?"
B'Elanna dropped her gaze. "Yeah."
"So, now what?"
"Now we start acting like this is for real, instead of just an extended camping trip."
"You need to finish healing, first. You'll get sick again if you do too much, too quick." Tom protested.
"Okay, but just for another day or two. You said I haven't had a fever for two days now. Surely I'm nearly well."
Tom shrugged weakly. "I guess. The tricorder says you are. I'm just--"
"Paranoid."
"Probably."
"Get over it, Paris."
"No, you get over it, Torres! You nearly died, dammit! I don't care to repeat the experience, okay?" His eyes flashed blue lightening at her, and B'Elanna's pulse jumped a little.
"Relax, Tom. I'm going to rest, okay?" She looked at him innocently, and he glared at her, suspicious.
"What's the catch?"
"Will you stay in bed with me?" B'Elanna couldn't contain the smile that had been threatening for several minutes.
The anger in Tom's face dissipated, and a smile spread over his features, too. "If you insist. Will it help you get better?" He leaned in to kiss her, and jumped a little when she bit his lip.
"Oh, I think it will. Want to try?"
"Oh, yes...B'Elanna!" All thoughts left his brain then as she began nibbling little bites across his jaw and down his throat.
*****************************************************
The first thing Tom did after assisting B'Elanna with her convalescence was to look for more of the large leaves they'd made their ponchos from. He gathered as many as he could find, then explained to B'Elanna that they should be able to sew them together to use as a mattress cover. "That way we can have the extra blanket to use as a pillow. Then we won't have to use our shirts."
"Good idea. Too bad sheets don't grow on trees--I'd love some of those as well."
"Clothes, too. Look at our uniforms." Tom grinned then. "Starfleet makes these things pretty sturdy, but I don't thinkthey were meant to be lived in for six weeks at a time without a break."
B'Elanna studied Tom's jumpsuit. She was only wearing her tank top and shorts again, since the temperature was warm today. His was looking a little ragged, and she knew hers didn't look much better. "I guess we're going to have to figure out a way to make some cloth--or find something we can use in the interim. I don't see us wearing the same uniform for the rest of our lives."
"What about those wolf-things?"
B'Elanna suppressed a shudder. "What about them?"
"We could trap them, couldn't we?"
"With what?"
"I don't know," He said, exasperated. "You're the warrior, remember?"
"I'm half-Klingon, Tom," She shot back. "That doesn't make me the hunting expert."
"Well, it's a cinch I'm not--I grew up on Starbases and ships for the most part. And the parts of Earth I lived in were pretty civilized."
B'Elanna sighed. "I can probably figure out something. Okay, so say we have a couple of dead wolves. Then what?"
"Uh...we skin them?"
"Right. Ever done that before?"
"I can figure it out. Then we'll have cloth.."
"Pelts, Tom. The word you're looking for is pelts."
"Right."
"You know, we don't have to make a trap..." She narrowed her eyes, considering. "If we could get lost, and find thatforest again...if we had our phasers with us--"
"We could just shoot them! Good thinking, Bea."
"Maybe. We'd still have to get them back here."
"You think the meat is any good? I'd kill for some meat."
"We can always try. And Tom--" Her voice took a definite note of humor, "You will be."
"I will be what?--Oh, yeah, right." Tom rolled his eyes. B'Elanna made a joke. How often did that happen? "C'mon, Torres. Let's get ready to go hunting."
Later, Tom reflected, it actually went well. Once they found the forest. Hunting the wolf-creatures was easy enough--they just had to let the nasty things find them. *Finding* the forest where they'd seen them was something altogether different.
They started early one morning, and headed south like they had when they went to the jungle. Then they cut inland, moving toward where they thought the forest should be. B'Elanna's right, Tom thought as they tramped through the trees; this place is definitely weird. Whoever was testing them--assuming that was still going on--liked to mess with their minds. The forest was a lot further away from the river than either he or B'Elanna remembered it being.
They picked a wide-based tree to use as cover, then waited for the wolf-creatures. Just past mid-day a pack descended uponthem, but this time they were ready. Both were armed with a phaser. The wolves didn't stand a chance.
Afterwards, it took them three hours to figure out how to skin the animals without ruining the pelts. B'Elanna ended up doing most of the skinning--Tom proved to be pretty inept at wielding a knife. That surprised B'Elanna. She'd assumed that because he had such fine control over the conn, which required a certain amount of dexterity, that he'd do okay with a skinning knife. She left Tom in charge of cutting up the carcasses, picking the best-looking parts. Tom had made a face when she said that, and replied, "How can you tell which is the best-looking? It all looks pretty nauseating to me." B'Elanna cracked up.
They decided to make a temporary camp on the way home, and smoke some of the meat into a kind of dried jerky. B'Elanna reasoned that it would keep longer that way, and be easier to carry. As it was they both felt bad that there was no way they could use all the meat--they'd killed six wolves--but they needed the pelts far worse than they needed the other. They did take along a few of the bones, since Tom recalled that he'd read somewhere that cavemen used to boil bones and hooves of animals to make a sticky, glue-type substance. He thought he might give that a try.
Tom and B'Elanna arrived back at their home the next afternoon, cheerfully weighted down with several pounds of dried and fresh meat; six wolf-like pelts, some bones and a general sense of well-being. They set to work getting their "house" settled--B'Elanna began making them a couple of chairs while Tom fashioned a couple more shelves. They stitched together the leaves to make their mattress covering, and used one cured wolf pelt to make pillows for their bed. The others were set aside to use for clothing, once they felt brave enough to try making it.
Both felt the need to stock up their medical supply, and spent several afternoons roaming the area around the dugout, looking for plants with medicinal properties. Fruits, grains and vegetables were gathered, and some were dried and stored in the baskets that Tom was able to weave from grasses and rushes. The weather obligingly turned cold again, and they were able to store some of the fresh meat outside in a cairn lined with rocks, where it froze.
Tom turned the meat on the spit, which was roasting over the fire. It had been ages since he'd had meat; real, replicated or otherwise, and he was looking forward to this meal. B'Elanna had found some potato-like things growing near the riverbank, so they were roasting those in the ashes. B'Elanna was sitting on their bed, looking at one of the pelts, trying to decide how best to fashion another shirt and pants from it. She looked up at him then, and smiled...and the smile faltered as suddenly as it had come.
"What's wrong, Bea?"
"Mmm." She shook her head. "I don't know. My stomach hurts all of a sudden." She shrugged. "I'm probably just hungry."
"Well, it should be ready pretty soon. Sure smells good, don't you think?"
"Mmm." She sat up straighter. "Oooh--" B'Elanna jumped off the bed and ran for the door. Tom followed her, concerned bemusement on his face. When he got to the entrance for the dugout B'Elanna was standing behind the shade tree--he could hear sounds of retching. She appeared shortly after, a little paler than usual, but looking okay.
"B'Elanna?" He questioned cautiously.
"I'm okay. Must just have a touch of upset stomach."
"Mmm." He followed her back into the dugout. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I feel fine now. Maybe it was those berries I ate at lunch--I don't usually eat that many."
"Are you hungry now?"
"Mmhmm. Is it ready?"
Tom poked the roast. "I think so. Shall we?"
"Yes, please."
They settled down happily to a real meal of roast meat and sort-of potatoes. Tom cleared the table and cleaned up the dishes afterward, since it was his day for dishes, then stretched out on the bed, feeling very sated. B'Elanna cast a glance outside, and tied down the shelter cover. She kicked her boots off by the table, and went to lay down next to Tom. "Getting dark out already?" he asked, eyes already closed.
"Yes. I guess this must be this planet's version of winter, now." She thought furiously for a minute. "Do you realize that of the 18 hours in a day here, only seven of that is daylight, right now?"
He threw an arm around her and rolled her over, so she was laying sprawled on top of him. B'Elanna wiggled against him and felt his growing erection. "Yeah, but think of all the fun we can have with this much night-time!"
"Thomas Eugene Paris--don't you think of anything else?" Her voice was heavy with disgust, and Tom's eyes flew open in shock, only to find her grinning at him.
"No...do you?"
"Not often. Now shut up--you talk too much." She bent her head and covered his mouth, pushing at his lips with her tongue. He obliged her by opening up, and they explored each other's mouths. Tom pulled B'Elanna's shirt up over her head, and brought his hands up to cup her breasts. They seemed fuller tonight, filling his hands with their weight and warmth. She moaned, and an electric shock jolted through him at the throaty sound. Tom released her breasts, and ran his hands up and down her back, rubbing at it gently, tickling her slightly on her sides. She responded by grinding her pelvis down on him, and felt his erection throb against her in response. "Tom...I want you..."
"Okay...Let's get these clothes..." He fumbled with her jumpsuit, and finally pushed it off of her. His followed, with B'Elanna impatiently helping, and then they were both naked.
B'Elanna gazed for a moment at him, the familiar melting feeling flowing through her. Then all other thoughts were pushed aside when Tom reached out and began to gently circle her nipples with his thumbs. She groaned out loud, then drew her breath in with a gasp as he replaced his thumbs with his mouth. First one, then the other, tonguing the nipples into hard little points. It felt so good, it almost hurt. At that point it was time to repay the pleasure somewhat. Shifting slightly to give herself better leverage, B'Elanna positioned herself and sank down on Tom's erection. He groaned, "Oh, yes...", and she echoed that wordlessly. She rode him for several minutes, the only sounds in the dugout harsh breathing and occasional breathy groans. Then Tom grabbed B'Elanna around the waist, and flipped her under him.
Once they were repositioned he began pistoning in and out of her, moving faster and faster. As he approached his climax he could feel hers building...she was digging her nails into his back so hard he wondered if she'd draw blood. Tom leaned down and captured her mouth with his, and mimicked his movements with his tongue. They came together in an explosion that left both laying limp and motionless for several moments.
Tom began to slowly return to reality only to feel B'Elanna's tongue licking up and down his chest and stomach--moving ever closer to his penis. "Again?" He asked, his voice holding equal parts of excitement and dismay.
She looked up at him from somewhere around his navel. "Don't think you're up to it?" She growled in a throaty voice.
"I don't..." He could feel himself growing hard again, and heard B'Elanna laughing gently. "Jesus, B'Elanna...you're going to kill me."
"But you'll die happy," she returned, then bent her head to take him into her mouth.
"Aaahhh...Oh, *Gods*!" He surged inside her mouth, and she stopped sucking for a minute, nibbling along the underside of the shaft instead. Deciding that two could play at this game he gently disengaged her, and rolled her onto her back. Starting at her nose he kissed his way down, alternating with sweeping licks of his tongue. He traced circles around her breasts and nipples, and licked across the nipples, pausing to blow on them. He watched in fascination as they became tight, hard points that begged to be suckled. He worked his way further down, hearing B'Elanna's breathy cries and moans, feeling her wiggling beneath him. He stopped for a minute when he reached her navel, and blew a quick raspberry kiss into it, startling her into a giggle.
Without giving her time to recover he moved down to that most tender area, and parted her thighs gently. She was very wet--most of it arousal, some of it residual from their previous orgasm. He spread her apart with his thumbs, then began licking gently, nibbling very gently at the edges of her labia. As he worked his way inward toward her clitoris she began arching her back. He flicked his tongue across her once, twice, and B'Elanna screamed, stiffening as her orgasm overtook her. Tom sat back on his heels, grinning. "Ready for more?"
"Mmmm...oh, yes. Come here." She reached for him, and he thrust into her. She was so wet, so hot...and he was so hot for her...
It took only a few thrusts before they both came, yelling each other's name. They cuddled into each other's arms and pulled the blankets up over them, and fell asleep.
**********************************************
Tom woke up sore and stiff to the sound of B'Elanna throwing up in their "portable" toilet. He sighed and got up, and poked up the fire.
"Are you okay?"
"I will be...Uuhhh..."
He shook his head and set water to boil. Maybe some tea would help. "Need anything?"
"No." After another pause B'Elanna came out from behind the curtain. "'Morning."
"'Morning, yourself. Okay?"
"I guess. I don't know what the problem is...I felt fine, last night."
Tom grinned in spite of himself. "I'll say."
"Tom--"
"Okay, okay. Seriously, though, why don't you see what the tricorder says? Maybe you just have a stomach bug."
"Mmm." B'Elanna sat down on their bed, and Tom tossed the medical tricorder to her. She tapped in the commands, and turned it to scan herself.
"Well?" The silence behind him grew very large, and Tom turned around to see B'Elanna sitting on the mattress, dead white. "What is it? B'Elanna--what's wrong?"
She turned the tricorder to him. "I'm...pregnant."
"What!?" He grabbed the tricorder from her and scanned the readout. She was four weeks pregnant. "Oh...my...God." He sat down heavily on the bed next to her.
"How are we going to have a baby?" Her voice sounded weak to her own ears. "I don't know anything about delivering babies...do you?"
Tom shook his head faintly. "I took the standard Starfleet emergency course, but that was years ago..." He looked up at her. "B'Elanna..."
"Tom--don't. Just give me time to think about this."
"Give *you* time? This affects both of us!"
"This is our *baby*, Tom!" Her voice sounded slightly hysterical. Tom pulled her into his arms and held her, rocking them back and forth.
"Shh. I know. It's just a shock." *A hell of a shock,* his brain retorted. "It's going to be all right..." He sat up suddenly as a thought occurred to him. "Bea--do you want this baby?"
A single tear slid down her cheek. "Don't you?"
"Just answer the question."
"Yes...I think so." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It's *our* baby, Tom. You and me. Us, together." She looked up at him. "You don't want it, do you?"
"I hadn't thought about it...I don't know. I'm not the one that has to carry it."
She shrugged. "Women have been having babies for centuries. It's not that big of a deal."
"What about physiological differences? Will that cause any problems?"
"I don't know--I've never been pregnant before! I suppose it might make me sicker--stronger hormones, or whatever...I don't know." She nudged him. "Tom."
"What?"
"Your water's boiling."
"Oh." He got up from the bed. "Do you want some tea?"
"Do I get breakfast too if I say yes?"
"You're hungry? You were just in there throwing up!"
"Yeah, well, now I'm starved."
"Whatever." Tom mixed up a bowl of oatmeal-goop, and made tea. B'Elanna joined him at the table.
"I want you to know I love you. And I want our baby." She began rubbing her belly. "I know it's a lot Tom--but think about it, okay?"
Tom watched her, a feeling of panic welling up inside him. He had to get out, walk around. "B'Elanna--I'm going to go walk for a while. I need to think."
"Okay." She searched his face for a minute, then leaned over and kissed him. "Be careful?"
"Yeah. And Bea? I love you too." He grabbed a phaser and a canteen and headed out the door. Breakfast forgotten for the moment, B'Elanna watched him leave, then lay back down to sleep. She couldn't remember ever feeling this tired before.
Tom walked north. He had no desire to do any exploring, he just needed to find a place he could sit and think. They had only two options, as far as he could tell. Have the baby, or not. And if they didn't, that meant they had to find to find a way to abort it. But B'Elanna wanted this baby. He didn't know what he wanted. He didn't really know what he felt. Nothing, yet. The shock was still too new. He'd never been faced with something like this before--unplanned pregnancies, unwanted, whatever--they were almost unheard of in this day and age. He remembered reading in a textbook once about how Earth governments sometimes regulated who could have babies, and how many; that was before space exploration and travel made off-world colonization a possibility, wh