Part 8 added on 19 December 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: PG13
Having entered the mess-hall in hopes of regaining some of the good cheer he had lost thanks to Tom Paris's inept training and revelations about his personal life, Neelix was less than happy to spot the source of his downcast mood sitting across the room from him. Not wanting to appear rude and ignore Tom or the others at the table, but at the same time dreading being pulled into another of Tom's conversations about himself, Neelix did the only thing he could think of, he hid. Fortunately Harry's arrival seemed to distract the others sufficiently that none of the tables occupants notice the Talaxian scurry behind the galley counter and hide himself behind a stack of pots.
Sitting on the floor behind the counter Neelix poked his head out slightly to try and see if Paris was still at the table. He was, but the thing that caught Neelix's eye were the three other people who had joined the group, Captain Janeway and Seven were now sitting on either side of Tom Paris, while B'Elanna sat facing Seven on the other side of the table. Although he was too far away to hear what was being said it was obvious, to Neelix, from the body language alone that the tables occupants were less than comfortable with one another. In fact the only people who seemed the least bit comfortable were the Captain and Seven, although he would have bet money that Seven was counting the seconds until she could leave, but that was probably just her usual reticence about engaging in social situations.
Taking a closer look at the young woman Neelix began to wonder if she was in fact wanting to get away and be alone with Mr Paris, the thought worried him. After discussing the reality of Seven and Tom dating he and the Doctor had decided to act as sort of guardian angels for the young woman, primarily by helping her in learning about romantic relationships, as she had already requested from the EMH, but also to keep their eye on her, or more accurately, keep their eye on Tom Paris and make sure he didn't do anything to harm the innocent girl. The idea of a hologram and a furry chef acting as protectors for the tall, intelligent and ultra strong ex-borg might have seemed ridiculous to some, but the two men knew that in matters of emotion and romance Seven was still very much a novice, and as such could be hurt very easily.
Reaching for his comm. badge Neelix decided to inform the Doctor of his suspicions, if the two did leave the mess-hall together he wanted to make sure someone was outside waiting to follow them. They would then be able to make sure the amorous helmsman didn't try anything rash before Seven's 'guardian angels' could have a few words with her, about the birds and the bees, and the all important concept of waiting until the right person came along, or if they were being truthful, someone other than Tom.
"Neelix to the Doctor..."
Kathryn Janeway finished updating her second in command about the most recent holo-simulations, making sure to praise the fine work carried out by B'Elanna, Harry and Seven. Although it seemed to the Captain that she could just as well have praised the carpeting for the amount of response she was getting from the three. Seven's apparent indifference she could almost dismiss, the young woman wasn't exactly know for exuberant expressions of joy when receiving praise or at any other time, but even for her she seemed distant, as if her mind, now free from the actual testing, was occupied by more important things. As for the other two, they seemed more interested in throwing dangerous looks at Tom Paris than paying attention to what their senior officers were discussing. Remembering the description she had heard of Tom and B'Elanna's break-up she could understand her chief engineer being less than thrilled with sharing a table with the helmsman, but the level of animosity she detected seemed totally out of proportion when considering that it had been B'Elanna who dumped Tom and not the other way around. As for Harry's behaviour, Kathryn couldn't even begin to work out why the usually happy and cheerful young man was suddenly scowling at his best friend. As for the target of their disdain, Tom looked oblivious to the two, leaning back in his seat he focused his eyes first on Kathryn to nod and look interested in what she was saying, then turned his attention to Seven and bestowed upon her an extremely over zealous smile.
Finishing her description of the engineering tests and hoping to alleviate some of the tension Kathryn decided to change the subject. Not wanting to say anything that could cause a worsening of the atmosphere she decided to keep the talk simple and upbeat.
"I think after this is over and we are safely away from those ships we could all use a celebration." Kathryn placed her hand on Tom's shoulder, she would rather have given one of the other three a pat on the back to show her appreciation of all they had done, but unfortunately Tom was the only one within range and she didn't think leaning across the table at full stretch just to pat someone on the arm was very dignified for the ships captain. "I know Neelix is always happy to have a party to plan, I'll have to inform him."
At this Seven was about to inform the Captain that Neelix was at that moment on his hands and knees peering at them around the side of the galley counter, but her train of thought was interrupted by a hand being placed on her arm.
"A party sounds like a wonderful idea, don't you think so Seven?" Asked the owner of the hand, Tom Paris, giving her arm a slight squeeze.
"I fail to see the use of these social gatherings." Seven replied extricating her arm. "Those present simply use the occasion to consume large quantities of synthahol and engage in boisterous behaviour."
"Oh but you forgot one of the most important elements of parties Seven." Tom moved in close to the young woman and again placed his hand on her arm. From the corner of his eye he could see B'Elanna's face descending into rage and he was overcome with a feeling of elation, finally she would know what it felt like to be rejected and replaced.
"And that is?" Seven turned to face Tom, she was uncomfortably aware of the nearness of his mouth to hers, but she knew the others would think her rude not to acknowledge someone speaking directly to her, once again she questioned the whole idea of politeness.
B'Elanna found her whole body tensing as Tom moved in closer to Seven, the flirtatious way he was talking to her made the half Klingon's blood boil. Ever since they had sat down at the table the only thing B'Elanna could think about was how desolate the normally cool and unemotional young woman had been when she'd found her in the cargo bay, and all because of Tom Paris and his belief in his own irresistibility. His thoughtlessness had harmed someone B'Elanna was beginning to realise she loved, and still he was continuing to force himself on her. The first time he touched Seven's arm B'Elanna wanted to rip his fingers off and break every single digit that had dared to touch the former drone. It wasn't the company at the table that stopped her but the worry that Seven might be frightened off by such a show of anger. Not so much the Seven that everyone saw, arrogant and argumentative, but the one she had glimpsed only occasionally, most notably in the cargo bay, that Seven was innocent and vulnerable and didn't need a headstrong and uncontrollably violent Klingon messing up her life. So breathing deeply B'Elanna stayed in her seat and watched with pleasure as Seven simply extracted her arm from the contact. As Tom grabbed for Seven's hand once more B'Elanna began reciting a Vulcan relaxation mantra under her breath.
"Why the dancing of course." Tom answered the former borg, looking deep into her eyes he tried to convey his desire to be that close to Seven, to move with he to the music, to have his arms around her body. The blank and apparently uninterested look he received in return only fuelled his desire to get a reaction from his intended lover, the added bonus being that his former lover was there to see just how easily she had been replaced. "I bet we could light up the dance floor."
"Would it not already have illumination?" Seven enquired.
"Yeah Tom, are you planning on having Neelix cut the power so no-one can see you have two left feet?" Harry joined in hoping to put a stop to his friends nauseating attempt at charming Seven.
"Funny Harry." Tom was getting rather annoyed with his friends behaviour since joining him at the table and just wished he'd leave.
"Well two left feet or not I think dancing is a wonderful idea Tom." Janeway interjected sensing the two ensigns about to start arguing.
"Thank you Captain." Tom bestowed his commanding officer with one of his sweetest smiles, and still looking at her continued. "I'm afraid my reasons for suggesting it are not altogether unselfish though." Here he looked at Seven, "it has just been so long since I held a beautiful woman in my arms and allowed the music to dictate our movements, I welcome any chance to do that again."
All eyes at the table turned to B'Elanna, the woman Tom had danced with only four weeks ago at the J'aVor celebration, and three of those people held their breaths waiting for her to explode.
"It is only 29 days since you last held a beautiful woman while dancing." Seven told him, she could have pinpointed it down to the second, even without borg assisted memory the sight of B'Elanna in the arms of another had imprinted itself on her memory. "I would not think that classifies as an extended period for such an activity." Looking across the table at the suddenly very attentive and smiling half Klingon Seven changed her mind. "Although to be denied the feel of someone special for even a day could seem too long."
Tom beamed at what he thought was a compliment directed at him. Janeway and Chakotay exchanged puzzled looks, the Captain didn't understand what could have caused Seven to talk in such an emotional way, although before entering the mess-hall she would have assumed it was something to do with B'Elanna, and been jealous of that fact. Chakotay just couldn't believe Seven was showing her first signs of romantic feeling over Tom Paris, he wasn't close to the ex-borg but had always thought her much more intelligent than that. Harry just slumped down in his chair, his hope that the story of Tom and Seven's relationship might still turn out to be untrue was finally shattered. B'Elanna blushed and tried to work out how to extract both herself and Seven from the table without insulting the Captain.
"So should I contact Neelix and tell him to include room for dancing in his preparations?" Tom asked the Captain.
Seven looked back to the galley and noticed Neelix still ensconced behind the counter, "Mr Neelix is not yet aware of the planned celebration, to inform him to add room for dancing would therefore be a waste of time until he has first been appraised of his original duties as party organiser." Seven was tired of this talk of parties and dancing and wanted to leave so as to continue the afternoon's conversation with B'Elanna, not to mention the kissing.
Tom noticed a rosy blush appear on Seven's cheeks and assumed she was thinking of him, and the prospect of them dancing together. "Don't worry Seven I'm sure Neelix will have no trouble organising things, and when he does I'd like to officially request the first dance." At this Tom turned his whole body to face Seven, and clasped her hand with both of his.
"I," Seven looked to B'Elanna, suddenly feeling trapped and not sure how to extricate herself from this type of social situation.
"Stop badgering her Tom." B'Elanna warned, her anger resurfacing with the trapped look in Seven's eyes.
Ignoring his ex-lover, but secretly overjoyed that she was so consumed with jealousy, Tom pulled Seven's hand to his mouth, "Please." He whispered before kissing the imprisoned hand.
The kiss was like a trigger to the angered Klingon, with a shriek of rage B'Elanna threw herself over the table, knocking Tom out of his chair she savagely dug her knee into his chest before raising her arm and smashing her fist into the no-longer smiling face. Blood spurted from the obviously shattered nose, spraying red droplets across B'Elanna's face but not stopping her fury. Arms yanked her away just as she launched another punch at the man's head, his wails of pain turning to curses once B'Elanna was safely restrained by Chakotay and Harry.
"You bitch! You stupid half-breed Klingon, look what you've done to my nose!"
"Enough!" The Captain shouted, and Tom's curses and B'Elanna's struggles immediately stopped at hearing the iron in her tone. "Harry take Tom to sickbay." She ordered , looking at her chief engineer Kathryn's tone dropped several degrees. "Go to my Ready Room now. Wait there until I arrive."
Harry helped the complaining helmsman to his feet and started pulling him towards the exit, the blood had by now soaked most of the front of Tom's uniform and earned them quite a few strange looks on the way to sickbay.
On being ordered to leave B'Elanna had only spared a moment to look at Seven before making her way to the Captain's Ready Room and her fate. Although having seen the look of shock and bewilderment in Seven's eyes B'Elanna feared she had already been punished more than she could bear, if her stupid actions had cost her the feelings she knew Seven was developing for her, it would be her own fault. Cursing herself for an idiot, and trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall, B'Elanna made her way through the ship.
Seven watched silently as first Tom and then B'Elanna left the mess-hall, looking down at the drops of blood that had soaked into the carpet she had a strange urge to crouch down and try to remove them. Seeing Chakotay steer the Captain into a corner of the room to speak earnestly with her, Seven turned around and left the room. She spoke to no-one.
Chakotay urged the Captain to follow him to a quiet area of the mess-hall, he could see by her posture and the way her fist was tightly clenched that she was beyond mere angry, and he wanted to try and put in a good word for B'Elanna before Kathryn saw her.
"Kathryn I think there are some things about B'Elanna and Tom that you should know." He began.
"If you're going to tell me that they broke-up I already know, and even if I didn't it is no excuse for this type of action." Realising her voice was getting louder the Captain pulled Chakotay even further to the side of the room to avoid being overheard. "I had to speak with them before about allowing their personal life to interfere with ships business, I see no reason to now allow them to publicly brawl just because they are no longer involved."
"I know what she did was wrong, but she must have found out about Tom and Seven, and seeing them together, well." Chakotay shrugged in a 'what could she do' manner.
"What about Tom and Seven?" Kathryn felt the onset of dread at the mention of Seven's name.
"I thought you'd know." The big man looked slightly confused, he'd thought that being perhaps Seven's closest friend the young borg would have confided in her, but obviously not. "It appears that the two of them have begun dating."
"No." Kathryn looked passed Chakotay hoping to see the young woman in question, but she had already left.
"It seems they have Kathryn, I was there when Tom confirmed it." Chakotay was beginning to regret telling the Captain about the couple, her look had gone from furious to shocked to borderline homicidal in a matter of moments, and a homicidal captain was not what he wanted B'Elanna to have to face. "Tom was kind of rubbing it in." Chakotay continued to make excuses. "I think a lot people in that kind of situation would have lashed out."
"Most people are not the Chief Engineer." Kathryn shot him a deadly look, daring him to keep trying to protect his friend. In reality she wasn't really too concerned with B'Elanna at that moment, she would have to reprimand her of course but the thing that was concerning the Captain now was Seven and Tom Paris. 'If he's laid a finger on her I'll have him put in a spacesuit and towed behind the ship until we get home' cursing herself for not having the talk with Seven she'd planned when all she had to worry about was an honourable and intelligent engineer stealing the young woman's affections Kathryn turned and without another word left the mess-hall.
"That when well." Chakotay sighed to himself. "Good luck B'Elanna, I think you're going to need it."
While the group in the mess-hall had been busy talking the Doctor had sat, emitter poised and ready, listening to Neelix describe events and preparing to rush to intercept Tom and Seven if they left together. The Talaxian was just telling a rather repulsed Doctor about Tom lifting Seven's hand up to kiss it when the connection was terminated, as if Neelix had dropped his communicator. Failing to receive any answer to his hails the Doctor was just about to leave for the mess-hall when Harry Kim and a blood soaked Tom Paris entered.
"I think he's got a broken nose Doc." Volunteered Harry in a less than sympathetic voice.
"Thank you Mr Kim, I believe you can leave the diagnosis up to me." Pointing to the nearest bed the EMH ordered Tom to sit. If he had been mere flesh and blood the Doctor would have turned a deep shade of red by now as his temper soared, but being a collection of photons he was able to mask his rage, well almost, his voice had taken on a quality that would scare any sane person seeking medical attention. His temper was stretched by the simple belief that Seven of Nine had rendered the blow that had broken Paris's nose, and that she had done so only after Tom had tried to do something inappropriate. His reasoning behind this was the last message from Neelix, about the attempted kiss to Seven's hand, from there it was a simple jump to the man trying to kiss her lips or put his hand where it wasn't wanted.
"Hold still." The Doctor ordered his patient as he used his thumb and forefinger to squeeze the bridge of Tom's nose.
"Owwww!" Tom slapped the Doc's hand away.
"Don't be a baby Mr Paris I have to examine your nose." Saying this the Doctor used the fingers of both hands to press the sides of Tom's now very swollen nose.
"ARGhhhhhh!!" Tom jumped from the bed to stand behind Harry. "Get away from me!" He gently reached up to feel his nose, the pain from the exam far worse than the actual blow itself.
"Come on Tom let the Doc fix it." Harry took a firm grip on his friends arm and escorted him back to the bed.
"You must expect a little pain if you go about dallying with young women's affections." The Doctor chastised.
"Me?" Tom looked at both the Doctor and Harry in indignation, "She's the psycho who hit me remember? Bloody Klingon temper, she should be locked up."
"It was B'Elanna who hit you?"
"Of course it was her, do you know any other psycho Klingon's on board?" Tom screamed.
The Doctor began running the tricorder over Tom's face, he was relieved to know it wasn't Seven who had thrown the punch but he was sure that B'Elanna must have been provoked. Checking his results, which confirmed the shattered state of Tom's nose, the EMH was tempted to leave his patient with a very swollen and red nose, but unfortunately the medical ethics side of his programming wouldn't allow that, so he settled for another manual check of the broken cartilage.
"Ooowwwwwwwww!!!"