"PERILS OF A MATCHMAKER"
CODE: P/T, B/N, Kim
RATING: [PG-13]
SUMMARY: Tom Paris helps Pablo Baytart win the affections of Sue Nicoletti and endangers his own pursuit of the Chief Engineer in the process. Set during late Season 3.
FEEDBACK: deerush76@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Tom, B'Elanna and all other characters related to Star Trek Voyager belong to Paramount, Viacom and the usual Trek Powers to Be.
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Part 1
Tom Paris heard footsteps behind him as he walked along the corridor of Deck Six. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant Paris!" a voice cried out. "Lieutenant, may I speak to you?" The voice belonged to Ensign Pablo Baytart, one of the pilots under the Chief Helmsman's command.
"Can I help you, Pablo?" Tom paused to face the younger man.
Breathing heavily, Baytart replied, "Yeah, I . . ." He paused momentarily. "I need to speak with you. About a private matter."
Private matter meant Baytart wanted to conduct this conversation somewhere other than in the middle of the corridor. Tom nodded. "I'm heading for Holodeck One. For the resort. Why don't you join me?"
"Well, I . . ." Hesitation loomed in Baytart's eyes. "Can we go somewhere a little more private?"
Tom sighed and promised to initiate the privacy lock on the holodeck. The two pilots reached Holodeck One and entered. Although Neelix's resort program was running, no one seemed to be inside. Much to Baytart's obvious relief. After Tom ordered the computer to initiate the lock, he turned to the junior pilot. "Okay Pablo, we're alone. Now what's the problem?"
It all came tumbling out of Baytart's mouth. In a nutshell, the young pilot was in love with Lieutenant Sue Nicoletti, from Engineering. And he required Tom's help to play matchmaker. The older man gave Baytart a blank look. "Matchmaker? Why me?"
"I . . . uh . . ." Baytart blushed. "Well, I heard how you helped Culhane with Jenna Carlson in Exobiology, a couple of months ago. And I wondered if you could . . ." The pilot's face now turned deep red. "You see, it's Sue. I heard she can be difficult to pursue."
The understatement of the century, Tom thought wryly. He recalled his own six-month long efforts to pursue Sue Nicoletti, last year. Efforts that eventually ended in failure. Not that Tom felt any bitterness over the matter, despite the "cold hands, cold heart" comment he once made to Harry Kim about the engineer. He had never felt anything more than lust for the dark-haired Sue. Something he wished he could say about his present goal - namely Sue's commanding officer - a certain half-Klingon, half-Human chief engineer. Images of the recent events on Sakari IV flashed through Tom's mind. Along with memories of a conversation inside a turbolift. "Careful of what you wish for, Lieutenant." With a sigh, Tom realized he may have taken on a more impossible goal.
"Lieutenant?" Baytart's voice interrupted Tom's thoughts.
The older man shook his head. "Sorry. My mind was elsewhere. Uh, as for the elusive Lieutenant Nicoletti, I'll see what I can do."
A bright smile lit up Pablo's face. "Thanks, Lieutenant."
"Don't get too excited, Pablo. This is Sue Nicoletti we're dealing with." Cold hands, cold heart. "It might take a while before we achieve success."
Still smiling, Pablo stood up. "I'm sure you'll get the job done, Lieutenant. I'll see you later. And again, thanks." He left the holodeck.
"Yeah, sure," Tom murmured under his breath. He realized, to his regret, that he might have to put his pursuit of B'Elanna Torres on hold.
* * * *
Sable eyes watched the doors to Engineering slide open. Watched a sandy blond-haired figure in Command black-and-red, stroll inside. Those same eyes quickly glanced away the moment Voyager's Chief Pilot walked toward the Chief Engineer's private office. B'Elanna Torres's heart began to beat rapidly.
Breathe Torres. Calm down. Tom Paris is no one to get excited over. What happened on Sakari IV had been a mere fluke. An unfortunate incident caused by a chemical imbalance forced upon her by a Vulcan in . . .
"Hey B'Elanna." Tom Paris's soft, masculine voice filled her ears. The same voice that told her over two months ago that he would like to see more of her Klingon side. Tom entered her office, his scent pervading her senses. B'Elanna struggled not to breathe deeply. He tossed a PADD on her desk. "The navigation reports. Just as you had requested."
B'Elanna snatched the PADD from the desk. "Thanks," she said, giving Tom a curt nod. She did not even bother to look at him. The last thing she wanted was to look deeply into the pilot's blue eyes. Unfortunately for B'Elanna, once she received the report, Tom refused to move. Another sigh left her mouth. He possessed a stubborn streak that rivaled any Klingon's. "Is there something else you wanted, Paris?" She glanced up and frowned. It helped that her eyes focused upon his forehead.
"Paris?" One of Tom's sandy brows quirked upward. "I thought we had put surnames behind us a long time ago." Over a year, to be exact.
B'Elanna growled. "What do you want, Tom?"
A slow smile curled the pilot's lips. B'Elanna forced herself to ignore the electric currents shooting up her spine. "Well, I was thinking of holding this party," Tom replied, "and I thought you would like . . ."
"I'll be busy," B'Elanna shot back, interrupting him.
Tom frowned. "Oh? When? I don't recall mentioning a specific date."
Idiot! B'Elanna mentally castigated herself. She should have kept her mouth shut, until he finished. Now, how in the hell was she going to get out of this mess?
B'Elanna eventually asked herself why she would want to avoid an evening with Tom. She could no longer deny her interest in the pilot. At least, privately. Publicly admitting her interest seemed another matter. A little voice inside her mind - one that she labeled "FEAR" - told her that it would be a matter of time before Tom Paris grew weary of her Klingon side. And that in the end, he would reject her.
Heaving a sigh, B'Elanna deliberately examined the PADD in her hand. "Look Tom," she commented in her usual gruff manner, "I'm sure that your party will be a lot of fun, but I don't know when I'll have time to enjoy it. Between our encounter with that Borg cube and the Doctor's foray into homicidal schizophrenia, I don't know when."
"Oh." Tom's voice permeated with disappointment. At least that was how it sounded to B'Elanna. "Well . . . uh, hopefully you'll be free, sooner than you think."
"Hopefully."
Another moment passed before Tom murmured a quick good day. And then he left. Only his scent lingered inside the office. The half-Klingon kept her eyes fixed on the report. At least, she tried to concentrate. The moment she felt safe enough to do so, she glanced up to watch Tom leave Engineering. Only, he did not leave. Instead, he made his way toward one of her engineers working at a console near the warp core. Sue Nicoletti. B'Elanna's eyes narrowed.
* * * *
"Say that again?" Sue Nicoletti demanded. "You're inviting me to where?" Her voice rang throughout Engineering, drawing stares.
There were times Tom wished the engineer would learn to keep her voice at a moderate level. Ignoring the curious stares, Tom repeated his question. "I asked if you would like to join me in my quarters, tomorrow evening."
Sue shot an uneasy glance at the Chief Engineer's office. "Uh, just us alone?"
"Huh?" Tom realized that he had misinterpreted his intent. The last thing he wanted was to give Sue the idea that he had renewed his interest in her. "Oh! Uh . . . damn! No, it's not what you think." He exhaled a gust of breath. "I'm holding a little sociable, tomorrow night. You know, food, drinks, music and perhaps a little game of poker."
Disbelief replaced the wariness in Sue's blue eyes. "This is new. You haven't asked me to a friendly get-together in months. Ten months, to be exact."
Tom shrugged. "Considering the number of times you've turned me down in the past, can you blame me?"
"Uh-huh."
A nervous laugh escaped Tom's mouth. "Look Sue, it's not what you think. I'm not interested in romance. Just a little get together with people I consider to be my friends."
"I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted," Sue commented wryly. Again, she shot a glance toward B'Elanna's office. "Will Lieutenant Torres be there?"
Tom quickly squelched the disappointment he felt over B'Elanna's recent rejection. "It seems she'll be busy for a while. I'm only surprised that you aren't."
"Busy doing what?"
Of course. Tom realized he should have known that B'Elanna's excuses for turning down his invitation were mere smoke screens. Either she had no desire to spend her off-duty hours with him. Or she was afraid. Tom hoped it was the latter.
Sue repeated her question. "Well? Busy doing what?"
"Nothing," Tom responded with a sigh. "Forget what I said. All I want to know is will you be able to show up at my quarters, tomorrow night. Say, 20:00 hours?"
"I'll be there."
Tom smiled. "Good. Now be sure . . ."
"Nicoletti!" a throaty female's voice cried out. "Haven't you finished recalibrating those specs, yet?" Tom and Sue stared at the glass-encased office. B'Elanna stood in the doorway, hands on hips. Glaring.
Sue threw Tom a long-suffering glance. One that pleaded with him to leave before either of them piss off the Chief Engineer any further. Tom quickly got the message and left Engineering before he could further inflame B'Elanna's wrath.
* * * *
Around 21:45, the following night, Tom glanced around his quarters. His guests were due to arrive any minute. And sure enough, the first one arrived three minutes later. Pablo Baytart. Harry Kim arrived with both Delaney sisters, two minutes after Pablo. Before 20:00, the rest of Tom's guests arrived, with the exception of Sue Nicoletti. The engineer showed up fifteen minutes late.
Soft jazz music filled the pilot's cabin. A tempting array of Earth and Bajoran dishes stretched across a table, set up against a bare wall. The food had been replicated, thanks to additional credits provided by Baytart and Harry.
The party seemed to proceed smoothly. Talk focused on topics other than survival in the Delta Quadrant. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food. Tom did not blame them. He had to keep the party a secret from Voyager's Talaxian cook - who would have undoubtedly volunteered to prepare the food. And to Tom's delight, Pablo and Sue managed to strike up a conversation on famous jazz musicians. If everything went according to plan, the engineer and the pilot will drift from acquaintance to friendship, and eventually toward romance. Then disaster struck.
Pablo volunteered to fetch a plate of dim sum for Sue. Eager to please the engineer, he set out on his task. As he headed back toward Sue, Pablo failed to notice Mike Ayala's protruding foot. He tripped over the latter and the plate of dim sum with soy sauce, sailed out of his hands and landed on Sue's lap.
The engineer cried out with dismay. Pablo laid sprawled on the floor, wearing a horrified expression. Tom closed his eyes and sighed. Getting Pablo and Sue together, he realized, might proved to be more elusive than him winning the hand of one B'Elanna Torres.
* * * *
"Hey, Starfleet!"
Harry glanced up from his breakfast and found the Chief Engineer standing beside his table inside the Mess Hall. "Hey, Maquis. Have a seat." He gestured toward the empty chair, opposite him.
Once B'Elanna eased into a chair, she began poking at her food. Either she was not hungry or like Harry, found Neelix's idea of Eggs Benedict, unappetizing. "Doesn't look that hot, does it?" Harry commented.
B'Elanna smiled wryly. "Not really. I would have replicated something, but I'm low on credits, right now."
"Yeah, so am I. Tom managed to win most of my credits during a pool game, day before yesterday." Harry scooped up a forkful of orange-colored eggs. "He must have used them for that party in his quarters, last night." The moment he mentioned Tom's party, he saw B'Elanna's mouth tightened into a grim line. "What's wrong?"
Her mouth quickly relaxed. Dark eyes widened in innocence. "What do you mean?"
"Is there something wrong?" Harry continued. "You looked upset for a moment. When I mentioned Tom's party." He deliberately paused. "Were you upset over that?"
B'Elanna's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Of course not! Why should I be upset? Tom had invited me. I just didn't . . . I mean, I was busy, last night." She began to attack her food.
"Busy?" Harry frowned. "Doing what? Most of the major repairs were finished three days ago."
An exasperated sigh escaped B'Elanna's mouth. "There were minor repairs to deal with," she replied through gritted teeth.
"Which could have been done by your staff. After all, you are the Chief Engineer."
"What's your point, Harry?"
The Operations Chief realized that he was about to tread through dangerous waters. But he also remembered that he was a Starfleet officer. Not only was weird part of the job, but also danger. Harry took a deep breath. "It sounds as if you had turned down Tom's invitation. To avoid Tom."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "Kahless, Harry! The world does not revolve around Thomas Paris!" The moment she spoke his name, the Mess Hall doors slid open and in strode the object of their conversation. Harry glanced at B'Elanna, whose cheeks immediately turned red. A smile tugged at his lips.
"Hey Harry!" Tom greeted in his usual gregarious manner. He joined the two friends at their table. His eyes slid toward the Chief Engineer. "B'Elanna." The latter responded with a murmur.
Harry smiled at his friend. "Hey, Tom. Where's your breakfast?"
"I ate some of the leftovers from last night's party. You should taken some yourself, Harry." Tom shot a withering glance at the orange eggs. "And maybe spare yourself from Neelix's latest sample of Delta Quadrant cuisine."
Harry dismally poked his eggs with his fork. "Oh God, please don't remind me!"
Tom turned to face B'Elanna. "Say B'Elanna, you miss one hell of a party, last night. We had a great time. Right, Har?"
"I have to admit that I did enjoy myself, last night," Harry conceded, recalling the festivities. "Tom's right, B'Elanna. It's a shame that you missed it."
Mischief sparkled in Tom's blue eyes. "Well, B'Elanna was busy last night, Harry," he drawled. "With repairs. Of course that does seem odd, since all of the major repairs were finished three days ago."
B'Elanna gave Harry an accusing stare. "You told!"
"What are you talking about?" a bewildered Harry protested. "I didn't say a word!"
"Then who . . .?" B'Elanna's gaze pierced the Chief Helmsman. "All right, Flyboy! Who told you?"
Projecting an air of innocence, Tom shrugged. "Told me what?"
"Tom!"
Chuckling, Tom finally gave in. "All right, all right. It was Sue Nicoletti. I asked her about the repairs, last night."
Sable eyes slitted dangerously. Harry prepared to calm down B'Elanna. Before he could do so, the doors slid open again and Sue Nicoletti entered. As she strode toward the galley's counter, Tom rose from his chair. "Excuse me for a minute." His eyes focused on the dark-haired engineer. "I have some business to attend to." The pilot walked toward Sue, leaving behind two speechless friends.
B'Elanna finally spoke out. "What the hell does he want with her?" she growled.
Harry noticed the grim expression on his friend's face. And the envy in her dark eyes. Interesting, he thought. B'Elanna was jealous. Harry glanced at his other friend. And what exactly did Tom want with Sue Nicoletti?
* * * *
Tom approached the engineer, flashing his trademark effervescent grin. "Sue!"
Nicoletti eyed the helmsman with a wary eye. "Tom. What can I do for you?" She picked up a breakfast tray and began to examine the dishes on the counter.
"Just wanted to know if you enjoyed last night's party." From the corner of his eye, Tom noticed the perked interest on Neelix's face.
Sue quietly made her breakfast selections. "I enjoyed it," she coolly replied replied, "aside from getting a plate full of dim sum and soy sauce on one of my best dresses."
Tom winced at her answer. It seemed Pablo's clumsy act had failed to fade from Sue's memory. "Yeah, I'm real sorry about that. Mike should really learn to keep his feet tucked in."
"And Baytart should learn to watch where he steps," Sue retorted. Oh, oh! Things did not look promising. Once Neelix filled her plate with food, Sue carried it over to the nearest empty table. Tom followed. She eased into a chair with a sigh. "Okay, Tom. What do you want, now?"
Tom sat down in a chair, opposite her. "I have a favor to ask." He paused.
"What favor?"
In a breathless rush, Tom informed Sue of his plans (phony ones, at that) to develop a training simulation holoprogram for the pilots in his division. "Holoprogram?" Sue took a bite of her Eggs Benedict and grimaced. Then she chewed her food and swallowed. "What do you need me for? You're one of the best holoprogrammers on the ship."
It amazed Tom how a compliment could sound so cold. What on earth did Baytart see in this woman? Better yet, what on earth made him pursue her for six months? The challenge? Tom gathered all of his patience and replied, "It's not your programming skills I need, Sue. It's your memory. Of Geminian Prime. I understand that your last assignment before Voyager was the Hiriku. And that it was the first starship to chart the Geminian Prime system."
"So what? I'm an engineer, not a astrophysicist."
Tom sighed. Patience, Tommy boy, patience. Hell, you've been practicing it long enough with B'Elanna. His lips still fixed in a smile, Tom continued, "That may be true, but I heard you were part of the original survey team. To study the geological and metallurgical details of several of the planets. I need to provide me some details of the system."
Sue warily speared a piece of Ragealan sausage. "You can find all the information you need in the ship's database."
"The database cannot provide those little details that make a program exciting. C'mon Sue! Please?" Tom gave the engineer the full blast of his blue eyes.
A sigh left Sue's mouth. "Okay," she said, surprising Tom. "I'll help you. I may not remember much, but I'll help. When do we start?"
So much for Cold Hands/Cold Hearts Nicoletti, Tom decided. Maybe he should have tried begging, when he pursued her, a year ago. "How about tomorrow evening? Around 1900 hours? I'll meet you outside the Hololab."
"It's a date," Sue replied. Unfortunately, she had spoken loud enough to draw stares from nearby diners.
Tom decided it was time to leave before a false rumor could start. He bid Sue a quick good-bye and returned to Harry's table. However, one person seemed to be missing. Tom's eyes narrowed. "Where's B'Elanna?" he asked. Harry did not say a word and instead, responded with a sardonic smirk.
* * * *
Somewhere on Deck 8, B'Elanna crawled through Jeffries tube 26, lugging her toolkit with her. Several of the EPS conduits had malfunctioned and for some reason, the two engineers she assigned to make repairs seemed capable of completing the task. A firm believer in the old adage - "If you want something done, do it yourself" - B'Elanna decided to deal with the repairs, personally.
She came upon a console, located a few feet away from one of the tube's opened doors. After removing the console's panel, B'Elanna's dark eyes examined the circuitry. Obviously, Ensigns Mulcahey and Ballard's repairs had failed to solve the problem. In fact, their work only seemed to have made matters worse. How in Kahless's name did Starfleet allow such incompetents on their starships?
A sigh left the Chief Engineer's mouth. She picked up a hydro-spanner and set about making repairs. B'Elanna hoped that a little work would help her forget that scene she had witnessed in the Mess Hall. Unfortunately, no sooner had she begun repairs, her hopes quickly dashed. The circuits before her, soon transformed into the unwelcome vision of Tom Paris and Susan Nicoletti, engaged in an intimate conversation.
What in the hell made Tom rush to Sue's side, the moment she entered the Mess Hall? Did he have an innocent matter to discuss? Or did he invite her to another one of his private parties? B'Elanna began to wonder if Tom's romantic interest in the dark-haired woman had revived, after his failure to woo the Chief Engineer. The latter longed to know. And yet, a part of her had no desire to concern herself with the notorious Chief Helmsman. Ah, conflict! Her constant companion in life.
". . . has to be," a voice beyond the tube's door, was saying. "How else can you explain it?"
Another voice sighed. "Explain what?" B'Elanna recognized that soft, sarcastic voice anywhere. It belonged to her second-in-command, Joe Carey. "Pat, you don't know what you're talking about."
Ensign Patrick Mulcahey snorted. "Of course, I do! I was sitting at the table next to them, inside the Mess Hall . . ."
B'Elanna's hands paused over the console. She placed the spanner on the floor and quietly crept toward the door. When Mulcahey mentioned the words, "Mess Hall", she realized that he and Joe were discussing Paris and Nicoletti. At that moment, B'Elanna refused to even think of the Chief Pilot as Tom.
"You mean to say," Carey sarcastically continued, "that you and Lindsay overheard the entire conversation?"
Mulcahey retorted, "We heard enough." He paused, causing B'Elanna to mentally scream for the man to continue. "Paris asked Sue to help him with a holodeck program."
"And?"
B'Elanna's heart lurched at the news. Since when did Tom Paris need help with a holoprogram?
"Tom Paris, asking for help with a holoprogram?" Mulcahey cried out, repeating B'Elanna's thoughts. "He's one of the best programmers on the ship! Probably the best! What the hell does he need Sue's help for?"
A sigh from Carey. "What are you leading to, Pat?"
"I think Paris is interested in Sue, again. C'mon Joe! What else can it be? He invites her to a party inside his quarters . . ."
Joe shot back, "I was there!" I could have been, B'Elanna added silently. "There were at least ten to fifteen people at that party."
Mulcahey continued, "And what about this morning? Paris seeking help for his new holoprogram?"
Silence followed. B'Elanna immediately knew the answer to Mulcahey's suggestion. Tom Paris wanted Sue Nicoletti. Quite simple. He had apparently grown weary of pursuing B'Elanna and now focused his attention upon another woman. Surely, Joe could see that?
Seconds later, B'Elanna had her answer. "I guess Paris finally got tired of chasing the Chief after Sakaris IV," Joe finally said. "Too bad."
"Too bad?" Mulcahey's voice rang with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Can you imagine the Chief and Playboy Paris as a couple? It would never work! She's too intense for a guy like that!" Intense could only mean one thing - too Klingon in Mulcahey's eyes. He did not realize it, but he had just earned another black mark in the Chief Engineer's book.
Carey responded, "I don't know. Personally, I thought they had something. Like I said, too bad." He almost sounded mournful. But not as much as B'Elanna felt.
* * * *
Tom strode along Deck Six's corridor in his usual, easygoing manner. He was on his way to Pablo Baytart's quarters, located right next door to Harry. Upon reaching his destination, he rang the announciator. Several times. After six weeks of accumulating extra flying time, Baytart managed to get two days off for his troubles. Today was the first of his off-duty time. A groggy voice from inside cried out, "Wha . . . Who's there?"
"It's me, Pablo! Paris! I have something for you." Seconds passed before the door opened, allowing Tom to enter.
Tom's eyes glanced around the immaculate cabin. There were a few facts about Pablo Baytart. He was an excellent pilot, a good juggler, a friendly soul, he constantly complained about Harry's clarinet and he also happened to be a neat freak. Tom barely saw an object out of place or a piece of clothing scattered about. Amazing.
"Lieutenant," Baytart greeted his superior, while tugging at his robe. "Can I help you?"
Tom replied, "Not really. Actually, I'm here to help you. Here," he tossed a PADD at the ensign. "Read that. You're going to be helping Sue with a holoprogram, tomorrow. Nineteen hundred hours. Be there." He turned on his heels and started toward the door.
"Wait!" Pablo cried out. He ran a hand through his dark hair. "What do I need this PADD for?"
"I told Sue that I needed help with a pilot training program. It's all there on the PADD. She'll be expecting me, but you'll show up, instead. Tell her . . ." Tom's mind raced for a plausible explanation. "Tell her that I was called unexpectedly by Ensign Kim, regarding an Operations matter." He slapped the younger man's back. "After that, it's up to you."
Before Tom could leave, Pablo thanked him. "I really appreciate this, Lieutenant." The Chief Pilot responded with a quick grin and left.
* * * *
At precisely 19:00 hours, the following evening, Tom deliberately failed to meet Lieutenant Nicoletti in the Hololab. Instead, he turned on his computer inside his quarters and watched Ensign Baytart make the appointment in his place, by activating the lab's video monitor.
The expression on Sue's face expressed annoyance at Tom's failure to meet her. However, the engineer seemed willing to work with Pablo. Within twenty minutes, Tom could see that his plan was going smoothly. Both Sue and Pablo worked well, together. And unlike the party from a few days ago, there seemed to be no mishaps.
No sooner had those words entered Tom's thoughts, Pablo punched in a few entries on his console, his eyes fixed upon Sue with unabashed admiration. Sparks immediately lit up the engineer's workstation. Sue cried out in pain, before she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Tom lowered his head into his hand and let out a heavy sigh. He realized, with a touch of despair that his efforts to help Baytart win Nicoletti's affections had just risen from difficult to near impossible.
* * * *
"One last item on the agenda, this morning," Captain Janeway declared, "is Lieutenant Nicoletti's injuries." The auburn-haired captain and her senior officers sat around the large table, inside Voyager's Conference Room. "Doctor, can you give us the details on this matter?"
Due to his possession of a 29th century holoemitter four-and-a-half months ago, the Chief Medical Officer had been able to appear outside Sick Bay and the holodecks. And finally even make personal appearances at senior staff meetings. Much to Tom's annoyance. The latter preferred the good old days when they communicated with the EMH via a computer monitor. Which meant anyone could switch off the ponderous hologram whenever he became annoying.
The Doctor gave a slight cough. "Lieutenant Nicoletti had suffered minor burns and electric shock from an outage in her console in the Hololab. She healed quite nicely, following a minor surgery and a few hours of rest."
"How on earth did that happened?" the Captain demanded. She turned to B'Elanna with concerned eyes. "Lieutenant, was there something wrong with one of the Hololab's computer terminals?"
The Chief Engineer's mouth formed a grim line. Tom almost smiled. She looked very Klingon at that moment. And quite gorgeous. "There was nothing wrong, Captain," B'Elanna grumbled. "It seemed Ensign Baytart had accidentally caused a surge in the console Sue was working from."
A puzzled frown appeared on Chakotay's face. "I'm surprised those two were working together. Neither really struck me as being exceptional holoprogrammers."
Tom spoke out. "It was my idea." All eyes fell upon him. "I needed Sue's help on a particular program, but I had to bow out at the last moment. So I asked Ensign Baytart to take my place."
"Why?" Janeway asked.
Tom shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm creating a new training program for the Conn Division."
"Is that what you two were talking about in the Mess Hall?" Harry blurted out.
The question took Tom off guard. He had no idea that his little conversation with Sue had generated so much speculation. "Well . . . yeah," he replied slowly. "What did you think?" He stared at his best friend, whose face turned red. Even more surprisingly, so did B'Elanna's.
Before Harry could answer, Neelix had a question of his own. "Why would you need Lieutenant Nicoletti's help with a holoprogram?" His question reflected in the eyes of the others.
"There's a certain system in the . . ." Tom paused. Why on earth was everyone interested in him and Sue Nicoletti? "Look, it's a private matter," he quickly explained. "Excuse me, but isn't this suppose to be a staff meeting and not gossip time in the Mess Hall?"
The majority of the staff glanced away, looking embarrassed. Except for the Captain, who let out a small cough. "You're right, Mister Paris. This is turning into a gossip session. However, you cannot blame us for being a little curious." She gave Tom a small smile. "If there is nothing more to discuss, everyone is dismissed."
The rest of the staff filed out, one by one. Tom started toward B'Elanna, but she walked past the door and toward the turbolift, before he could stop her. Damn! And he thought he had problems with Pablo and Sue.
* * * *
Two hours later, B'Elanna paused outside the doors to Engineering and took a deep breath. Disappointment threatened to overwhelm her. Disappointment that Tom Paris had found someone new to pursue. Or to be more accurate, someone he had pursued before. Namely, Sue Nicoletti. After the senior staff meeting, there was no doubt in B'Elanna's mind.
So many regrets filled her thoughts and heart. Regret that she had resisted Tom's overtures for a date. Or that he had resisted her pon farr-induced overtures on Sakaris IV. And that Vorik had interrupted when she and Tom were finally about to have sex. After receiving rejection after rejection, Tom had finally lost interest in her.
"Going in, Chief?"
B'Elanna snapped out of her funk and stared at the figure next to her. Carl Ashmore. She gave the engineer a tight smile. "After you, Ensign." She indicated the door with a wave and followed him inside Engineering.
The moment she stepped inside, B'Elanna froze in her tracks. Just ahead stood both Sue and Tom, their heads together in deep conversation. And judging by the animated expressions on their faces, Tom may have finally succeeded in his pursuit of the dark-haired engineer. A surge of anger flared briefly inside B'Elanna, followed by jealousy and despair. Life was so damn unfair!
END OF PART 1
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