"MAD MEN" (1.05) "5G" Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery of photos from the Season One episode of "MAD MEN" called (1.05) "5G":



"MAD MEN" (1.05) "5G" Photo Gallery

"Return With a Vengeance" [PG-13] - 3/18

"RETURN WITH VENGEANCE"

CHAPTER 3

Olivia's eyes were fixed upon the television set. She had never been particularly fond of CITIZEN KANE, but there seemed to be nothing else on television, at the moment. Nor did she feel like rummaging through her large collection of videos and DVD discs.

The dialogue from the movie continued to drone on and on. Olivia found her eyes growing heavy with sleep. She took a deep breath. If only she could hold on for one more second . . . Olivia's eyes fell shut. The doorbell rang. She remained in her present state for another second. Another ring followed, along with a hard knock at the door. Olivia's eyes fluttered open.

She glanced at the clock on the mantle. Ten twenty-seven. Who on earth would bother to pay her a visit at such an ungodly hour? Rubbing her eyes, Olivia strode over to the door and called out, "Yes? Who is it?"

"Guess who?" a voice from behind the door shot back.

Olivia frowned. The voice sounded very familiar to her. She peered through the peephole. Delight rose within her. She would know that face from anywhere. Olivia quickly opened the door and let out a squeal. "Cecile!"

The figure bundled in a wet coat and a rain scarf dragged her bags and umbrella inside the apartment. "Hey cherie!" she cried gleefully. "Where you at?" The two women then threw themselves into each other's arms and squealed with delight.

Amidst all of the noise, a figure materialized beside Olivia. It was Cole, dressed in his usual black trousers and sleeveless white undershirt. "Olivia! Is everything okay?" he asked, looking both concerned and paranoid at the same time. "I thought I heard you . . ." He glanced at Cecile and his body relaxed. "Oh. You have a visitor. I, uh . . . I guess she's wondering . . ."

Olivia smiled as she observed her two friends stare at each other. "Don't worry. This is Cecile. The friend I had told you about? She's quite used to seeing others teleport. Cecile, this is my friend and neighbor, Cole Turner. Cole, this is Cecile Dubois, my best friend."

Cole held out his hand. "Cecile, it's nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah," Cecile murmured, "same here." Looking quite stunned, Cecile grabbed Cole's hand and shook it. A gasp escaped her mouth.

Both Olivia and Cole frowned. "Something wrong?" the former asked.

"Muscle spasm," the other woman quickly replied. "From jet lag." She slowly removed her coat and scarf. At five-feet-four, the New Orleans-born woman stood nearly a foot shorter than Cole. She possessed rich brown skin, high cheekbones, and black almond-shaped eyes that many have found penetrating. "So, you're the famous Cole Turner. Livy told me a lot about you." Her eyes swept over his figure in an appreciative manner. "She didn't do you justice."

"Cecile!" Olivia's cheeks grew hot with embarrassment, as she took her friend's wet belongings.

Cole's dark brows shot upward. "Really? Exactly how did Olivia describe me?" Amusement twinkled in his blue eyes.

Before her friend could respond, Olivia quickly spoke up. "I told her that you were a half-daemon . . . and a friend. A close friend. Right Cecile?"

Innocence gleamed in Cecile's dark eyes. "If you say so, cherie." Olivia sighed. She wanted to die from embarrassment. Right there on the spot.

Cole smiled. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Cecile. I wish I could stay longer, but I have a busy day, tomorrow."

"Will you be busy, tomorrow morning?" The words came out of Olivia's mouth before she could stop herself. Cole's eyes expressed surprise. Even Cecile stared at her. Feeling self-conscious, Olivia added, "I just thought . . ."

Cole immediately responded, "I'll be here at seven, sharp. See you tomorrow." He gave the two women one last smile and disappeared.

After placing Cecile's wet coat and scarf into the closet, Olivia helped her friend carry the latter's luggage to the guest room. "I had the room prepared after you called." She dumped one traveling bag inside the spare bedroom. "Only I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

"I changed my mind and decided to leave today. Tomorrow's flight was a little too crowded for my taste," Cecile replied. She placed the other bag alongside the first one. "And you know how much I hate crowds." She sighed. "Lord, I'm tired. And hungry. You got any leftovers?"

Olivia started toward the kitchen. "I can make you a quick omlette, if that's okay with you."

Seconds later, Cecile joined Olivia inside the kitchen. She sat down on one of the chairs that surrounded the table. "So, this is your new apartment. Very nice." She added slyly, "And so is your new neighbor."

Olivia removed several items from the refrigerator - eggs, butter, milk, red and green peppers, onions and cheese. She gave Cecile a pointed stare. "Meaning?"

"Meaning . . . nothing," Cecile replied with a shrug. "I only meant that he seemed like a very nice man. Or half-demon, or whatever he is. He's a daemon, right?"

After reaching for a knife, Olivia began chopping peppers. "Yeah, he's a daemon. You don't have a problem with him being one, do you?"

"Not after what you told me about him." Cecile broke off a piece of cheese. "I like him. I don't have a bad feeling about him. And besides, you've always been a good judge of character. Better than me, that's for sure." She popped the cheese into her mouth.

A mischievous smile curved Olivia's mouth. "Does that include Andre?"

Cecile frowned. "On second thought, you're not always right."

"Oh dear God! What has Andre done now?"

The other woman's frown deepened. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." Olivia finished chopping peppers.

Silence reigned inside the kitchen. It did not last. "Do you want to know what that son-of-a-bitch Andre did?" Cecile angrily cried, ending the silence. "He helped Janet Casey get a job at his uncle's insurance company!"

"And?"

"And?" Outrage increased the decibel in Cecile's voice. "You know how I can't stand that woman! So does Andre!"

Olivia began chopping onions. "Why? Because she's a little odd? Who isn't? It seems to me that you have some . . . I don't know, inferiority complex about Janet. It's funny, since both of you seem alike in many ways." Olivia paused. "Does that bother you?"

A sigh left Cecile's mouth. "You know, remarks like that will only get you into trouble with me."

"Well, I'll still have Cole as a friend," Olivia said with a smile. When Cecile failed to retort, her smile disappeared. She glanced up and noticed the other woman staring knowingly at her. "What?"

Cecile commented slyly, "You should see the look on your face. You're attracted to him, aren't you?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Of course I think he's attractive!" she retorted. "What woman in her right mind, wouldn't?" She cracked one egg into a bowl.

Cecile's next words left Olivia feeling slightly uneasy. "I didn't ask whether you thought he looked attractive. I asked if you were attracted to him. You know what I mean. You're just avoiding the question."

"If you must know," Olivia shot back, "I only think of Cole as a friend. My neighbor. A chum, a buddy. And that's all!" She glared at Cecile. "Get the picture?"

Cecile shrugged. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say." She broke off another piece of cheese and popped it into her mouth. Almost under her breath, she added, "I wonder if Cole knows Andre."

"Fat chance!" Olivia replied.


* * * *


The two women stared at Cole with disbelief. Especially Olivia. "You know Andre? Andre Morrell?"

As promised, Cole appeared at Olivia's apartment for breakfast, at seven o'clock sharp, the following morning. He, Olivia and Cecile had just finished a meal that consisted of French toast and sausage. The two women told Cole about their twenty-year long friendship, which included six years at Stanford. And Cole answered all of Cecile's curious questions about his past. One of those questions happened to be about her boyfriend, Andre.

Cole swallowed the last of his coffee. "Sure, I know Andre. We've been friends for the past ten years. While I was eluding the Source's bounty hunters, two years ago, he helped me hide in planes of existence I've never even heard of."

"Now, why hasn't he ever told me about you?" an annoyed Cecile asked, partly to herself.

"Considering his past, maybe he feared you wouldn't understand his friendship with a half-daemon."

Cecile gave him a shrewd look. "So you know that Andre used to be a bokor? Of course you do! What am I saying?"

"Yeah, I know." Cole paused. "He still practices magic, right?"

Nodding, Cecile added, "Andre is now a houngan, a priest. And a healer. He uses his power to help others. But redeemed or not, Andre is still Andre. He hasn't changed that much."

A soft chuckle escaped Cole's mouth. The laugh felt easy on the ears. Cecile approved. "It's been a while since I last saw him, but you're right," Cole admitted. "Which leads me to wonder how on earth you two met."

"Andre and I have known each other since we were kids in New Orleans," Cecile explained. She added that she had been aware of Andre's embrace of dark magic and how it affected the Morrell family. "I never really got to know him until Olivia and I met him in Morgan City, some three years ago."

Olivia added, "Andre was temporarily working for some drug dealer I had tracked from here. This guy was heavy into Vodoun. The police thought he used 'voodoo' to keep certain locals in check. They never realized that he had a genuine bokor, or sorcerer, working with him. To make a long story short, the drug dealer asked Andre to kill us . . . only he couldn't."

"He got tired of his life of crime," Cecile added. "And of using black magic."

Rolling her eyes, Olivia smirked. "C'mon Cecile! You know the real reason Andre gave up his life as a bokor. And it just wasn't about him longing for a new life."

An annoyed Cecile bit her lip. She loved Olivia like a sister, but the woman could be exasperating. No one loved playing devil's advocate more than Olivia. Except for her father, Jack McNeill. And Andre.

"You know, you two ladies have very dangerous tastes in men," Cole concluded. "A warlock and a Vodoun sorcerer. What's next, I wonder?" Cecile gathered from his words that he knew about Olivia's late fiancé, Richard Bannen.

Cecile replied, "Well, I don't have a half-daemon as a close friend." She smiled at Cole. "At least not yet." He returned the smile. A wave of warmth seemed to radiate from the half-daemon. Which greatly surprised Cecile. He almost seemed to be at peace. She wondered if Olivia's presence had anything to do with this feeling.

Cole opened his mouth to speak when blue lights appeared in the room. Seconds later, a familiar figure materialized. Cecile recognized Olivia's whiteligher, Leo Wyatt. "Hey Leo!" Olivia greeted warmly. "What brings you here? Would you like some French toast?"

The whitelighter's gaze lingered on the breakfast longingly, before it shifted to Cole. Leo frowned. "Oh. Cole. I didn't realize you were here."

A smirk appeared on Cole's lips. "Leo. I didn't realize you were coming. Is there something wrong? A disturbance in the Force?"

Coffee almost spurted out of Olivia's mouth. Cecile hid her smile with a coffee cup. Leo's handsome face turned red. Cecile saw the suppressed anger in his blue eyes. "I'm here to discuss a matter with Olivia. A matter between friends."

"In other words, you're here to besmirch my character again," Cole sarcastically added. He heaved a large sigh and stood up. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted. Good day, ladies," he said to Cecile and Olivia. "And thanks for the breakfast." He disappeared.

Leo murmured darkly, "I see that no matter how he tries, he doesn't change." Then he finally seemed to be aware of Cecile staring at him. Again, he flushed. "Oh, I didn't realize . . . It's nice to see you again . . . uh, Cecile, right?"

"Yeah." Cecile held out her hand. Leo shook it. "I haven't seen you in quite a while, myself. Not since last May. Olivia has told me that you're expecting a baby next spring."

Leo smiled. "That's right. Piper is at least four to five months pregnant, right now."

Cecile returned his smile. "Congratulations." Personally, she found the idea of an angel getting a witch pregnant very strange. But she kept such thoughts to herself.

After shooting a quick smile at Cecile, the whitelighter returned his attention to his charge. "So, you and Cole are now having breakfast together?" he demanded, frowning.

Olivia sighed. "Leo, please tell me that we're not going to start on this conversation again!"

"I understand that you might be grateful to Cole for saving your life, three weeks ago, but . . ."

In a hard voice, Olivia shot back, "But nothing! My relationship with Cole is not about me being grateful! I like him. He's a friend. And my friendship with him is none of your concern!"

"He's a demon, Olivia! He's evil!" Leo cried. "You have no idea of what he's really like! You've only seen his good side."

Green eyes expressed fake surprise. "His good side? Gee Leo, how can he be evil, if he also has a good side?"

Leo heaved an exasperated sigh. "You know what I mean!"

Olivia's eyes narrowed. Cecile felt a brief pang of pity for the whitelighter. She recognized that look on her friend's face. Someone was about to discover the brutal truth. And that person would not be one Olivia McNeill.

"Leo, why are you here?" the red-haired witch asked suspiciously. "Why are you here, this morning?"

The whitelighter hesitated. "I . . . I mean . . ."

"You mean what?" Olivia demanded relentlessly. "Your little visit has something to do with Phoebe Halliwell, doesn't it? Cole and I ran into her at Morgan's, yesterday." Her green eyes bored into Leo's. "What's the matter, Leo? Does the idea of another woman with Cole bother her that much?"

Leo's face became even redder. "Phoebe's not jealous, if that's what you mean." The unease in his eyes said otherwise. "She's concerned about you. We're all concerned."

"I've heard this before," Olivia airily replied. "From Phoebe, as a matter of fact. According to her, Cole hurt her and she thinks he might hurt me."

The whitelighter angrily declared, "He did hurt Phoebe! He betrayed us all when he . . ."

"When he became the Source? Yeah, I know all about that." Olivia paused and gave Leo a shrewd look. "In fact, I may know a lot more than you do."

A frown darkened Leo's countenance. "What are you talking about? What has Cole been telling you?"

"Let's just say that Gran scanned Cole's memories of the past and projected them to us. The family. We know what really happened when he became the Source, earlier this year."

Cecile spoke up. "This Source. Are you talking about the same daemon that led this . . . um, Source's Realm? The one you told me about?"

Olivia nodded. "That's the one."

Disbelief mingled with pity in Leo's eyes. "My God, Olivia! I can't believe that you just accepted everything Cole told you. Don't you know? One of his powers is the ability to manipulate the minds of others. He could have been sending your grandmother, false memories!"

Green eyes rolled in disgust and sighed. "Leo, I love you like a brother and I know that you mean well. But could you please get your head out of your ass and use your brains? Do you really believe that Cole could prevent Gran from learning the truth? For all of his powers, he couldn't even prevent Barbas from messing with his head, last month!"

"Barbas?" Cecile asked.

"The fear daemon I once told you about." Olivia continued, directing her words at Leo. "And Leo, do I have to remind you that Barbas has never been able to deal with the telepaths in Gran's family? Why do you think he has been avoiding Collins telepaths for so many centuries?"

Realization seemed to have stricken the whitelighter. He stared at Olivia with stunned eyes. "Are you saying that . . . ? What exactly did your grandmother see in Cole's mind?"

Olivia sighed. "That Cole had been possessed by the Source's essence. After using the Hollow to take his powers and save the Charmed Ones. Cole had been possessed by the Source for practically three months. Now, while you contemplate this earth shattering news, do you want me to fix you some French toast?"

Poor man. Cecile stared at the whitelighter with pity. He had just become another victim of the McNeill Redball Express - otherwise known as Olivia's blunt tongue. Poor man.

* * * *

The slightly battered cargo ship ended its voyager from Singapore, when it eased into one of the docks at Pier 34. The dock supervisor, Lloyd Janowski, glanced out of the window heaved a private sigh of relief. At last. Although three days late, the S.S. Enigma had finally arrived.

One of the dockworkers, a burly, blond-haired man named Clancy Walker, popped his head inside Janowski's office. "Hey, is that the Enigma?"

Janowski growled. "Yeah, it's finally here, thank God! And it's about damn time!" He reached for the telephone.

"When do you want us to start unloading the Enigma's cargo?"

A frown creased the supervisor's face. "What's the rush? You're not even finished with unloading that freighter."

Walker shrugged. "We're almost finished. And besides, don't we have another freighter that's due from Yokohama, this afternoon?"

Janowski sighed. "It can wait. And as for the Enigma, you can begin on her hold. But after you finish unloading the Omega Star." Once Walker disappeared, Janowski reached for his telephone and began dialing the telephone number for the U.S. Customs Office.



END OF CHAPTER 3

"AUSTRALIA" Photo Gallery

Here is a gallery featuring photos from the new Baz Luhrmann epic about Australia in the late 1930s and early 1940s called "AUSTRALIA". Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman star:


"AUSTRALIA" Photo Gallery

"NORTH AND SOUTH" Trilogy - Certain Topics

"NORTH AND SOUTH Trilogy" - Certain Topics

In the past, there have been questions regarding plot points for the three miniseries of the "NORTH AND SOUTH" Trilogy. I thought I would clear up a few matters.

Elkhannah Bent's Survival Following Fight with Orry Main

Some "NORTH AND SOUTH" fans have wondered how Elkhannah Bent (Philip Casnoff) had survived his fight with Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) in the second book, "Book II - Love and War". In the second novel, Orry and Bent had some sort of fight near the James River that ended when Orry shoved the latter over the falls and (at least I thought) to his death. Imagine my surprise when I read "Book III - Heaven and Hell" and saw that Bent never died after all. He ended up in an army hospital in Richmond.

In the second miniseries, North and South - Book II", Bent rushed inside that warehouse just before it blew up. I thought that was the end of that bugger - until I read the novel, "Heaven and Hell" one year later. When the miniseries, "Book III - Heaven and Hell" finally aired, Bent was alive at the beginning of the first, although scarred. How he had survived that explosion, I don't know. After Bent killed Orry, he and Ashton Main Huntoon (Terri Garber) quarrelled. Bent had said the wrong thing to Ashton and she did to him, what Orry did in the book - shoved him over the falls and into the James River. And just as in the book, Bent ended up in an army hospital, crazy as ever.


Orry's Swordsmanship in Book I

I must admit that I had a problem with Orry defeating Bent in that brief sword fight in Part I of the first miniseries. Especially since Orry was described as not being a talented swordsman. I had asked several people about sword fighting and according to them, brains and a solid understanding of strategy are required to be a good swordsman.

Since Orry was never that great with his studies (including military subjects), I never saw how he was able to defeat Bent, who was. The explanation that Patrick Swayze (who portrayed Orry) happened to be an excellent dancer did not seem much of an excuse. Nor did it seem like a good excuse to include that scene in the miniseries. This does not mean that all Northern cadets made better swordsmen than Southern cadets. After all, I can think of a good number of Southerners who had excelled academically at West Point - including Robert E. Lee, Pierre Beauregard and Porter Alexander.


Hanging in Book III

In the third miniseries, one of the characters - an ex-slave named Issac (Stan Shaw), ended up hanged by the local Ku Klux Klan. A "NORTH AND SOUTH" fan had believed that a similar hanging had taken place in the third novel, "Heaven and Hell". I am here to say that no such hanging scene in the third novel. Issac's literary counterpoint in the third novel turned out to be a former Mont Royal slave named Andy Sherman. Andy ended up being killed during the Klan's attack upon Mont Royal. Ironically, Andy's counterpoint in the second miniseries, was Ezra (Beau Billingslea), who happened to be in love with Semiramis (Erica Gimpel).


Mortgage on Mont Royal

In both the first novel and the first miniseries, Orry had put Mont Royal on mortgage, so he could pay back George for: a) the funds George Hazard (James Read) gave to the Mains for construction of a steamship in the novel; and b) George's investment in a cotton mill he co-owned with Orry in the miniseries. For those who do not know, the character of Cooper Main (Robert Wagner) - Orry's older brother - appeared in all THREE novels. However, the producers had decided to cut out his character in the first two miniseries. When Cooper finally appeared in Book III (in the form of Robert Wagner), the writers explained that he was the one who held the mortgage on Mont Royal. Where he had been all this time, they never bothered to explain. A moment of sloppy writing, if you ask me.


If you have any further questions regarding the plots of Jakes' three novels or the three miniseries, please do not hesitate to ask.

"HIS DARK MATERIALS: The Golden Compass" (2007) Review

"HIS DARK MATERIALS: The Golden Compass" (2007) Review"

I might as well make one thing clear . . . I had never read Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy, "His Dark Materials", BEFORE the movie's release a year ago. But this did not deter my interest in seeing the movie based upon the first novel, "THE GOLDEN COMPASS". And quite frankly, I am glad that I had seen it.

Directed by Chris Weitz, "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" opened with the beginning of the "HIS DARK MATERIALS" saga. In it, a young girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards), lives at Jordan College (of Oxford University) in an alternate dimension of Great Britain. She saves er uncle, world explorer/scholar Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) from being poisoned by the Magisterium (the dimension's religious ruling body) after he has revealed his discovery of elementary particles called Dust - something that the ruling body consider a threat to their authority. After her uncle departs upon an expedition to the North to find more Dust, Lyra befriends another scholar and explorer named Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman) during a dinner held at Jordan College. While visiting Mrs. Coulter in London, Lyra learns that her hostess is a member of the Magisterium and has participated in the kidnapping of young children, including two of her friends - a kitchen servant named Roger, and a Gyptian boy named Billy Costa. She also discovers that Mrs. Coulter wants her hands on the last alethiometer, a device that resembles a golden compass. This device, which was given to Lyra by Jordan College's Master, is able to reveal the answer to any question asked by the user.

After escaping Mrs. Coulter's London flat, Lyra is rescued by the Gyptians, who plans to rescue Billy and the other children. They take Lyra to the Norweigian town of Trollsund, where she meets an aeronaut named Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliot). She also meets Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green) who is a queen of the witches, and an armoured bear named Iorek Byrnison (voice of Ian McKellan). With her new friends, Lyra embarks upon an adventure that leads her to a conflict between her friend Iorek and the false king of the amored bears, Ragnar Sturlusson (voice of Ian McShane); and to Bolvangar, an experimental station in the North where the Magisterium are severing the Gyptian children from their daemons. Before the movie ends Lyra learns that Lord Asriel has been captured by Magisterium spies and that Mrs. Coulter plans to assassinate him. She, Roger, Scoresby and Serafina set out to rescue the endangered explorer by the end of the movie.

Like any other movie, good or bad, "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" has its flaws. There were three of them that I found noticeable. One, the movie's plot seemed rather vague on Lord Asriel's fate after he was captured by the Magisterium's spies in the North. Serafina gave a brief explanation to Scoresby near the end, as they set out to find Asriel. But still . . . I found it vague. Two, the editing by Anne V. Coates seemed a bit choppy in a few spots. And most importantly, the movie's pacing . . . at least in the first third, seemed very rushed. Some people have complained that too many aspects of the story had been stuffed in the script. I personally feel that Weitz had simply rushed the story. By the time Lyra and the Gyptians reached Trollsund, the director seemed to have finally found a natural pace.

However, I must admit that "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" had turned out to be a lot better than I had expected. Honestly, it is quite good. The story was intriguing. Chris Weitz did a decent job in adapting Pullman's novel for film, even if he did rush the first third of the story. I simply adored Henry Braham's photography and Ruth Myer's costume designs - especially Nicole Kidman's elegant, 1930s style costumes. But I must commend Richard L. Johnson. Chris Lowe and Andy Nicholson for their sumptious art direction - especially their view of London in Pullman's world. And Dennis Gassner deserves an Oscar nomination for his production design, as far as I am concerned.

The actors were first rate. What does one expect from a cast with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliot, Jim Carter, Tom Courtenay? I especially have to give kudos to Craig who seemed like the embodiment of the ruthless, yet enthusiastic scholar Lord Asriel. And Nicole Kidman brought great style, charm and ruthlessness to the role of the villainous Mrs. Coulter. But she also gave the character a much needed pathos, when the lady revealed to our young heroine that she was the latter's mother. It was quite thrilling to see Eva Green as a woman of action in her portrayal of the queen witch, Serafina Pekkala. Ian McKellan and Ian McShane were excellent as the feuding armored bears. And Jim Carter (who is married to HARRY POTTER actress Imelda Staunton) was most intimidating as the Gyptians' king, John Faa. Seeing Sam Elliot's portrayal as the charming aeronaut, Lee Scoresby, reminded me why I have remained a fan of his for so long. His scenes with young Dakota Blue Richards really crackled. He seemed like the embodiment of a fine wine that has aged very well.

"THE GOLDEN COMPASS"'s center . . . the character that held the movie together was none other than first-time British actress, Dakota Blue Richards. This young lady was a find. She was absolutely perfect as the charming, yet bold and cunning Lyra. Some Washington D.C. critic had compared her unfavorably to another actress named Dakota - namely Dakota Fanning. Granted, the latter is an excellent actress, but so is Miss Richards. She managed to convey all of Lyra's complex traits without turning the character into an adult in a child's body. She was simply superb.

I am sure there are fans of Pullman's novels who are disappointed that the movie did not turn out to be an exact adaptation of the literary version. All I can say is I am sorry, but I have never heard of any movie being an exact adaptation of its literary source. And if you are hoping to find one in the future, you will be disappointed. Yes, "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" has its flaws. What movie does not? But it certainly has enough virtues, including a superb leading actress, that made it enjoyable . . . at least for me.

Rene y Estela in "ANOTHER THIN MAN" (1939)

Below is a video clip featuring a pair of professional dancers that appeared in third entry in the "THIN MAN" franchise called, "ANOTHER THIN MAN" (1939). William Powell, who starred as Nick Charles, also appears in the clip:


Rene y Estela in "ANOTHER THIN MAN" (1939)

"Lover Man" [R] - 1/3

"LOVER MAN"

CODE: Paris, Torres, P/f, and (P/T)
RATING: [R] For scenes of a sexual nature and adult language.
SUMMARY: A curious B'Elanna Torres stumbles upon an illicit love affair that involves Voyager's Chief Helmsman. Set during mid-Season 1. A bit dark and angsty.
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.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A lot of fan fiction have portrayed Tom's womanizing as something not to be taken seriously. More reputation than fact. In this story, the rumors of his rampant womanizing prove to be true.
ANOTHER NOTE: Although TPTB never gave Hogan a first name, I decided to name him Simon - after the actor who portrayed him in the series, Simon Billig.

-----------------

PART ONE

An eager Tom Paris strolled along Deck Nine's corridor, mindful of the curious stares from passing crewmen. He was on his way to the quarters of one Ensign Telac Mara, a delectable Bajoran officer who worked in Exobiology. Tom planned to spend several hours in her quarters, entertaining her the best way he knew how - food, talk and plenty of sex. If he was lucky. His anticipation must show on his face. How else could he explain the smirks and expressions of disgust on the others' faces.

Nearly two months had passed since Voyager found itself catapulted into the Delta Quadrant. Nine weeks since Captain Kathryn Janeway gave a former Starfleet brat, turned convict a second chance to make something of his life. And although Tom felt obliged to show his gratitude by becoming an exemplary officer, he realized that he also had a private life to maintain. For Thomas Eugene Paris, that meant the pursuit of the opposite sex.

As Tom round a corner, he nearly collided with two members of the Engineering staff - Joe Carey and Simon Hogan. Starfleet and Maquis. It seemed that Captain Janeway's desire to assimilate the two factions into one crew might come into fruition after all. Tom flashed a smile at the two men. "Hey Joe! Simon! What are you two doing here?"

Carey, forever the proper Starfleeter, gave Tom a muted smile. "Paris. We're here on business. Why?"

"Yeah, why?" Hogan added sneeringly. "What business is it of yours?" Being Maquis, Simon Hogan was less subtle in expressing his dislike of the Chief Conn Officer. "You plan to run back to Janeway and send a report?"

Tom took a deep breath and mentally began to count to ten. "Look, Hogan, I was merely curious, that's all. Especially since neither of you have quarters on this deck."

Suspicion glimmered in the former Maquis's eyes. "How do you know that?"

For a long moment, the former colleagues stared at each other. Tom eventually realized that Hogan's suspicions were ridiculous. "For crying out . . . Never mind!" He shook his head in disgust and continued along the corridor, ignoring the other man's dark mumblings.

Pushing the encounter with the two engineers to the back of his mind, Tom continued to scan the cabin numbers for Mara's quarters. Nine-f, nine-g, nine-h, nine . . . A slender hand shot out of an opened doorway and grabbed Tom's wrist. "What the hell?" he began. Then he found himself being dragged into an empty cabin before he could protest any further. That same hand, along with another, slammed him against the wall. Tom stared into a pair of familiar eyes. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded in an annoyed voice.

She purred, "I saw you talking with Hogan and Carey in the corridor. And I thought I would surprise you." She pressed her body against Tom's. "You know, renew old times." A pink tongue darted from her mouth and flickered across the edge of Tom's jaw.

"I'm not interested in renewing old times," Tom retorted. His mind desperately tried to ignore the wet tongue on his jaw. "And I have plans to spend my evening with someone else. Someone I actually like."

"You mean Telac Mara?" She sniffed. "I thought you had better taste than that." Her tongue reached the edge of his mouth and began to make circular motions. Tom managed to hold back a groan through sheer effort.

Breathlessly, the pilot responded, "Look, why don't you go seduce someone else? I'm not in the mood and we barely like each other. We never have."

"That didn't stop you from spending a little time with me, before." Her tongue flickered back and forth across Tom's upper lip.

"I was drunk, . . . oh God . . . desperate for sex and didn't know any better." Tom paused to control his breathing. "Besides, you're only doing this . . . because your old lover . . . is no longer interested in you."

The tongue disappeared from Tom's mouth. Much to his surprise - and disappointment. Eyes slitted dangerously. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a big mouth, Paris?"

"A lot of people," he replied in a weary voice. "Including you."

She unzipped her Starfleet-issued jacket and removed it. "Well, maybe you should . . ." A gray turtleneck blouse followed, along with an undershirt of the same color. ". . . use your mouth for something more substantial." In a swift motion, she removed her bra. "Like these."

Tom's eyes riveted upon a pair of pale, round breasts. "Huh," he grunted. His mouth grew dry. "I must say. The offer is tempting."

One of her eyebrows formed an arch. "Tempting?" She smiled, took Tom's hands and placed them on her breasts. "As I recall, you were never been able to resist them." Her breath fanned his cheeks.

'Goddamit!' Tom thought. He hated this. She never failed to get him into this state. Breathless. And hard. In an attempt to resist her, he immediately withdrew his hands.

"And if my memory serves me right," she continued, "you really enjoyed this." Before Tom knew what happened, he felt her slender hands unfasten his trousers. "Let's see." She slipped one hand inside and firmly grasped the flesh between his legs. "Ah yes!" His member immediately swelled from her touch. "Now I remember."

Tom gasped out loud. She pulled and stroked every inch of his flesh, while she pressed her body against his, and her tongue continued to form wet traces near the edge of his mouth. Any resistance that may have lingered within him, immediately shattered. "The hell with this!" Tom grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall. "You want to relive old times, huh?" he growled in a husky voice. "Okay, I'll show you old times!" He covered one plump breast with his mouth and began to suckle upon the hardened tip. She threw her head back, and emitted a deep, low moan, as the couple began to relive old times.

* * * *

Inside the Chief Engineer's quarters, B'Elanna Torres began to remove the last vestiges of her uniform. She would have moved a lot faster, but her aching body made it impossible.

B'Elanna and her Engineering staff had just spent the entire day trying to reconfigure the Warp Plasma conduit, which had suddenly drained at least 35% of the ship's energy source. The latter had been an ongoing problem for Voyager ever since its encounter with that event horizon, nearly a month ago. Just before B'Elanna had been given the position of Chief Engineer.

Some of the ship's energy source managed to be preserved, thanks to Neelix's conversion of the Captain's dining room into a galley. And the use of the replicator had been rationed, using credit chips. Yet, despite all of these precautions, Voyager's energy drain continued. If the crew did not find any dilithium soon, the ship might end up dead in space. Or Janeway might be forced to consider colonization.

To find a solution to Voyager's problem, B'Elanna had gathered her top engineers for a brainstorming session in her quarters. After three hours or so, they managed to come up with a minor solution. Use the impulse engines, unless the situation made it necessary for Voyager to go to warp. Carey had also suggested sending both the holodecks and replicators off-line, as well.

After so many hours of working on the warp conduits, crawling through Jeffries tubes and meetings, B'Elanna felt exhausted. In fact, she had to struggle into her red pajamas. Once her head rested on her pillow, her eyes closed and B'Elanna slipped into a deep sleep.

* * * *

THUMP!!

The noise roused B'Elanna out of her sleep. Her eyes blinked open. CRASH! What the . . .? A loud moan followed. The noise made B'Elanna spring into a sitting position. She glanced at the chronometer on the table, next to her bed. It read 22:07 hours. Kahless! She had only been asleep for twelve minutes! Who in the hell was making so much noise?

"Wha . . . Oh gods!" a male voice cried out. One that struck a familiar chord. "God! Don't . . . don't stop!"

More thumps followed. It seemed as if someone was banging his or her fist on the wall. Another crash. A few more thumps and then, a long, loud groan. One that came, B'Elanna surmised, from a female. "Oh . . . oh! Don't stop!" the woman continued. "Don't . . . ye-ee-ess-ss! Yes!"

The woman's cries mingled with more thumps. B'Elanna found herself growing uncomfortably aroused. She had witnessed her share of erotic vids in her time, but never had she been this close to the action. Aside from a few sexual encounters of her own. Then it came. One final cry that emitted from both parties. "Yes! Yes! Ooooh! Spirits! Ye-ee-esss-ss!"

Silence followed. To B'Elanna's embarrassment, she felt a warm rush between her legs. She pressed them together and sighed. Well, she no longer felt exhausted. Just tense and aroused. Which meant that she definitely will have trouble sleeping tonight.

* * * *

Barely able to keep her eyes opened, B'Elanna reached for her cup of coffee. And grabbed only air, instead. She muttered a curse under her breath.

"Here you go." Someone placed the cup in her hand. B'Elanna recognized his voice. Harry. "Hey Maquis, you really look tired. Rough night?" Sympathy shone in his black eyes, as he sat in the chair opposite her.

B'Elanna heaved a long, dry sigh. "Rough day, period. Between those damn warp plasma conduits, meetings with my staff and a loud neighbor, I've barely had a chance to sleep."

"A noisy neighbor?" Harry's face expressed interest. "And who might that be?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea."

Harry frowned. "After two months in the Delta Quadrant, you don't know your own neighbors?"

B'Elanna groaned and took a sip of coffee. "Look Starfleet, I'm not exactly the most sociable person. And I've been spending the last month trying to keep this ship together after our encounter with that event horizon."

"And the noisy neighbor?" Harry asked. "Has he or she been giving you trouble all this time?"

"Just last night. When it comes to sex, he or she is pretty damn noisy."

A red flush crept up Harry's face. "Oh. One of those."

B'Elanna stared at her friend's embarrassed expression and giggled. "Oh, Harry! If only you could see your face at this moment."

"I see it and think it looks quite delicious," a third voice added. It belonged to Seska, a Bajoran ex-Maquis, who worked under B'Elanna in Engineering. She and another former Maquis, stood next to the table, holding their trays. "Good morning, B'Elanna." She smiled at Harry. "Ensign Kim."

Poor Harry now looked even more embarrassed. He mumbled, "Morning, Ensign uh, Seska." His face, now resembling the color of a beet, Harry immediately began to dig into his food. Seska's smile stretched wider and she sat in an empty chair next to him.

The other ex-Maquis sat next to B'Elanna. Her name was Mariah Henley and the red-and-black uniform she wore indicated that she served in the Conn Division as a pilot. She glanced at the food in her tray and sighed. "How lovely," she commented in her usual sardonic manner, "another one of Neelix's 'delectable' meals." Her eyes shifted to Seska, who was busily eating. "How can you eat this stuff?"

"This 'stuff' is the only thing that keeps us on our feet," Seska retorted. "At least until the replicators return on-line. So I suggest you eat up." Henley mumbled an insult. But that did not stop her from following Seska's advice.

The four companions continued eating their breakfast - only raktijino and a roll for B'Elanna. They chatted about the ship's ongoing energy crisis, and the planet recently detected by the long-range sensors. The Mess Hall's doors slid open. B'Elanna glanced in that direction and frowned at the two newcomers - Ensign Telac and Lieutenant Paris.

Another sneer crept into Henley's expression. "Look who's here! Voyager's own little playboy with his latest bed warmer at his side." B'Elanna noticed that the pilot spoke with intense vehemence. She was well aware of Tom Paris's unpopularity aboard ship. The Starfleet faction condemned him for killing three other 'Fleet officers in a shuttle accident on Caldik Prime and lying about it. Voyager's former Maquis detested him for betraying their cause when he had agreed to help Janeway hunt them down in the Badlands. Only a handful of people genuinely liked Paris. B'Elanna did not count herself among the latter.

Harry quietly added, "That's Telac Mara with Tom. He's been dating her for over a week, now."

"I bet Megan Delaney must be thrilled." Henley's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I wonder when she found out about those two. Before or after Paris dumped her?"

Annoyance darkened Harry's countenance. "Don't you have anything better to do than complain about Tom? Why are you always so hard on him? What did he ever do to you?"

Henley's mouth formed a hard line. "Nothing," she hissed. "I'm in a bad mood. And I need someone to bitch about. Paris fits the bill."

"Bad mood? Sounds more like green-eye jealousy," Seska teased. "Are you jealous, Mariah?"

Three pairs of eyes riveted upon Henley. The pilot's face turned red with embarrassment. "What are you talking about, Seska? What do I have to be jealous about?" The ire in her voice, somehow, did not ring true.

"I don't know. Because Ensign Telac is enjoying breakfast with Tom Paris and you're not?" A spiteful smile curved Seska's lips. "I remember how you used to stare at him adoringly back in the Maquis. And how you were the only one to come to his defense. Until we all ended up in the Delta Quadrant."

B'Elanna stared at her former comrade in disbelief. "Kahless, Mariah! Don't tell me that you were once attracted to Tom Paris?"

"Of course not!" Henley retorted. "Seska's just exaggerating! Why would you believe such . . ." She broke off when the subject in question approached their table.

The Chief Helmsman flashed his usual megawatt smile, irking B'Elanna to no end. She disliked people who used such shallow methods to get by in life.

"Hey everyone!" Paris greeted, before turning to his best friend. "Say Harry, I need your help with those new navigation specs we had talked about. Will you be available later, today?"

Harry nodded. "Sure. How about this evening? Around 2100?"

A gust of breath escaped Paris's mouth. "A little too late for me. I have . . ." He glanced at Telac, who smiled at him. "I have other plans, tonight. How about 1730? After our shift ends?"

Harry glanced uneasily at B'Elanna. She knew the reason for his unease. They had planned to go over ideas regarding the warp conduits. "Sorry Tom. B'Elanna and I . . ."

"We have other plans after the Alpha shift," B'Elanna bluntly finished for her friend. "Make some other plans."

Cool blue eyes fixed upon B'Elanna's face. "Other plans, huh? Hmmm. Lucky Harry." A knowing smirk touched the pilot's lips.

It took all of B'Elanna's control not to wipe that smirk off Paris's face. Violently. Bridling with anger, she retorted, "It's not what you think, moron! Get your mind out of the gutter! If you can."

"Take it easy, Torres! I'm just kidding! Even Harry knows about my sense of humor. Right buddy?"

Harry nodded wearily. "Don't mind Tom, B'Elanna. He can't help it if he has a peculiar sense of humor." Tom chuckled at his joke.

"Well he better learn to curb it!" B'Elanna growled. "Before he uses it on the wrong person."

Paris rolled his eyes and looked away. B'Elanna, to her annoyance, realized he had just dismissed her. The pilot focused on his subordinate. "By the way, Henley. Don't forget that you'll be taking Culhane's place during Beta shift, tonight. I suggest you get some rest this afternoon."

Henley did not look pleased by the news. "Again?" she whined. "This is the second time I've had to cover for Culhane. Assign someone else!"

"You need the flight time!" Paris snapped back. "And the last time you had covered Culhane, happened a month ago."

"What if I don't bother to show up?"

Silence surrounded the table. B'Elanna, along with her companions, stared at Paris, wondering how he would deal with this challenge to his authority. To her reluctant admiration - the Chief Pilot handled it well. "It's quite simple," Paris continued with a cold smile. "I'll either have you assigned to Beta shift for the next three months. Or you can spend those same months in the brig. Take your choice." His eyes penetrated Henley's. Whose face grew even redder.

Paris turned to Harry with a more genuine smile. "Look Harry, we can get together over those specs another time. I'll see you later." And he returned to Ensign Telac.

Seska faced Henley, her eyes wide open with feign compassion. "Still have that crush on Paris, Mariah?"

The latter growled, "Shut up, Seska!" And she focused once more on her breakfast.

* * * *

Later that night, B'Elanna laid in bed, wide awake. Her eyes were fully alert, anticipating and dreading a repeat performance of last night's disturbances.

Five minutes passed. Only silence greeted B'Elanna's ears. Another fifteen minutes later, more silence. By the time ten more minutes went by, B'Elanna felt herself growing sleepy. She also realized that whatever she had witnessed last night, was not bound to occur again.

Secure that she would finally get some rest, the half-Klingon closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. She would have been happy to learn that no sexual activity of any kind occurred in the cabin next door.


End of PART ONE