Annoying Disclaimer- This thingy must be placed before anything containing Star Trek can be posted by a small, insignificant, fan such as myself, for it belongs to the all-mighty-Paramount god, to which we all bow to. {Everyone bows}

The New Dawn By ME, Kashmiri Stec-Neifert, aka Klingon, Cardie, Red, the P/T Empress, and Kashy -you pick a name-

This piece of fluff is dedicated to, like, a million people. Firstly, Robert Duncan McNeil and Roxann Dawson who make the characters of Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres come alive. Then to my best friend in the whole wide world, Meena Raouf, who has put up with my endless Trek discussions and Amanda, my other very good friend who actually is a bigger Trekkie and P/Ter than me {I know its hard to imagine, but its true!}

Let's see here, where to begin. Ah, yes, 3 days ago. 3 days ago Tom asked me to go to his quarters to fix something that was malfunctioning, nevermind what it was exactly. So, of course I went. I entered, went to the sonic shower and started working. It must've taken me, 20 minutes to repair the inverter. I gathered up my tools, and went to leave. Expecting the doors to open for me, I walked into them. (Cursing under breath is barely audible) I tried to override the system. That didn't work either. I was stuck in Tom Paris's quarters. Not that I minded too much, but it was the principle of the thing! If I were going to be stuck in his quarters, a simple note would've done nicely. But no-o-o I had to find it out just as I was about to leave! Great, peachy, lovely. Peachy? Where'd that come from? Nevermind that. I was stuck, and that was that! Tom was sitting down on his couch, looking at me. I felt like I was some exhibit in a zoo! So I did what I normally would do, I began to pace. After a while, I remembered my Comm-badge. "Torres to Carey." No response. "Torres to Chakotay." No response. "Torres to anybody."

"Paris here."

"That's not funny, Tom," I smiled anyway at his idle attempt at humor.

"Looks like you're stuck here, B'Elanna." As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I was stuck in his quarters. I began pacing again.

"There must be someway for me to out of your quarters!"

"It isn't that bad? Is it?" Tom asked. No, no it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Here was the man that had protected me from the Vidiians. The man who had acted like a perfect gentleman when I had had the Ponn Farr. This was the man I felt the most safe with. I felt safer with him then with any other person alive, including Chakotay. I wanted to say 'You're right. You're right, it's not that bad.' But I couldn't force those words to come from my lips, so I just kept pacing.

"Are you going to say anything B'Elanna? Or are you just going to keep pacing?"

"You'd be acting like this if the situation were reversed!" Gods I hoped it had been reversed, so that he would be in my quarters.

"You're wrong. I would be memorizing every square millimeter of your quarters, granted you would let me in, of course."

"Pig," I murmured. No, he wasn't a pig, but it was too late to take the word back. I finally tired of pacing, so I sat down in the chair across from Tom. I sat down, looked at Tom, and, to my regret, couldn't take my eyes off him, nor he his eyes off me. We sat there, and looked at each other for what seemed like hours.

"Time," Tom asked, after diverting his eyes.

"Nineteen twenty."

"Are you hungry, B'Elanna?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah. What'd you want?"

"I don't really care-as long as it isn't Klingon."

"Sure," he walked to his replicator, "2 Angorian salads and 2 iced teas. Account Paris Gamma 7."

"Cancel that," I intervened. "Charge to account Torres Alpha 17." Tom looked at me quizzically. "Hey, I'm staying in your quarters for who knows how long. Tonight's' my treat, okay?"

"Okay." We sat down on the couch, and placed our food on the small table. "This is delicious," I said.

"Thanks, I replicated it myself."

"Mmmm. Have you heard the latest gossip about Harry and Seven?" I asked, changing to a more general topic.

"No, what's going on with those 2?"

"Well, you know how I rarely listen to that sort of thing, but Harry told me this himself."

"Go on."

"Well, he offered to…help her adjust to becoming human again. And…"

"And?"

"She accepted. So now they spend nearly every moment they have off duty together."

"Interesting…"

"Yeah, I thought so."

"Anything that you should be doing right now if you weren't stuck here?"

"Putting together my logs, then going to bed."

"Speaking of bed, where do you want to sleep tonight? The couch or my bed?"

"You can have your bed. I'll sleep on the couch tonight. And if I'm still stuck here tomorrow night-granted, of course, no one had had any success in opening the doors, we could always switch?"

"Sounds fair enough. Would you like something to sleep in?"

"I think I'll replicate a night shirt, thank you."

"I'll go get you a pillow and a blanket."

"Oversized civilian blue striped shirt, and white socks. Torres Alpha 17." A shirt and socks as I had requested, appeared.

"Here," Tom said, placing the pillow and blanket on the couch.

"Thanks. I'm going to go change." I went into the bathroom, and emerged wearing the shirt {which, thankfully, went past my knees and the big, fuzzy socks I had always loved} and socks.

"Wow," Tom said.

"What? You've never seen me in my night-shirt before?"

"Nope, never."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, Tom," I put a hand on his chest. "Night Tom."

"Good night B'Elanna." He went to his sleeping quarters and closed the door. I lay down on the couch with the pillow and blanket, and hugged the pillow for all it was worth, and eventually fell asleep, still holding the pillow.

The next morning, just as Tom and B'Elanna's duty shifts were about to start, Harry, the Captain, and Chakotay, all noticed that they were missing. "Computer, locate Lts. Paris and Torres," Janeway told the computer.

"Lts. Paris and Torres are in Lt. Paris's quarters."

"I wonder what they could be doing in there?" Janeway asked. "Janeway to Lt. Torres." No response. "Janeway to Lt. Paris." Still no response. "Harry?"

"I'm running a sensor scan…it seems there was a small explosion in the conduit networking just outside Lt. Paris' quarters. Because of it, the doors are locked and communications are down."

"What cause the explosion?"

"I can't tell from here. Do you want me to go and see?"

"Sure Harry."

Harry went to the turbolift. "Deck 5." When the turbolift arrived on his friends' deck, he immediately went to his quarters and yelled "Tom?!" through the door.

"Not so loud Harry, B'Elanna's sleeping!" Tom hissed through the door.

"Sorry," Harry spoke softer. "The captain wanted me to come and check up on you guys. It seems there was an explosion out here in the conduit networking, somewhere…"

"Ah, I see."

"You two okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Now, if you would either be kind enough to fix this door, so we could get out, I would be forever gratefu-"

"Yeah, right."

"-l. Or if you won't do that, pipe down so B'Elanna can sleep." "Okay, how bout I do both. Or at least attempt the first. And tell B'Elanna, when she wakes up, that Carey promises not to mess up her engine's."

"Sure. Anything, just get communications or whatever up and running in here, please."

"Will do Tom. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go see if I can find whatever caused this to happen in the first place. And when you two come out, I want details!" "Nope, not unless B'Elanna gives 'em to you."

"Okay. Okay. See ya Tom."

"See ya Harry."

I woke up rather late the next morning because when I opened my eyes, Tom was watching me from across the room, and he was dressed. "What're you looking at, Paris?"

"You. Who else in this room is more beautiful?" I was caught completely off guard. I had just woken up and Tom was saying *I* was beautiful. Yeah. Right. Only one other person had ever said I was beautiful…I could feel my eyes start to water.

"What's wrong B'Elanna?"

"Nothing." My voice was hard, cold.

"Something must be wrong, otherwise you wouldn-"

"I said nothing, okay?"

"Okay. Fine. Do you want some lunch?"

"Doesn't breakfast come before lunch?"

"Yeah. But its 12 hundred. I didn't think you'd want breakfast at noon."

" I think I'll change first." I grabbed my uniform and headed for the bathroom.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Hmm? Oh. Sure, whatever."

He walked to the replicator and ordered 2 nacho's, 2 bean burritos, 2 chicken taco's and 2 sodas. That's when I came out of the bathroom, carrying my night shirt and socks and Tom's comb, pulling it through my hair.

"That's a lot of food."

"That's my comb." "Whoops," I almost dropped the comb, just realizing I was still holding it. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Anyway, I know it's a lot of food, but for some reason, I can always eat a lot of Mexican food."

"Hmm, I've never had Mexican food before."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Well, than B'Elanna, I'm glad I'll be the one you first taste it with."

"Assuming I like it."

"Yes, assuming you like it."

I took a bit of the burrito. "This is good." I finished the burrito in 5 more bites, then ate the other.

"One dish down, 2 more to go."

*Harry, Harry, Harry. COME ON! How hard could it be to open Tom's doors?!* Ensign Harry Kim thought as he passed his tricorder over the conduit networking outside Paris' door, for about the 10th time. *Obviously, HARD!*

*There must be something I'm missing! Arg! If only B'Elanna were out here, she'd probably have it solved by now! *

*But she's not, so YOU get to do it, and you better get it done Fast if you ever want to see your 2 best friends alive (hmm…hmm) again.*

He ran his tricorder over the conduit another time. This time it beeped at him. *Hmm…I wonder why it's beeping? * He soon found out-Q.

"Ah, hello my good Ensign Kim. And what are you doing this fine day? Working?"

"Hello Q," his voice was hard. "I'm trying to get Tom and B'Elanna out of Tom's quarters."

"Why would you want to do that? They're probably having a marvelous time in there."

"What are you doing here?"

"Ah, strait to the point I see, just like my dear friend Kathy. Well," his voice dropped to a whisper. "I was watching you pesky humans one day an-"

"Why were you watching us?"

"Well you see, my son, Q. J. R., was quite interested in learning about you. Anyway, as I was saying, I was watching you pesky humans one day, maybe a week ago, when my gaze feel upon B'Elanna, and her personal log. Well, in it she says that, in some form or another, she loves Lieutenant Paris. And I felt it nessicary to, move her along on her path to tell him, so I locked the two of them up in his quarters. You can have communications if you like, but they're not coming out until she tells him she loves him." "Ensign Kim to Janeway." "Janeway here. I assume you have an answer?" "More of a problem. May I speak with you in your ready room?" "Of course. I'll be waiting. Janeway out."

"Come on Q," Harry headed for the turbolift.

"Must you always choose the hard way?" He jerked up his right hand and they appeared in Janeway's ready room.

"Q!" said Janeway.

"It's good to see you too Kathy. How's Chuckles?"

"What are you doing on my ship?" she demanded.

"Aren't you one to be not in the mood for pleasantries!"

"Two of my crew are locked in their quarters. This is no time for games."

"And that's why we're here."

"I assume this is the problem you were talking about Ensign?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well?"

"About a week ago, my son, you remember him? Q. J. R.? Well, he has this annoying interest in this ship, so we were watching it. Anyway, I happened to gaze upon Lieutenant Torres and her personal log, and in it she says, in some way or another, that she loves Lieutenant Paris. And so, being the romantic I am, I felt it nessicary to, move her along her path to tell him, so I locked the two of them up in his quarters. You can have communications if you like, seeing how I HATE to make you angry, it really does make a sunny day rainy, but they aren't coming out until she tells him she loves him."

"Q!!!"

"It's the truth, dear Kathy!"

"Release my crew at once!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, you see, my son locked them up, and he, not realizing his own strength, accidentally di-oh stop looking at me like that Kathy. It really does get annoying to have one stare at me. As I was saying," he *almost* glared at her, almost. "Not knowing his own strength, locked them in there until she confesses her love. But, you can have communications if you wish. That much I can un-do."

"Very well," she said, still on her guard.

Q raised his right hand and snapped. "Done. Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but duty calls, if you'll excuse me," he blinked away.

"Janeway to Paris."

"Paris here," he said, still swallowing his lunch.

"Are you two okay?"

"We're fine."

"What the heck is happening?" demanded B'Elanna through the Comm link.

"Q has you two locked up in there and can't release you until, youconfeseyourloveforTom."

"Until I what?! Oh no!" she grumbled *he saw my logs! I knew someone was looking over my shoulder!*

"I'm sorry B'Elanna, Tom, but you're going to be stuck in there for awhile."

B'Elanna rolled her eyes, and Tom had to restrain himself from laughing. "Understood, Captain."

"Harry will still be looking for a way to get you out, but I can't promise anything at this point."

"I thought so," mumbled B'Elanna.

"Well, unless either of you have something more to say?"

"No Captain."

"Janeway out."

3 Days and hours of work, on Ensign Kim's behalf, Later

"B'Elanna? B'Elanna?" Tom asked. "You look like you have something to say. Come on. Tell me," he was looking into my eyes, watching them closely.

*Gods, why did I have to mumble that "I"?! Now he'll never let me back down! I guess I may as well tell him…*

*Yeah, right. And risk getting hurt again? Never.*

*But he's said…*

*Since when have you ever trusted what a man said?*

*Since, since, Chakotay, and, and Tom.*

*Then why don't you TELL HIM!!!???*

*Because I'm a coward, that's why!*

*Oh, what an HONORABLE response. Spoken like a true Klingon. Just tell him! What harm could it do?*

Tom could see the torment in her eyes as he looked at her. "B'Elanna?" he whispered.

*JUST TELL HIM!*

*All right, fine. Just SHUT UP!*

"Tom, I. I have to tell you something. Something that I've been meaning to tell you for a long time."

"What is it?" he urged.

"I…I *go on…*. I love you." *there, you said it.* "Tom?" *God's, he's starring at me like I just grew another head.*

"Yeah?"

"Say something, please."

"I love you to, B'Elanna," he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. I returned the kiss with full passion. Then we heard the doors swoosh open, Harry was standing there, looking at us, mouth hanging open.

~Finis~