[posted: 5/6/97]

The Wedding 
By: Amy Michelle Bitter (c) 1997

Star Trek and it's characters are owned by Paramount, everything else is
owned by me.

        *How time flies* Tom Paris thought.  It seemed like just yesterday that he
had first met B'Elanna and today was their wedding day.  He remembered the
first time he saw her.  Captain Janeway had beamed the crew of the Marquis
onto the bridge of Voyager.  He remembered thinking how beautiful she was.
So much had happened between them since that day.  What had started out as
friendship had grown to so much more in just three years.
        Tom stood in front of the mirror in his quarters, straightening his bow
tie.  B'Elanna had refused to let him get married in his dress uniform, so
he was wearing a tuxedo.  B'Elanna insisted that she was not going to have
a "stuffy Star Fleet wedding." She even went as far as to make her own
wedding dress, using the skills she had learned in home economics class in
high school.  B'Elanna had always hated that class.  She used to scoff at
the way her teacher would tell them, "You never know when there won't be a
replicator handy."  Being lost in the Delta Quadrant with a shortage of
replicator rations, definitely qualified as one of those times.
        Tom stood in front of the mirror, still in shock.  He couldn't believe
this was actually his wedding day.  If only his father could see him now.
In the past three years, Tom had really turned hi life around.  He was no
longer the traitor and womanizer his father had always told him he was.
Just wait until they get home, then he'll really tell the admiral where he
can stick it!
        He couldn't help but worry about B'Elanna.  Lately, there relationship had
been anything but easy since she lost the baby.  It had been almost a month
now.  For days after the miscarriage, he would come to her quarters after
his shift and find her sobbing.  She seemed to be almost completely over it
now, but as the Doctor had told them, "You never really get over these
things."  They had decided that they were going to try to have children
right after the wedding.
        The door bell rang, and Tom said, "Come in."  The doors opened and there
was his best man, Harry all dressed in his tuxedo.
        "Any pre-wedding jitters?" Harry asked.
        "No," Tom answered. "I know that B'Elanna is the women that I want to
spend the rest of my life with."
        "Good." Harry smiled. "Because it's time for the wedding to start."
        "Do you have the ring?" Tom asked.
        "It's right here."  Harry smiled patting his pocket.

***********************************************************************************

        When Tom walked into the holodeck, he was stunned.  Neelix had really out
done himself designing the program.  When Tom and B'Elanna informed him that
they were getting married, Neelix smiled and said, "Leave everything to me."
        They weren't to sure at first, but after what he was seeing, Tom knew that
he couldn't have designed a better program himself.  The wedding and
reception were to take place on a grassy hill overlooking a lake.  Neelix
must have programmed it to be sometime in late May, because all of the
flowers on the hill were in full bloom.  The day was perfect for a wedding,
not a cloud in the sky.  There were rows of chairs set up for everyone to
sit, and in the distance, Tom could see a pavilion  filled with tables of
food and holographic waiter where the reception was going to be.
        Neelix saw Tom and quickly ran over to him, "So, how is everything?"
        "Neelix, this place is perfect.  I don't know how to thank you for putting
it together."  Tom smiled.
        "It was nothing, really."  Neelix blushed.  "Kes gave me the idea."
        Captain Janeway walked over to where the two were standing. "Sorry to
interrupt," she said, "but it's time for the wedding to start."
        Neelix went over to where the chairs were, and quickly sat down in the
only empty seat in the front row, next to Tuvok.  Tom and the Captain moved
to where Harry was standing, and waited for the music to begin.
        The music began, and Kes, the maid of honor began to walk down the aisle.
She was wearing a red dress, and was carrying a bouquet of white roses
which she had grown herself in the hydroponics bay.  Tom noticed that
Harry's eyes practically popped out of there sockets when he saw her.
        Then, B'Elanna walked down the aisle on Chakotay's arm.  Her dress, which
Tom was seeing for the first time, was long and flowing, and made from silk.
 Her hair was twisted up in a bun underneath her veil, and ringlets of
curls surrounded her face.  Tom was breathless when he saw her.  She looked
like an angel.  When they reached where Tom was standing, Chakotay lifted
her veil and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  Then he turned to Tom,
shook his had, and said with a smile, "You better take good care of her."

***********************************************************************************

        The ceremony had went perfectly, and everyone was having a wonderful time
at the reception.  Harry made his honorary best man toast with out getting
too nervous.  B'Elanna threw the bouquet, which Captain Janeway caught, and
Tom threw the garter, which Chakotay caught, much to the delight of the
crew.  *This truly is the happiest day of my life* Tom thought as he held
B'Elanna close while they were dancing.  She hadn't said much since they
had started dancing, so he asked, "What are you thinking about, Mrs. Paris?"
        Mrs. Paris, what a wonderful name. "I was just thinking about how
I'm the luckiest woman in the galaxy to have a husband like you."

                                ***THE END***

Don't you just love weddings? Comments welcomed at amyb@i1.net