Beloved B'Elanna, Part 6 - Look Twice
by (oh, come on, you should know by now) Cheile :)

Dedicated to Robbie and Roxann (do I really need to tell you this?) :)

Author's note:  When my friend Laurel heard that I was writing this 
series, she wrote a poem called "The Only One", which is a lament of 
lost love.  There are parts from both of their points-of-view.  So here 
it is, Laurel's poem......

The Only One

I first saw her,
pale and near death
Yet she wouldn't give up,
Wouldn't allow that death.

Now we are home
safe at last
Yet I cannot forget
the memories of the past.

I love her,
Oh, how I love her


I was nearly gone,
When he rescued me
>From that moment on,
Only him I could see.

The journey has ended,
We have come home
Now I have made a mistake,
With him, my heart will roam.

But I still love him,
Oh, how I love him.


I belong to her,
She is my heart and soul
Now she is gone,
I will never again be whole.

She was my life,
The only one I wanted
My Klingon princess,
Spitfire and beauty, my beloved B'Elanna.

She is lost to me forever,
We'll never again be together
But I will always love her,
Oh, how I love her.

                                                                                Laurel DeCastro
 
But things aren't always what they seem......


        B'Elanna, followed by her parents, left Deep Space Nine's shuttle 
docking area.  Marc and D'Lena were still hand in hand, and almost 
everyone turned to watch the trio pass.
        "Where to, B'Elanna?" D'Lena asked her daughter.
        B'Elanna shrugged.  "Quark's, I guess.  He's the one that knows all the 
gossip.  Maybe he'll have seen Tom."
        "Typical Ferengi," D'Lena snorted to herself.
        Marc shook his head with a smile.
        "B'Elanna, hello.  It's good to see you."
        Chakotay had appeared out of nowhere, Janeway on his arm.
        "Chakotay, Captain."
        Janeway shook her head and laughed softly.  "B'Elanna, while we're not 
on the ship, call me Kathryn."
        "Friends of yours, B'Elanna?" Marc asked.  Then his eyes landed on 
Janeway.  "You must be Voyager's  captain.  I'm Marc Torres, B'Elanna's 
father."
        "Her father?"  Both Janeway and Chakotay were stunned.  From what they 
had heard the six years before that, neither had thought that B'Elanna 
would ever see her father again--or even want to.
        As if reading their minds, Marc shook his head.  "I bumped into her in 
Oakland and she has forgiven me for all the sorrow I've caused her."  He 
turned a smile upon his wife.  "And so has D'Lena."
        After being introduced to D'Lena and the five talking for a short 
while, Janeway and Chakotay said their good-byes and departed, allowing 
B'Elanna, Marc and D'Lena to continue making their way to Quark's.

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

"I'll make a wish for you,
and hope it will come true
That life will just be kind
to such a gentle mind.
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember this way,
remember me this way."
                -- Jordan Hill, "Remember Me This Way" (Casper)

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

        "Another one."
        Quark eyed Tom Paris.  "Are you sure?"
        Tom leveled a glare at Quark.  With a sigh, Quark did as asked.
        The doors swung open.  He glanced up.  Only a Bajoran.  He brought the 
glass back to Tom, set it before him, then turned back to looking for 
his elusive data padd.
        The doors opened again.  Quark looked up.  It was a group of three.  At 
first, his attention was focused on the couple.  A tall Klingon woman in 
battle armor, her hand in that of a human man with dark hair and blue 
eyes.  This sort of couple was certainly unusual.
        Then his eyes landed on the third person.
        She was tall and slender.  Her dark hair was shoulder-length, softly 
framing her face.  But Quark's gaze was focused on her face.
        She had luminous dark eyes and slight brow ridges, proclaiming her 
Klingon heritage.  But it didn't take away from her attractiveness.  It 
seemed to add to it.
        *"Tall, slender.  Raven-dark hair cut to shoulder-length, dark 
eyes......"*
        Could it be?  Was it possible?
        *"She's half-human, half-Klingon.  She has the brow ridges inherited 
from her mother, but they're not harsh....they're soft, not really that 
noticeable.  I noticed them, but it only made her more beautiful....."*
        That had to be Paris' girl!
        Quark scuttled over to Tom, who was now half-asleep.  "Paris, wake up."
        Tom groaned.  "Quark, go away.  I'm tryin' to sleep."
        "Get up, by damn!"  Quark knew that if Paris' girl saw him like this, 
she would never forgive him.  It was a typical female reaction and he 
doubted that she was much different.
        But Tom turned away and was soon almost asleep again.  Quark gave up.  
Now the trick was to keep her from seeing him.  He rushed to the 
opposite side of the bar as the three, led by Paris' girl, approached 
the bar.
        "Are you Quark?" the Klingon woman demanded.
        "Of course that's Quark," Paris' girl laughed.  "Who else would it be, 
Mother?"
        *Mother.  Gods above, her parents are with her!*  Quark knew that if 
Paris was sighted by any of the three, that it spelled disaster.
        "My daughter says you know all the gossip around this station," said 
the Klingon woman.
        Quark gave her a charming grin.  "Well, I do hear many things.  What is 
it you wish to know?"
        "Don't try to charm me, Ferengi."
        "Now, D'Lena, calm down."  The human man shook his head.        "We're 
looking for a Starfleet lieutenant named Paris," the Klingon 
woman--D'Lena--continued.  "He's about my husband's height, sandy hair, 
blue eyes, handsome by human standards.  Seen him?"
        Quark glanced down the bar at Tom, who, luckily, was still turned away, 
so that none of the three could see his face.  He turned his attention 
back to D'Lena.  "Why are you looking for him?"
        D'Lena looked prepared to slit Quark's throat, but Paris' girl stepped 
in front of her.  "Please, Quark, I have to talk to him.  I've made a 
terrible mistake and I have to apologize."  What he could have sworn 
were tears glimmered in her eyes.  "Have you seen him?  Anywhere?"
        Quark was debating whether to either risk his life by lying, or telling 
the truth and ruin the girl's hopes when she saw what state Paris was 
in, when a familiar voice echoed from down the bar.  "Quark, I think I 
found your data padd!"
        Quark cursed inwardly.  *Damn it, Paris, shut up before the girl 
recognizes your voice!*
        The human man squinted in the dim light.  "Who's that?"
        *The drunken idiot who's in love with your daughter.*  But what Quark 
said was, "I ignore most of them.  It really doesn't matter."
        D'Lena scrutinized him with her dark, flashing eyes.  He knew that he 
was doomed, but he didn't want the girl to get hurt.
        Stumbling footsteps from nearby drew Quark's attention to his right.  
"Here, Quark, found it."  The data padd was dropped into Quark's hand as 
the person who found it stepped into full light.
        The girl gasped.  "Tom!"
        Paris tumbled to the floor.

        Tom handed the recovered data padd to Quark, then suddenly the world 
began to sway.  He gripped the counter for support.
        "Tom!" gasped a familiar voice.
        B'Elanna, was his last thought before darkness overwhelmed him.

        Quark watched the girl's face drain deathly white, almost ready to 
faint herself.  But then she rushed to his side, feeling for a pulse.  
"How much did he drink?"
        "Only three Romulan ales.  I've seen him put away twice that and be 
perfectly awake.  But he's gotten about two hours of sleep in the past 
three weeks."
        "Why wouldn't he sleep?"
        "Don't you know, girl?  You broke his heart."
        "What are you talking about?" D'Lena growled.  "That idiot is the one 
who left B'Elanna when the ship made it back here.  Didn't hardly care 
about her, though he claimed to."
        "Oh, no, no, no," Quark corrected smugly.  "Your daughter's the one who 
left the station without saying good-bye to him.  Shattered his heart 
and didn't even think twice about it."
        D'Lena slapped both hands down on the bar and leaned over so that her 
face was inches from Quark's.  "Are you calling me a liar, Ferengi?"
        "Not at all.  I'm telling the truth."
        "Wait a minute," the human man interrupted.
        "What is it, Marc?" D'Lena snapped.
        "'Lena, calm down and think about it for a second.  You too, Quark.  
Tom told Quark that he doesn't think B'Elanna loves him.  B'Elanna told 
us the same thing."
        "And your point is?" Quark said.
        "My point is--they're both wrong.  They are in love with each other, 
they just think they aren't."
        "I think he's waking up," said one of the other patrons.
        The trio turned to look.

        Tom's eyes slowly opened.  The first thing he was aware of was that his 
head was pounding.
        *What the hell did I run into?*
        Then his gaze focused on the face above him.
        *B'Elanna.*
        He sat up slowly.  He knew that he was dreaming.  B'Elanna wasn't here.  
She had gone to Earth, not even caring.  After all, she didn't love him.
        *Why would you expect her to?*
        Before he was completely coherent, he was jerked to his feet.  He found 
himself staring into a pair of dark blazing eyes.  At first, he thought 
they were B'Elanna's.  But B'Elanna would never have had such dark 
hatred in her eyes.  When his gaze completely focused, he was eye to eye 
with a furious Klingon woman.
        "Are you Paris?" she demanded.
        "That's me."  He knew that this the wrong time to be acting the way he 
was, but with his life ruined and his heart broken, he no longer cared 
anymore.  He might as well die.
        "Mother, let go of Tom!  You're hurting him!"
        Again, B'Elanna's voice.  Now he knew he was dreaming.
        But no, she suddenly appeared beside him, glaring down the Klingon 
woman--her mother, it seemed--until she abruptly let go of him.  He 
stumbled back and would have fallen if B'Elanna had not supported him.
        "D'Lena, calm down," said the dark-haired man standing near the bar.  
"Let B'Elanna talk to him first."
        "Tom, are you all right?" B'Elanna asked softly.
        "Fine, only a little dizzy."
        Quark watched the whole exchange in silence.  Suddenly Marc's words 
dawned on him.
        "I have small gaming rooms over there."  He waved in the direction of 
the five doors across the room.  "If you like, you may use one.  I'm 
sure your daughter and Lieutenant Paris would rather discuss this out of 
everyone else's hearing range."   *And that way, if the girl's mother 
loses her temper at Paris, Odo can't come in here and start throwing a 
fit*, he added to himself.

*

        "Why don't we leave them alone to talk?" Marc suggested.  He started 
toward the door, then turned back.  "D'Lena?"
        D'Lena hesitated for the slightest second, then after sending Tom 
another furious glare, followed her husband.
        When they were alone, Tom sighed.  "I really don't know what there is 
to say.  You don't love me like I do you, and it no longer matters."
        "What are you talking about?" she demanded.  "You're the one that 
doesn't......"
        The irony of Marc's words struck them both at that instant.
        "You do love me," she said softly.
        "Of course I do."  He rose and went to her side.  "I've loved you since 
I first saw you.  It wasn't obvious?"
        "I've been tricked before."  She bowed her head.  "I was afraid to 
believe in you.  That's why I didn't say anything."
        "'Lanna, my darling, I would never do such a thing to you."  He 
embraced her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.  He savored the 
feeling for several minutes--her in his arms, so close to him.  He 
rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the soft scent of 
her orchid perfume, one hand reaching up to stroke her raven-dark hair.
        B'Elanna leaned against Tom, comforted by the feeling of his nearness.  
Her head lay on his shoulder, her eyes closed.  She never wanted to be 
left alone again--never.
        "B'Elanna."
        Opening her eyes, she raised her head to look at him.  His eyes bored 
into hers for a long time.  Then he leaned down and kissed her, softly, 
sweetly.
        "I love you," he whispered when they separated.
        "And I love you," she whispered back.
        He drew her close again.  B'Elanna wrapped her arms around him, her 
heart swelling with happiness.  Now he knew that she loved him.  And he 
loved her.
        *I love you, Thomas Eugene Paris.  And nothing will separate us 
again--ever.*

To be continued......

__________

Legal B.S.  Paramount's characters, my story.  Copyright 1997, by 
Cheile.  "The Only One", copyright March 18, 1997 (my dad's b-day!) by 
Laurel DeCastro.  Comments to Cheile go to cheile@hotmail.com.  Comments 
to Laurel go to laurel80@hotmail.com