CHANGE OF COMMAND Part 11: Easier Said Than Done By: Lauren Taylor "The last shuttle for Deep Space Nine will be leaving in ten minutes." a voice called out to the crowd. "I guess this is it, huh?" Tom looked at B'Elanna. "Guess so." she answered back quietly. "B'Elanna, just remember. The captain gave me permission to take some leave in eight months when the baby's born. I'll see you then." he leaned in and whispered. "I'll miss you, Tom." she whispered. They both kissed, and then Tom picked up his duffel bag, and threw it over his shoulder. "Don't think of this as goodbye, B'Elanna. Think of it as see you soon." he grinned as he walked off towards the shuttle. B'Elanna waved to him as tears began welling up in her eyes. **************************************************** How do I live without you I want to know How do I breath without you If you ever go How do I ever, ever survive "How Do I Live" Trisha Yearwood *************************************************** Tom Paris remembered the last time he'd sat in the bar on Deep Space Nine alone. There was no one he knew here. Sure, there were people he *recognized*, but no one he knew. Last time this had happened to him, he met Harry. When Tom first met Harry, he just imagined him as sort of an acquaintance for the three week mission, not a best friend for life. Tom had looked over the crew roster for Voyager. There were a few names he recognized, but still, no one he was close to. He had no idea how he'd make it without someone like Harry there. Or B'Elanna. God, he missed her. He took a sip of his tea, and looked around. There was a young couple, saying their good-byes before the woman, he guessed, left on Voyager. There was also a young man and woman saying goodbye to each other. They weren't a couple, as far as he could tell. The way they acted, it looked more like a brother and sister relationship, or maybe cousins. The man was going to be on Voyager, he was carrying a duffel bag. Tom recognized the man from when he read the crew roster. Quinn Matthews, the chief engineer, was who he looked like. He could be mistaking, though. This guy looked so young for a chief engineer. Chief engineer. Just like B'Elanna. The woman walked away, and the man looked around for, well, anything. He looked at Tom, and stared for a moment. "You're Tom Paris, right?" he asked. "Yeah." Tom answered. The man came and sat down beside Tom. "I read about you on Voyager. Quinn Matthews. I'm the new chief engineer of Voyager." Matthews said. Tom looked at the man, and noticed that he was only an ensign, and that he looked nervous as hell. "Is this your first mission?" Tom asked. "Yeah, it is." "Nervous?" "Is it that obvious?" Matthews grinned. "A little." Tom grinned back. He couldn't help but think of how much this Quinn Matthews was like Harry. First mission, obviously very intelligent, nervous, close to his family, young. Maybe there would be someone on Voyager Tom could talk to. TO BE CONTINUED Legal stuff. Paramount owns them, 'cept for this Quinn Matthews guy. He's all mine. Mine, mine, mine!