FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Part Five
By: Lauren Taylor

Tom laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. This was it, his life
was over. He was the murderer. At least, that's what Chakotay thought, and,
with the captain gone, he was in charge. Tom was to spend the rest of the
voyage home locked away in his quarters. 

He'd only been in his quarters for half an hour, and he already missed
B'Elanna. Gods, did she even know that he was now *the* murderer? Did she
really think it was him? Probably, who wouldn't? He was the criminal of the
ship, the traitor. Who else on the ship would do something like this?

*Someone getting off scott-free* he thought to himself. There was a murderer
somewhere on the ship. Someone who had taken away everything from Tom.
Whoever this murderer was didn't only take the lives of the people on the
holodeck, they had also taken the life of Tom Paris. 

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

B'Elanna wiped the tears from her eyes, and picked up her repair kit. She
heard a noise coming from one of the entrances to the Jeffries Tube, and
turned around to see Joe Carey crawling in, also carrying a repair kit. He
looked up to see her, and gave a sympathetic smile.

"Don't ask how I am, Carey." she said as she started to crawl away. 

He sat, silent for a moment, then sighed. It wasn't any use trying to talk to
her, he told himself. Wait a few days, let her have some time to herself. She
turned a corner, and he started to work on a panel in front of him.

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

B'Elanna forced open the hatch in the Jeffries Tube, and crawled to a section
with some of the sensor relays. She sat down and began the repairs when she
realized where she was.

Just outside of Tom's quarters. In fact, the panel behind her could open up
to see into his quarters. She opened the panel to see if he was there. She
was looking into the living room, but saw a light on in the bedroom.

"Tom?" she called out. Something in the bedroom moved, and a shadow of Tom
getting off of the bed was cast onto the wall.

"B'Elanna? Where are you?" he asked.

"In the Jeffries Tube. Tom, what happened?" she asked quietly.

He didn't say anything, and just walked over to the couch, which was close to
where B'Elanna was, and sat down, tears streaming down his face.

"Tom?" she said softly.

"B'Elanna, I'm it." he whispered. 

TO BE CONTINUED

Legal stuff. Paramount owns 'em, we just borrow 'em

Comments to either tomlover@aol.com or queenofdeath@hotmail.com