No Way Out
"No Way Out"
Author: Gwen Slaughter
Email: gkslaugh@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Tom, B'Elanna and all of Voyager belong
to Paramount and Star Trek, I am just borrowing them
to have a little fun.
Notes: This story was written in about 2 hours time
and has been proofread but not anything other than
that. :) Somehow thinking about something else led
me to a song which led me to this little story. Enjoy
and FEEDBACK PLEASE :) Was that shamelss enough? Oh
and the song quotes are surrounded by * to make them
slightly more noticable as nothing fancy shows up
here. Okay, enough from me.
No Way Out
B'Elanna Torres sat on her couch seemingly engrossed
in the work she had in front of her. But thoughts of
the warp core refit were far from her mind. What she
was doing was thinking, and trying not to think - and
trying to forget.
"Argh"" she exclaimed suddenly, as she pounded her
fist down into the pillows, "this is ridiculous, it
wasn't me, I shouldn't be thinking.." and she cut that
thought off with force and sighed. Tiredly, she
rubbed at her eyes and glanced at the chronometer
idly. It read 0400. Two hours to go before her duty
shift and she had not slept at all. Not that she
hadn't tried. She had, but she kept reliving those
moments over and over; those that she could remember
at any rate; no matter how much she told herself not
to think about it.
More than anything else, B'Elanna Torres hated being
out of control, which was exactly what she had been
almost 2 days ago now on Sakari. What had made it
even worse was that she had exposed, in weakness, the
worst part of herself. Or so she believed. She had
always sworn to herself that she would never let it
show, not in any true sense. For if anyone knew what
she was really like: her secret shame, the monster
hidden inside her; they would surely all turn and run
from her in disgust of her true nature. Yet she had
shown it and to Tom Paris of all people, the one
person she... The thought was killed before it was
barely started. He would surely want nothing more to
do with her in any event.
** "You've got me wrapped up in you
Somehow you led me in
Into your web of bittersweet
Of ecstasy and sin
I feel like an angel falling down from grace" **
Knowing the pretense of working was getting her
nowhere, B'Elanna sighed and got up to begin her day.
"Might was well just head to engineering anyway," she
muttered, "at least I have something else to focus on
there."
Yet as she stood brushing her hair into some semblance
of order and trying to make herself appear as though
she hadn't been up all night, her thoughts were
jumbled and feelings poured through her mind: the
feeling of being held after the fight with Vorik as if
she were something precious, the fire that had run
through her blood at the mere sight of Tom, the look
she had felt burning into her as she walked away from
the turbo lift, the softness of his lips as she kissed
him, the passionate desire in his eyes as he had
finally kissed her back.
She slammed her brush down on the table suddenly as
she realized she was trembling. "I can't be feeling
this way," she whispered at her reflection. "I can't,
it'll only hurt in the end. That wasn't really me..."
Leaning her head against the mirror for a moment she
sighed. "Maybe, I'll grab breakfast in the mess hall.
It's still early but maybe..." Shaking herself she
grabbed her stack of pads off the table and walked out
of her quarters.
** "I try to run but I keep on falling
And every time I turn around
I hear your voice, and it keeps on calling
I'm bound
There's no way out
No way out" **
Five decks away the object of her thoughts was having
no more success at sleep. Yet unlike her, he wasn't
keeping up the pretense of doing anything. Just
starting at his bulkhead in the pitch-dark room.
Two days ago, Tom Paris had gotten exactly what he
wanted from B'Elanna Torres. Only to discover that it
wasn't what he wanted at all. Tom fingered his cheek
idly where the bite mark she had given him had been.
He chuckled ruefully and shook his head. Who would
have ever imagined he would feel this way. He had
always been attracted to B'Elanna, even before they
had become friends. He had wanted her for quite a
while now. But until Sakari, he had thought that was
all. They were friends certainly but… His answer to
her seduction (for there could be no other word to
describe it) had surprised him almost as much as he
could plainly see it did her. However, as he had
looked at her, flushed and wanting; what he had most
wanted to do was protect her. From Vorik, from him,
but also from herself. Resisting her was almost
impossible and the look in her eyes as she pulled away
from him that final time nearly broke his heart.
He had fancied himself in love before. But never to
the depth of feeling that he felt now. He was in
love, and had been for quite a while. While he could
admit that to himself… Tom knew full well how
embarrassed B'Elanna was by what had almost happened
between them. As wells as the part of herself he had
gotten a glimpse of. Her Klingon side, in all her
glory, and she was glorious to him. Though he knew
she didn't see it that way. He had seen the look on
her face when he had accused her of that very thing on
the turbo lift the day before. She had been surprised
and almost looked as though she had expected him to be
disgusted by her now. Yet her final parting shot to
him, "Careful what you wish for…" Those words more
than anything else had played over and over in his
head not allowing him to rest.
** "You wanted me to want you and
I could not help myself
You became my addiction
And I wanted nothing else
I feel like I'm trapped inside these walls
Trying to find my way" **
Suddenly Tom sat up on his bed. He had to tell her,
try one more time to make her see… He glanced at the
chronometer, 0500, still early yet he knew he had to
go see her now before any more time was lost.
With that thought in mind, he jumped up and threw on a
clean uniform. He walked to the mirror and sighed.
"Today could be the start of the rest of your life my
friend," he stated softly and grinned at his
reflection. Still grinning, he strode to the door.
** "It's like a dream you can't wake up from" **
At the turbo lift Tom paused, slightly unsure. The
doors opened to reveal Harry Kim.
"Hey Tom," his friend greeted warmly. "You're up and
moving early today aren't you?"
Tom smiled back. "Yeah, I guess you could say I had a
certain motivation," he stated cryptically.
"Uh huh," Harry looked thoughtful. "So who is it this
time?"
"He's right, what am I doing?" Tom thought. He sighed
suddenly losing his grin. "Nothing like what you're
thinking, Harry. You wouldn't believe me if I told
you."
"Hey," Harry said, suddenly concerned. "You okay?"
Tom looked away pensively for a moment, gazing at the
turbo lift doors. "Just thinking too much I guess…"
he let his statement drift off.
"So," Tom said brightly, forcing a smile. "You headed
for breakfast?"
Harry looked at him thoughtfully for a moment more and
then nodded. "Sure, Tom," he said.
** "It's a hunger that can't be satisfied" **
As they walked into the mess hall, Tom glanced around
the room and noticed B'Elanna at a table near the back
corner.
B'Elanna looked up as she noticed the doors to the
mess hall open and noticed as Tom and Harry entered.
She watched them enter and then Tom glanced in her
direction.
Their eyes locked and held.
** "No matter how I try there's no escape." **
End
Song Credits: "No Way Out" by Leann Rimes, Gary Leach,
and Austin Deptula, sung by Leann Rimes, copyright
2002 WB Music Corp.
One last quick note: yes, it's a Blood Fever story but
what can I say? The mood struck me. :)