Cracks 02 Clear as Mud Page 4

  Part 6

  B'Elanna looked up and around. She would have swore she heard voices. "Did you hear something?" she asked. Tom, still standing in the water, said, "No, what?" He trailed off as two blurs slid down the hill on the other side of the pond, heading straight for him. He quickly moved for the shore where B'Elanna stood. The blurs landed in the pond with a loud splash. Two heads shot to the surface, sputtering. "Damn!" exclaimed one as he popped to the surface. "This is cold!" Paris, recognizing them, grinned. "At least it'll wash the mud off," he called. "What are you two doing here?" The ensigns waded to shore. "We're here to rescue you?" Simms made it sound more like an inquiry then a statement. Tom looked over to B'Elanna, who answered his grin with one of her own. It seemed lately that wherever they were, Simms and Hudson had a habit of popping up. As they slogged onto the bank, Hudson glanced at Simms. He could tell that Ethan was thinking the same thing he was. *Where in the world are the lieutenants' uniforms...and did we interrupt something here?* Lieutenant Paris stood there in a pair of black briefs and nothing else, and Lieutenant Torres, well, she had on a pair of briefs and her turtleneck that was, at the moment, revealing quite a bit of her. Aware that she was standing there in very little, B'Elanna shifted uncomfortably. "We were caught in a mudslide," she started to explain. "Since it didn't look like we were getting out of here anytime soon, we decided to clean up a bit, only Ensign Kim and our uniforms have disappeared." Hudson looked at Simms. His expression clearly said, *Yeah, a likely story.* Suppressing a grin and dropping his pack, he said, "Chief Cooper tried to beam you out of here. Maybe he beamed Ensign Kim and your uniforms?" B'Elanna nodded. "That makes sense." *Well, at least that explains Harry's absence.* Relieved, she turned to Paris, just now becoming aware of the fact that he was standing next to her in nothing but his briefs. She tried to fight the urge, but just couldn't resist. Her eyes slipped downward, doing a quick survey. Then her gaze flew upward to find that Paris was watching her, a grin on his face. Damn the man! He'd caught her looking! Very embarrassed, she felt the heat rising into her face. "Um, sirs?" Hudson hated to step into the silent by-play taking place between the lieutenants, but the sun in this holoprogram was beginning to set and they needed to decide what their next step was to be. Not to mention that the lieutenants were liable to get a little chilly after the sun set if something wasn't done about it. At Hudson's voice, B'Elanna broke eye contact with Tom, but was very aware that he continued to watch her. She looked at Hudson, who was digging in his pack. "I don't suppose you have an extra uniform in there?" she asked hopefully. Hudson shook his head. "Not exactly, Lieutenant." B'Elanna's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean, 'not exactly'?" The ensign shrank back, "Well, uh, the replicators aren't working that well, and we didn't exactly think you would need uniforms." B'Elanna wished fervently for a hole to open up under her feet, or even one of those darn mudslides, as long as it covered her up. *Great. Here I am, half-naked, with three men. Boy, if this ever gets out, I'm going to be thought of as the Delaneys' third wheel.* If Paris was embarrassed at the thought of two ensigns seeing him in his briefs, watching those same ensigns look at B'Elanna was downright infuriating. He quickly stepped in front of her, covering her from their sight. "Fine, then. What do you have?" he asked. Hudson looked at Simms, who immediately began searching in the bag again fervently. Finally, he pulled out two bundles and gave them apologetically to Paris. "Uh, like I said, the replicators aren't working that well." Paris handed one of the bundles to B'Elanna, who shook it out. "Are you trying to tell me that all you have is hospital gowns?" she asked incredulously. *Not the modest kind either, but one of those flimsy ones I've always hated,* she thought bitterly. Hudson nodded. "It's either that or blankets." Paris sighed. "Come on Lieutenant, it's better than blankets," he sputtered out. Although he was trying as hard as he could not to look at her, the temptation was really getting to him. To his mind, the more covered up she was, the better. As Harry looked at his reflection in Captain Janeway's bathroom mirror, he took a deep breath to steady himself, then headed out to the main living room of the captain's quarters. Both Janeway and Chakotay tried to keep themselves from smirking at the poor ensign, but they couldn't quite keep the sparkle out of their eyes or the humor out of their voices. "It's very, um, very, nice. Ah, um, it's your color at least," Chakotay noticed, while suppressing a grin. "Yes, yes, it is your color, Harry," Janeway replied. "At least it's a dry piece of clothing," she pointed out, trying to keep a straight face while watching a very uncomfortable and very embarrassed Ensign Harry Kim, come out of her bathroom wearing one of Kes' dresses. Trying to put poor Harry at ease, she told him, "We won't tell a soul, will we, Commander?" turning to give Chakotay a pointed look. "Not a soul!" agreed the first officer, while still trying not to laugh. Determined to make light of the situation, Janeway turned to her Ops officer and said, "At least this didn't happen while you were in Lieutenant Paris' quarters. Then you would never hear the end of it!" For the first time since Harry's unexpected beam in, he relaxed. Deciding to make the ensign even more at ease, the captain gestured toward the table, where Chakotay had resumed his seat, and returned his attention to his soup. "Why don't you sit down and join us for dinner, since it looks like we'll be here for awhile. You can tell us what happened in the holodeck, while we wait for someone to get the doors to open." Harry started to become flustered again. "What is it, Ensign?" Janeway asked. "Well, Ma'am, umm, ah...I don't mean to insult or embarrass you, but umm, you're a woman, and I'm a man, and, ah, well..." "What is it, Harry?", asked Janeway, puzzled. "How do you sit down in one of these things?" he asked gesturing to the skirt of the dress. At the same time, Chakotay nearly choked on his soup, while trying not to laugh. "Sorry," he gasped, "bad mushroom." Once they had slipped into the flimsy lightweight hospital gowns, B'Elanna's fierce expression forbid further comment. Although he was glad his boots hadn't beamed out with the uniforms, Paris knew he presented a comical picture in a hospital gown, which fell to his knees, and boots. "Sirs," said Hudson, who like Simms, was beginning to get chilled due to his wet uniform, "I suggest we look for some kind of shelter for the night." Simms, who had been scouting the area while the lieutenants dressed, spoke up. "I think I spotted what might be a cave not too far from here." "Let's give it a try," Paris decided. Ten minutes later, the group came upon the cave Simms had found. It was more like a hole carved in the side of a bluff than a cave, but it would do. Simms started a fire while Hudson looked through their packs for anything that might prove useful. As they only had two blankets, it was decided that Torres and Paris would share one while Hudson and Simms shared the other. As the group sat around the fire, trying to keep warm, with Hudson and Simms sitting on one side and Paris and Torres sitting side by side across the fire from them, B'Elanna's stomach let out a loud rumbling. Tom looked at her, half in amusement, half in concern. "Didn't you eat before coming to the holodeck?" B'Elanna frowned. "No. I was busy in Engineering all day with emergencies. I had planned to grab a late night snack after our hike." Simms held out a RBRE. "Ration bar, ready to eat. I know they're not very appetizing, Lieutenant, but I'm afraid it's all we have." B'Elanna eyed the ration bar in distaste, making no move to take it from Simms. When her stomach growled loudly again, Tom reached out for the ration bar. "Thanks, Ensign." He unwrapped it and handed it to B'Elanna, who grudgingly took it. Simms pulled another ration bar out of his pack and held it out to Paris, but Tom shook his head. "Thanks, Simms, but I'm still trying to digest Neelix's dinner." He eyed both Hudson and Simms critically. "Your uniforms are still wet." "I'm sure the fire will dry them out quickly, sir," said Hudson hurriedly. He had no wish to join the lieutenants by stripping down to his underwear. Looking at Lieutenant Paris, he caught the gleam of amusement in his eyes and realized that Paris was having a little fun with him. "How did you guys get roped into coming onto the holodeck to look for us?" asked Paris curiously. "Commander Chakotay was trying to contact Hamilton, but communications are really a mess and he got me instead," Hudson said. Grinning a bit,
he added, "I'm afraid the captain and Commander Chakotay were having their own difficulties, last I heard." "Don't tell me systems all over the ship are crashing?" said B'Elanna glumly. "No, nothing that drastic," replied Hudson. "It's just that the computer has developed some odd quirks." "We've noticed," Paris said wryly. "So, if Chakotay wanted to talk to Hamilton, why didn't he just go to the bridge?" "He's, uh, he's trapped in the captain's quarters with the captain." Paris heard B'Elanna choke on her ration bar. Grinning, he leaned in closer to the fire, trying to absorb some of its heat. "Oh, to be a fly on that wall." B'Elanna elbowed him, hard, in the ribs. "Ow!" Giving her a feigned injured look, he said, "Come on, Torres, you got to admit- -" "I don't have to admit anything," she retorted. Encompassing Hudson and Simms in her glance, she said, "I suggest we get some sleep. Something tells me it's going to be a long day tomorrow." She pulled the blanket up around her and leaned back against the rock wall. "Well?" she challenged. "Well what?" Paris shot back. "Are you waiting for an invitation or what?" She flipped up the blanket at her side, indicating he should settle in for the night. Shrugging, Paris joined her under the blanket. "Don't get any ideas, Paris," she warned. "Me?" said Tom, all innocence. "I don't know where you get your ideas about me. I'm perfectly trustworthy." B'Elanna snorted, but she allowed him to settle in next to her. Some time later, Paris awoke. The fire had died down some but still shed enough light to see by. Hudson and Simms were both asleep under their blanket. Feeling B'Elanna shiver next to him, he realized that was what had awakened him. Being careful not to wake her, he placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close so they could share their body warmth. Still asleep, B'Elanna snuggled right in against him, readjusting her body to fit in against his. Looking down, Tom studied her sleeping face. He knew those who didn't know her, like Hudson and Simms and some of the Engineering staff, thought she was a cold person with an easy-to-flare temper. But when he looked at her, Tom saw something different. He saw a vulnerability that she tried to cover by keeping her distance from others. He wondered at that vulnerability, at what hurt she had gone through to cause it, and he wondered what there was in himself that let him see that vulnerability in her when so many others never saw it. With those thoughts rolling around in his head, Tom fell asleep, his arm wrapped protectively around B'Elanna.

  Part 7

  Tuvok was approaching something that almost resembled an agitated state. *I must be centered,* he thought. Nothing on the ship was going right -- every voice activated system was malfunctioning, and some, like internal ship's communications, were entirely off line. Tuvok had assumed command when it became obvious that neither the captain nor the first officer was in a position to fulfill his duties. Now he had his hands full. The chief engineer, the operations officer, and the pilot were all missing, and the sensors were reduced to 39%. "Mr. Hamilton, how long until we clear the magnetic disturbance?" he asked tersely. "At present speed, 2.6 hours, sir." "Increase speed to warp factor 7." "Sir, I'm trying to comply, but..." Hamilton swiveled around in the pilot's chair. "Sir, warp engines just went off line. It looks like it was done deliberately from Main Engineering." Tuvok allowed his eyebrows to show his displeasure. "All stop. Ensign Lamont?" "Yes, sir?" "Go down to Engineering and see what's happening." "Yes, sir." "Ethan, are you asleep?" Hudson murmured into his friend's ear. "How can I possibly be asleep with your elbow stuck in the middle of my back?" "Oh. Sorry. God, this is awful. I'm freezing to death. I'm wet, I'm cold, I'm dirty. I hate it." "Think happy thoughts," snapped Simms. " 'Think happy thoughts'?" asked Hudson in disbelief. "Did you actually just say 'think happy thoughts'? Happy thoughts about WHAT for crying out loud? Neelix's latest leola root delight? What kind of a security officer says 'think happy thoughts'?!" "The same kind who says if you don't shut up I'm gonna phase you down like so much Kaz--" "Shh! Shut up! You'll wake 'em up!" "Well, you started it." There was a pause. "Mikel?" "What." "You know if anyone finds out through you about those...notes I sent to Lamont, I'm gonna have to kill you." "I know, Ethan. They won't. I can keep my mouth shut if I have to," he said, nodding toward the huddled shapeless mass that was Lieutenant Torres and Lieutenant Paris. "You know that. You know, Ethe--" The rest of his words were cut off when a transporter beam pulled them both out of the holoprogram. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres had a healthy dislike of transporters. True, as an engineer she appreciated their complex operating mechanisms and pinpoint precision. She just didn't like the way they made her dizzy. The sound of a beam in her immediate vicinity brought her instantly awake. "Paris, wake up. It's--" Another being shimmered into shape just where Hudson and Simms had disappeared. Tom was also instantly awake. "It's you!" he exclaimed. The doctor bristled. "It's yes, me." He rolled his eyes and snorted. "I'm having some programming with my trouble. It's actually better than it was. Lieutenant Hogan almost fixed had it when he was away called to Engineering. Your engines, Lieutenant," he said to B'Elanna, "properly aren't working." He held off her onslaught of questions with a raised hand. "I can't stay; I'll be recalled in 22 seconds. I have wounded for to care. I brought you some clothes, a dermal regenerator, and some food. And some food." He looked confused at this last, but shrugged it off. "Would you like to hear a joke?" "Did Harry tell you we needed clothes?" *I'll kill him,* she thought. "No. Kes it was. I don't know how she knew. Now I'm going. Be good." And with that, he dropped a large duffel at their feet and fizzled out of sight. "Be good?" asked Tom. "Do you suppose he meant 'good-bye'?" "Knowing you, he probably did mean 'be good'," said B'Elanna. "Oh, Tom, my engines," she sighed, dropping her head into her hands, and added, "I've got such a headache you wouldn't believe." "Trust me, I understand what it feels like to have a hell of an ache, in certain areas anyway," Tom said wearily. B'Elanna gave Tom a shocked look, so he quickly clarified himself. "I meant my back was sore from sleeping on the ground, B'Elanna. Get your mind out of the gutter, Lieutenant," Tom teased. He then gently pulled B'Elanna by the arm until she stood mere inches away from him. "What are you doing?" B'Elanna stammered out the question as Tom's hands moved to her shoulders. "Turn around." Surprisingly, B'Elanna immediately turned around. *Well, well, maybe the lady is actually starting to trust me,* thought Tom. *She didn't even hesitate.* "I'm going to help with the headache problem." As Tom's strong but gentle hands began to massage her neck and shoulders, B'Elanna struggled to keep from groaning in pleasure. Tom Paris was a wicked man. There was no doubt about it now in B'Elanna's mind. A handsome, charming, and caring man, but wicked nonetheless. "I'm going to kill Hogan, if he does anything bad to my engines," B'Elanna threatened as she struggled to stay focused. "I'm sure Hogan is trembling with fear as we speak." Paris smiled as he realized how close B'Elanna was to forgetting all about Hogan and Engineering. "Are you saying that my Engineering team doesn't respect me?" B'Elanna asked sharply, though her knees were trembling as Tom's fingers worked their magic on her tense shoulders. "You know better than that, Lieutenant," Tom assured her, seeing past her sharp tone to her fear of relaxing. *Oh yeah,* he thought. *This is definitely getting to her.* Abruptly dropping his hands from B'Elanna's shoulders then moving toward the fire, Tom said, "It looks like the sun's coming up. I think we should work on that sore ankle again, then change into those clothes. This hospital gown isn't exactly the most comfortable thing I've ever worn." Agitated that Tom had stopped his heavenly massage, B'Elanna stopped herself just as she was about to protest. *Pride, Torres, pride,* she silently told herself. *Tom probably stopped massaging your shoulders just to see if you would protest. He should know better than that.* As she picked up her change of clothes, B'Elanna glanced over to where Tom was attempting to put out the fire. She silently cursed as she noted his nonchalant manner. While B'Elanna was preoccupied with Tom, instead of worrying like a good chief engineer about how things were going in Engineering, he was acting like he was a kid away at summer camp. The starship Voyager was in a state of semi-chaos. In Engineering, various crew members were trying to figure out what to do with the warp engines that wouldn't cooperate. Hogan
was especially agitated. "You! Try remodulating the transconfigurations! No, use THAT panel, the other one is for the transMODulations! Pay attention!" And then to another officer, "Get that reading for me. Now!" And to another, "Have you figured out what to do with the transponder frequencies for the quantum vertion converter?" Then again to the first, "Aren't you finished yet? No, transCONFIGurations!" Hogan barked out all of these orders while working a panel of his own, and thinking to himself, *if I screw up down here, Lieutenant Torres is going to KILL me!* A man driven by fear can be a scary thing to watch, as the officers under his command were just finding out. He had given up for the moment on the holodoctor's program, as he found more important problems arising in Main Engineering, but he hoped the doctor had been successful in his "mission" to the holodeck. He wanted Torres to get her butt down here and solve the increasing number of problems that kept popping up. *Lucky lieutenant, she gets to play on the holodeck while I'm stuck down here doing her job,* he thought, disgruntled. *I really wish I was in Engineering doing my job. Why couldn't Hogan get stuck on the stupid holodeck?* thought B'Elanna Torres as she changed into the clean uniform the doctor had delivered. She had had another one of those dreams last night, and this one was even more vivid than the last one. It was making her slightly uneasy. But it did feel good to be in a clean uniform. At least now she wouldn't be getting those looks from Paris, maybe. Once she was completely dressed, she went back to where Tom, also in a clean uniform, was sorting through the bag of supplies the doc had left them. "Anything interesting in there?" she asked nonchalantly. "Besides the uniforms and the dermal regenerator, not really. Are you sure we used that regenerator thing correctly on your ankle? It's been a long time since my Academy days." *A long time,* he thought. B'Elanna moved her ankle around and shrugged. "It feels almost as good as new. I think we had it right." "Still, I wish the doc had stayed long enough to do it himself," Paris said to her, digging through the large bag again. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll go into sickbay and have it checked out once we get out of here," she said. "Is there anything you're looking for in there, or are you just bored?" "I'm trying to find something edible in here." "What about that?" she inquired, pointing to a container sitting on the ground next to him. "That? I said edible. That looks like some of Neelix's leftover leola root soup. I guess the replicators aren't working either." This made her want to get back to Engineering even more. She sighed. "Something wrong?" Tom glanced at her. "I'm just sick of being in here." "Well, I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here or anything, but the trees are actually quite lovely." "Huh?" "Never mind. Too bad there aren't any marshmallows in here, we could toast them over a real holographic campfire." This made B'Elanna smile, which made Tom smile. "I had the weirdest dream last night." "You too?"