Title: The Prince
Author: Leone
Rating: [PG-13]
Codes: C/P, K/T, AU
Archive: Yes, if you want to
Feedback: tarrashenna@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Everything Star Trek belongs to Paramount, not me.
This story along with any other characters belongs to me,
though. Oh, and I'm not making any money on this.

Summary: See part 1

Warning: This is about a relationship between two men. If you
don't like that, don't read it.

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

The Prince
By Leone

********************
Part 25

Tom sat in the Captain's Ready Room, going over status reports.
It had been six weeks since he landed Voyager.

After they landed, Tom and B'Elanna put the crew together into
teams and sent them to gather they supplies they needed. Because
they were so short-staffed, it had taken a full week. Repairs
began during the second week of their forced grounding,
and after being finished just a few days before, Tom had given
the crew shore leave.

Suddenly Tom's comm badge beeped, breaking his concentration.
"Paris here."

"Captain, please report to sickbay." The doctor's voice sounded
excited.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "On my way," he said, then tapped his
comm badge to close the link. Rising from the desk, he left the
Ready Room and headed to sickbay.

When he arrived in sickbay a few moments later, Tom was met
by a very excited doctor. "You wanted to see me, Doc?"

"Yes, Captain. I've found a cure for the virus." The EMH
smiled widely at him.

Tom blinked and stared mutely at the doctor for a moment. "It
works?" he finally asked.

The doctor beamed. "Yes, it does." He looked questioningly at
Tom. "So, who should we use it on first?"

Tom considered it, but before he could say anything, the doors
to sickbay swished open and B'Elanna Torres entered. She
looked around and walked over to where Tom and the doctor
stood. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, casting a quick look at
Tom. Then she turned her attention to the EMH. "Doc, I think
I'm in labor."

The hologram took B'Elanna by the arm and led her to a biobed,
telling her to lie down. Once she was on the bed, the doctor
grabbed a tricorder and scanned her thoroughly. Finally, he
looked up at her. "You're right, Lieutenant. You *are* in labor."
He looked at the tricorder again before continuing. "How long
ago did the contractions start?"

B'Elanna thought about it for a moment. "Four hours ago, I
think." She looked questioningly at the doctor. "Why?"

The EMH appeared surprised. "Four hours ago?" he repeated.
When B'Elanna nodded, he sighed. "This should be a quick delivery,
then. You're already nine centimeters dilated," he informed her.

Just as B'Elanna opened her mouth to reply, another contraction
ripped through her, and instead of speaking, she screamed.

As soon as the contraction was over and B'Elanna had stopped
screaming, Tom commed Harry.

"Kim here."

"Harry, get your ass down to sickbay. B'Elanna's in labor,"
Tom informed his friend.

"*Now*?" Harry squeaked.

Tom heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, *now*."

"On my way. Kim out."

Tom tapped his comm badge to close the link and looked at
B'Elanna. "Harry's on his way," he told her.

B'Elanna narrowed her eyes. "Good. Then I can rip his dick
off," she snarled.

Tom winced at that comment. "Are you sure you wanna do that,
B'Ela? I mean, you might miss it later."

B'Elanna glared at him. "I don't think so. Anyway, if I *should*
miss it, I can always replicate a dildo. At least a dildo won't get
me pregnant!"

Tom considered it for a moment. "You're right," he finally conceded.
"But I still think you might miss Harry's dick if you
ripped it off."

B'Elanna pouted. "Ruin my fun, why don't you?"

Tom sent her a devilish smile. "Of course, you can always
*threaten* to rip it off," he suggested.

B'Elanna smiled evilly. "You won't tell on me?"

Tom laughed. "Me? Hell no. I wanna see Harry's reaction to
that threat." Suddenly he had a thought. "But the Doc might say
something about it."

B'Elanna and Tom both turned to look at the holographic doctor,
who merely raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry. I'm not going
to tell Mr. Kim about this conversation. In fact, I never heard it."
The EMH smiled wickedly.

Tom chuckled. "I think that our good doctor is as curious about
Harry's reaction as I am," he said.

"My reaction to what?" Harry asked. He'd arrived just as Tom
made his last comment.

Tom gave Harry his best innocent look. "Nothing, Harry."

Harry snorted. "Right," he said, clearly not believing Tom, but
more concerned about his wife, than he was about any of Tom's
mischievousness. "How are you doing, B'Ela?"

B'Elanna smiled. "I'm fine." Just then she had another contraction.
"Harry Kim, I HATE YOU!" she yelled. "This is all your
fault!"

Harry sighed quietly. "I know, B'Ela. I'm sorry," he said, used
to his wife yelling these kinds of things at him. He walked over
to the biobed and stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. It didn't
work.

As soon as the contraction ended, B'Elanna glared at her husband,
and snarled, "When this is over, I'm going to rip your dick
off."

Harry's eyes widened and his face turned white, as he backed
away anxiously. He didn't get far.

B'Elanna grabbed his wrist and looked at him through narrowed
eyes. "And where do you think you're going?" she purred.

Harry swallowed hard. "Umm. Nowhere?"

B'Elanna smiled ferally. "That's right," she agreed. "You aren't
going *anywhere* until I'm finished with you." A devilish glint
appeared in her eyes and her smile turned even more feral.
"Come here," she ordered, tugging on his wrist.

Harry moved forward until he was standing right beside the
biobed. "What is it, B'Ela?"

"Bend down," she ordered. "I'm going to tell you something."
When he complied, B'Elanna whispered something in his ear.

Harry straightened quickly, his face taking on a gray hue. He
swallowed again. "You wouldn't really do that. Would you?" he
asked nervously.

Just then the next contraction hit, and B'Elanna's answer was
yelled so loud that Tom would *swear* she could be heard on
the bridge. "YES I WILL!"

Seeing Harry's gray face and the terrified expression in his eyes,
Tom decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "Doc,
I'm going back to my reports," he said quietly. "Let me know
when this madness is over."

The doctor tried to hide his smile, but wasn't entirely successful.
"Running away, Captain?"

Tom glanced quickly at B'Elanna, then turned back to the EMH.
"I prefer to think of it as a tactical retreat."

The doctor snorted in amusement, a habit he'd picked up from
Tom. "Why, Captain, are you afraid of a *woman*?"

"Damned right, I am," he said, before he practically *ran* out of
sickbay and to the nearest turbolift. Once inside the 'lift, Tom
sighed, glad to be out of sickbay and away from the craziness
that childbirth appeared to be. He'd prefer the boring paperwork
any day. "Bridge."

A moment later, the 'lift doors opened and Tom stepped out on
the empty bridge. With another sigh, he took a quick look
around before walking to the Ready Room. Even after all these
weeks, he still hadn't gotten used to seeing the bridge unmanned.
The silence was eerie.

In the Ready Room, Tom went to the replicator and ordered a
cup of tea. When it appeared, he carried it over to the desk
where he put it down before he sat in the chair. he picked up the
first PADD, intending to get the few remaining reports out of
the way.

Ten minutes later, he put the PADD down again. He'd stared at
the same sentence since he picked the report up, and he had no
idea what it said. His mind was busy wondering what happened
in sickbay. He was curious as all hell to know what was going
on down there, but... {Damned if I'm returning to sickbay.
B'Elanna could start threatening *me*.}

This thought reminded Tom of something. "Computer, open a
comm link to all crewmembers, except Lieutenants Kim and
Torres."

"Comm link open to all crewmembers except Lieutenants Kim
and Torres."

"All hands, this is the Captain. Lt. Torres is currently in sickbay,
giving birth. She has already threatened to do some very unpleasant
things to Lt. Kim, so I thought I'd warn you in case you
need to go to sickbay for some reason. Paris out."

When he'd finished his little speech, Tom addressed the computer again.
"Computer, close comm link."

"Comm link closed."

Tom leaned back in his chair, and considered the news the doctor
had given him before B'Elanna arrived. The EMH had found
a cure for the virus. That was good news. It meant that things
would go back to normal soon. Now Tom just had to decide who
should be cured first.

Captain Janeway was out. Tom didn't want to have her revived
until the ship was fully manned again, which meant that she
would be the last to come out of stasis. However, with B'Elanna
on maternity leave, he would need someone from the senior
staff.

{Hmm. I'll need someone who can take care of the First Officer's
duties, which means that it has to be Tuvok or Chakotay,}
he mused, finishing his tea. He considered the problem for a
while longer, then made his choice.

Decision made, Tom returned to his reports, having no difficulties
concentrating this time.

TBC
Praise, comments and such to tarrashenna@yahoo.com