The BLTS Archive- The Burgeoning Continues
by T'Pam (t_pam@yahoo.com)

---

Standard Disclaimer:  Voyager and all her crew belong to
Paramount/Viacom.  No copyright infringement is intended, as
this little tale is just for fun.

---

Tuvok sat quietly meditating in his quarters.  It had been a
long, tiring day and he was appreciative of this time he had
to himself.

His door chime interrupted him and with a sigh he opened his
eyes.  "Enter," he ordered.

He was a little surprised to see Seven stepping inside
briskly.  "Commander Tuvok, I require your assistance."

He stood up slowly.  "Of course.  How may I help you?"

Seven hesitated for a moment.  "You are Vulcan.  You do not
feel embarrassment?"

"I am able to control any uncomfortable emotions I may
incur," he clarified.  His surprise was mounting.

Seven thought for a few moments before nodding.  "That will
suffice.  Ensign Paris reacted unfavorably when I asked for
his assistance in this matter, and that is why I have come
to you."

"I see."  He quashed down a slight feeling of annoyance.  "I
am second choice, in a manner of speaking."

"Yes.  I have only approached you because I believe all
human males will react the way Ensign Paris did.  You will not."

"I see," Tuvok said once more.  "Please continue."

"I wish to view the difference between a typical erection
and a burgeoning one.  Are you able to show me?"

The silence was deafening.  Tuvok could feel that his
eyebrows were raised, but could do nothing to lower them.

He cleared his throat.  His voice when he was finally able to
speak, was strained.  "You wish for me to show you my erection?"

"Yes, if you are able to produce one.  Vulcan anatomy is
unfamiliar to me, so I am unsure if you will be the same as
Ensign Paris."

He cleared his throat once more.  "Vulcans do not speak of
this subject.  It is classified as private."

"Then you will not show me either?"  She sounded disappointed.

"No."  He fixed her with one of his most disapproving stares. 
"May I enquire as to why you have this sudden - wish?"

"As part of my personal development lessons the Doctor
requires me to read certain romance novels.  The authors all
seem to have an obsession with burgeoning erections.  I
believe it is necessary to see one for myself."

"I will speak to the Doctor in regards to this matter."  His
voice was heavy with censure.  "And Seven of Nine, I believe
you should be counseled on what is and what is not socially
acceptable requests."

Seven gave a small sniff, an exact replica of the Doctor's. 
"If you do not wish to show me, then a simple refusal is all
that is necessary."  She turned and headed for the door.

"Wait," he ordered.  "Something you have said concerns me."

She turned around to look at him once more.  "Explain."

"You went to Mr. Paris with this request, and he reacted
unfavorably?"

Seven nodded, a look of confusion crossing her features.

"Please tell me exactly what happened."

She told him everything - word for word.

Tuvok was quiet when she was finished.  "You say he ran
away?" he asked finally.

"Yes."

"He appeared upset?"

"Yes."

"I believe you may have traumatized him."

"I - I did not mean to.  Are you positive of this conclusion?"

He nodded thoughtfully.  "Mr. Paris has many hidden depths. 
I believe this to be a logical assumption."

"I must find him at once and apologize."

"No.  I believe you should stay away from him.  I will speak
to him at his earliest possible convenience."

"I am uncertain if that---"

"Please do not argue with me Seven," he interrupted her. 
"Leave this to me.  That is an order."

---

Tom used the entry code B'Elanna had given him and crept quietly
across the room.  She was curled up in bed, fast asleep.

He crawled onto the bed and lay down behind her, gently
nuzzling her neck.  She moaned and rolled over.

"Tom!  What are you doing here?  I thought you had a report
to finish?"

"I missed you," he answered, kissing her throat.

She groaned.  "I have to be up early in the morning.  I need
a good night's sleep."

"Don't worry, you'll get it."  Tom pulled her to him and
kissed her passionately.

When she had gotten her breath back she chuckled.  "What's
got into you?"

"The thought of you," he answered huskily.

She growled playfully.  "I really do have to get up early in
the morning."

"This won't take long," he assured her.

---

The following morning, Commander Chakotay looked up from the padd
he was reading as the turbolift stopped and Harry Kim entered.

Harry nodded politely.  "Good morning Commander."

"Morning Harry.  You haven't seen your partner in crime this
morning have you?"

Harry flushed and immediately looked guilty.  "M-my partner
in crime, Commander?"

Chakotay sighed.  It just didn't pay to tease Harry; he took
everything so seriously.  "Tom," he explained.

"Oh!"  Harry appeared a little panicked.  "Oh Sir.  If
Ensign Michaels told you about that holodeck incident the
other day, I can explain."

"No Harry, I just meant, have you seen Tom this morning?  He
was supposed to hand in a conn report first thing and I have
yet to see it."  He decided he'd find out about the
'holodeck incident' later.

"Oh!"  Harry relaxed.  "I'm meeting him for breakfast right
now.  I'll remind him about the report."

---

Harry made his way to the mess hall and waved to Tom as he
entered.  Grabbing a tray he carefully chose some fruit and
toast to eat, before heading over to him.

"Hi," he said in greeting.  "What did you get up to last night?"

Tom choked a little and cautiously set down his coffee mug.
"Up to?" he squeaked out.

Harry looked at him in surprise.  "Yeah!  The Commander was
looking for you, something about a conn report you were
supposed to hand in."

"Shit!"  Tom jumped up and glanced around the room.  "I
forgot all about it.  I must have left the padd here.  Damn
it!"  He hurried over to Neelix and soon came back clutching
a padd to him.

"Neelix found it lying on the floor this morning, thank
goodness.  I must have dropped it."

Tom sat back down again and scrolled through the padd.  He
groaned.  "It's nowhere near finished."

Harry took a bite of toast and swallowed.  "So, I ask again. 
What did you do last night?  I thought you were working on
that report."

Tom seemed to gulp.  "I was.  Something happened and I
didn't get to finish it."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"That makes sense.  Am I or am I not, your best friend?  You
can tell me."

"No I can't.  I can't tell anyone.  If B'Elanna finds out." 
Tom stopped and shuddered.

"Okay," Harry said slowly, wondering what the hell was going
on.  Tom was jumpy, very jumpy.  Every time the mess hall
doors opened he glanced over there nervously. 

Harry sighed.  "You'd better tell me what you've done."

"Me?  I haven't done anything."

Before Harry could say anything else, Tom's eyes darted to
the doors once more.  He gulped loudly.

Harry turned around to see what had caused all the color to drain
from his friend's face.  Seven was approaching their table.

Tom stood up abruptly.  "I have to go," he said breathlessly.

Harry watched in confusion as Tom raced off.

"Ensign Paris, I wish to speak with you," Seven called out. 
Tom kept on going.

"He was in a hurry," Harry offered.

Seven's eyebrow was raised.  "So it would seem."

"Care to join me?" Harry asked brightly.

Seven shook her head.  "I do not wish to ingest nutritional
supplements at this time."

"Oh, okay."

"Seven of Nine."

Harry watched as Tuvok approached.  His face was a study in
disapproval.  'So much for not showing any emotion,' Harry
thought with amusement.

"Commander Tuvok," Seven said coldly.

"You attempted to approach Mr. Paris."  Although his
voice was flat and emotionless, there was definite
disapproval in Tuvok's tone.

"Yes."  Seven sounded defiant. 

Harry looked from one to the other of them in surprise.

"I informed you that I would speak to the Ensign myself. 
You were not to go near him," Tuvok continued.

"I believe a more prudent course of action would be---"

"To do as I ask," Tuvok finished for her.

There was a silence, while Harry continued to study first
one and then the other.

"Good morning Ensign Kim," Tuvok said suddenly, not taking
his eyes from Seven's face.

"Hi Tuvok.  Um - what's going on?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with.  I have everything under
control."

"Oh!  Well that's good."

Tuvok guided Seven from the room and Harry felt his curiosity
grow stronger.  He HAD to find out what was going on.

---

Harry watched Tom all that morning.  The pilot didn't seem
any different than usual, even though Chakotay had given him
grief over not having the conn report finished.

It was only when they were about to go to lunch that
something unusual happened.  They were about to step into
the lift when Tuvok stepped towards them.

"Excuse me, Mr. Paris.  May I join you for lunch?"

"Huh?"  Tom sounded as surprised as Harry felt.  "Sure, if
you want to."

"I do."

They made their way to the mess hall in silence, Tom
exchanging glances with Harry the whole way, and picked
up their trays of food. 

As they headed towards a table Tuvok turned to Harry.  "If
you will excuse us please, Ensign Kim?  I have something of a
rather delicate nature to speak to Ensign Paris about."

"You have?"  Tom looked astonished and Harry knew without a
doubt that he just HAD to know what this was all about.  Tom
might tell him afterwards, but then again, he might not.

He sat down at the table next to them and strained his ears. 
He couldn't hear anything.  They were speaking softly.  He
leaned over a little bit.

"I don't know what to say," he heard Tom say.

"I was unsure of your reaction," was the next thing he heard
from Tuvok.

Tuvok mumbled something else, but all he could catch was the
word - 'traumatized'.

"Traumatized?" Tom repeated.  "No of course not.  I'm kinda
flattered actually.  Only, B'Elanna must never find out
about this - never.  In fact no one must."

"I concur," he heard Tuvok say.  They lowered their voices
and he couldn't hear anything at all.  'Talk about
inconsiderate!'  He leaned further across.  'Speak up, damn
it!', he just stopped himself from saying.

They continued to murmur in low voices and he could only
catch a stray word here and there.  Aomething about Seven,
but it didn't make much sense.  

He gritted his teeth in frustration and leaned over even
more.  They were so engrossed in their conversation they
would never notice.

The next words he heard made him gasp out loud and losing
his balance, he tumbled to the floor.

Scrambling madly to his feet, he faced them both.  "I
dropped my fork," he shouted, waving it around in the air
frantically.  He wondered why there was suddenly no air in
the room.

He glanced around to see that everyone in the mess hall
was looking at him in surprise, but after a few moments
they all resumed their normal conversations.

Harry turned back to see that Tuvok was watching him with one
eyebrow raised and Tom had his mouth open in astonishment. 

"Harry?  Are you alright?"

"No Tom.  I have to speak to you - NOW!"

"Ensign Kim.  My conversation with Mr. Paris is not finished."

"Oh yes it is," Harry said fiercely, trying to keep his
voice down.  "Leave him alone - you - um - you - um - creep."

Tuvok's eyebrows practically disappeared and Tom gasped. 
"Harry, I think you must have hit your head when you fell."

"That is a logical assumption," Tuvok commented.

"Logical assumption, my ass."  He was pleased to see that
Tuvok's eyebrows really could disappear.

Tom grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit with them. 
"What's the matter with you Harry?"

"What's the matter with me?  What's the matter with you?  I
know you're a good friend - the best actually - and you'll
do anything for a friend, but this is taking things too far. 
I won't let you do it."

"Do what?  What are you talking about Harry?"

"I heard you.  I heard it all.  I know what you're planning.
You can't do it Tom.  You'll be sorry later.  I know what you're
like.  You jump in head first without thinking things through."

"Harry!  What - are - you - talking - about?"

Harry told them.

---

Captain Janeway sat in a corner of the mess hall and watched
with amusement as Harry continued to lean further and
further over, trying to hear whatever it was Tom and Tuvok
were discussing.

She had been surprised to see the two of them having such an
earnest discussion.  So intent were they that they didn't
even notice Harry's antics.

She had anticipated Harry's fall and his subsequent
embarrassment, but she hadn't foreseen what happened next.

Harry was practically spitting at Tuvok and although she
couldn't hear what he was saying it didn't look good, if the
reactions of both Tom and Tuvok were anything to go by.

Several other crewmembers were watching the three as well,
so she decided that she had better find out what was going
on.  Getting up, she made her way quietly over to them.

She stood behind Tuvok, but neither Tom nor Harry noticed
her presence.

"You are mistaken Ensign Kim," Tuvok was saying.

"No I'm not.  I heard you agree not to let anyone know. 
You're just trying to cover it up."

"Mr. Kim, I am not about to 'go into ponn farr' as you put it."

"Yes you are.  And you want to use Tom here as your -
 receptacle," Harry hissed.

"Receptacle?" Tom squeaked.

"I just don't see how Seven fits into all of this," Harry said
softly, shaking his head.  "Oh my God!  Of course.  One partner
won't be enough for you.  You're going to have a threesome."

Tom let out some type of squawk.

"Mr. Kim, you have distorted our conversation."

"No I haven't.  I heard you Tuvok.  You told Tom you wanted
to see his burgeoning erection."

Janeway gasped - loudly.

---

Harry sat gloomily looking down at his dinner tray.  He
didn't feel like eating.  He didn't feel like doing anything
ever again.

He toyed around with the food, pushing it with his fork from
one side of the tray to the other.

A friendly slap on his shoulder made him look up, as B'Elanna
slid into the seat across from him.

"What's up Starfleet?  You look like you've lost your best friend."

"I think I have," Harry said miserably.  "Tom said he never
wants to speak to me again."

"Oh?  That doesn't sound like Tom.  What happened?"

"I don't think I should tell you."

"Well, if you don't I can't help now can I?"

That sounded reasonable.  Harry sighed.  "The Captain's mad
at me."

B'Elanna leaned forward eagerly.  "Go on."

"She said she's disappointed that I jumped to such a
ridiculous conclusion."

"Wow!  She really tore strips off of you."

He frowned.  "It's not funny B'Elanna.  And Tuvok!  What's
with him anyway?  He's Vulcan, for Gods sake.  He's not
supposed to get hurt feelings.  He told me that I had
injured him - deeply."

B'Elanna whistled.  "What's this got to do with Tom?"

"Well, you see, it all started this morning in the mess
hall.  Tom was acting kinda weird and I---"

---

B'Elanna settled back to listen.  She loved a good gossip
and Harry seemed so down she really wanted to help cheer
him up.  Perhaps she could talk to Tom after she had found
out what had happened.

Whatever it was, she knew Tom wouldn't stay mad at Harry for
long.  He just didn't have it in him.

She'd had a bad day.  Everything had gone wrong in engineering
and she'd only had her mind half on the job anyway.

The more she thought about what had happened last night, the
more she wondered about it.  It wasn't like Tom to act like
that.  Harry was right, he was acting weird.

It wasn't that she didn't like wild, quick sex - she did.  But
she hadn't had to do anything to initiate it.  It was almost as
if Tom was aroused before even going to her.  She didn't like
that thought.  She liked to be the one doing the arousing - so
to speak.

She listened with half an ear to Harry as he explained what he
had done, but sat up straight as what he was saying sunk in.

"You thought Tuvok had said that to Tom?  Harry?  How could you
think something like that?"

"No, but you don't understand.  Tuvok DID say that to Tom, but he
was only repeating what Seven had said.  He didn't actually want
to see Tom's - you know - himself."

"Let me get this straight.  Seven asked Tuvok to show her his -
you know."

"No, at least I'm not sure about that.  She actually asked Tom
to show her."

"Seven asked Tom?  When exactly was this?" 

"Last night.  When he was supposed to be writing out that report.
She, for some reason, wanted to see one and thought his would be
the best one on board, or something like that."

Harry shook his head.  "Boy, I'm glad she didn't ask ME.  I don't
know how I would have reacted."

B'Elanna frowned fiercely as several things started to make sense.  "I
think I know how Tom reacted," she said grimly.  She growled angrily.

"Um, B'Elanna?  You're not upset about this, are you?"

"Upset?  Why the hell would I be upset?  Seven asks Tom to show
her his burgeoning erection and the request has such an effect on
him that he comes to me and wakes me up from a sound sleep to have
some of the wildest sex we've ever had.  Why would that upset me,
Harry?  You tell me.  Why?"

"I - ah - I.  I'm not sure."

B'Elanna stood up furiously and slapped her commbadge.  "Computer,
what's the location of Ensign Paris?"

'Ensign Paris is in his quarters.'

She marched furiously away.

---

Harry gulped.  Maybe he shouldn't have told her.  He remembered
now that Tom had said something that morning about if B'Elanna
ever found out.

He couldn't understand why she was so angry.  She'd just admitted
that Tom had given her the wildest sex they'd ever had.  He could
sort of understand why she would be mad at Seven.

However, it looked as if she was going off to kill Tom, not Seven.
Women!  He'd never figure them out.

He suddenly realized he'd better warn Tom.  He slapped his commbadge.
"Kim to Paris."

'Harry, I don't want to talk to you.'

"I know, but this is important."

'I don't care.'

"But Tom---"

'I meant what I said.  I'll contact YOU, when and IF I decide to
speak to you again.'

Harry sighed heavily and closed the channel.  Well no one could say he
hadn't tried.  And after all, none of this was HIS fault.

---

The End