by Choirboy
---

Spoilers for most of Season Four and Five, as well as for the episodes "The Chute", "Deadlock" and "Parturition".

This is probably a 17 rating. I'd like to dedicate it to Torch. I don't know who she or he is, but they have inspired me!

Feedback, please! But be gentle with me-it's my first time!

---

"Harry! Hey, Harry, wait up!"

Harry Kim looked back along the corridor to see Tom trotting towards him. As always, he felt a flush of pleasure at seeing the pilot's pleasant, happy go lucky smile. In the years they had been marooned here in the Delta quadrant, Harry had made very few friends aboard Voyager. Although the officers accepted him as one of them, and the crew followed his orders without question, there was still a part of him that didn't seem to quite fit in. Although, the young ensign mused, dying in a Vidiian attack and then coming back from an alternate reality was enough to make anyone a bit wary. But not Tom. The recently demoted Tom Paris, now the same rank as Harry, slowed as he came up alongside the other man.

"Have you been summoned too?"

Kim nodded. "Yes. Special briefing at 0700 hours, conference room. Any idea what it's about?"

Paris shook his head. "Why she has to call these meetings at this godforsaken hour of the day is beyond me. I've just come off the night shift, and I was looking forward to a few hours sleep. I've also got two hours on the holodeck booked, which is going to have to be postponed - again."

"What are you working on in there, anyway? The main money is on a new version of Sandrine's, complete with topless waitresses and lap dancing. . . " Harry broke off as he saw the stricken look on his friend's face. "Have I got too close or something?"

Tom looked at Harry with a resigned. . . no, hurt expression on his face. "Is that all people think I'm good for? Soft porn fantasies on the holodeck? Well, thanks a lot, Harry."

Tom strode off ahead without another word, leaving Harry standing in the middle of the corridor, dumbfounded. What had he said?

---

Captain Kathryn Janeway straightened in her seat and tried to stifle a yawn. Across the table, Chakotay, her Native American first officer, was having a similar problem. Oblivious to the discomfort he was causing, the holographic Doctor continued his lecture on the dangers of this particular planet. When you thought about it, she decided, reprogramming the Doctor's personality would be a definite improvement. Both Kes and Naomi had suggested it to her in the past, and although there were many regulations about altering the basic functions of starship systems, none of them had been written with Voyager's predicament in mind. The Doctor had been acting as a fully fledged member of the crew since their arrival on the other side of the galaxy five years ago, and like any other member of a small group, little idiosyncrasies were bound to irritate certain people from time to time. Such as Tuvok's total lack of humour, or Seven's disregard for rules and regulations when she felt that they got in her way, or when you got right down to it, just about anything to do with Neelix.

She needed more coffee.

Chakotay glanced over at his captain and wondered what was going on in that head of hers. Since losing his command in their first battle with the Kazon, he had transferred his band of rebels to Voyager and asked them all to accept Federation principles and Federation ideals. By and large, the experiment had been a success. Although occasionally he still felt the sting of betrayal by Seska, one of his former crew who had turned out to be a Cardassian spy, he felt that the former Maquis had integrated into Voyager's depleted numbers well. There were still times, however, when he chafed against these reams of regulations that had to be satisfied before any action was taken. It was totally illogical, he decided, but sometimes he just wanted to beam into an unknown situation and blast away. That was what the holodeck was for, he reminded himself.

B'Elanna Torres, Voyager's half-Klingon engineer, was at that moment considering the structural integrity of the shuttlecraft they would be sending. Although the Delta Flyer had been designed to handle the more hostile elements of this quadrant, she still felt unsure about the risks of this mission. Not having been directly involved in the construction, she knew that Tom would have sacrificed safety or structural integrity for a few more nanoseconds of speed.

Tom sat, not moving and not hearing the Doctor's voice. He could not believe that after all this time, Harry still thought of him as nothing more than. . . the playboy of the Delta Quadrant.

Since being accepted back into the Federation fold, Tom had done everything possible to prove himself as a valued shipmate, and to earn the rank that the captain had bestowed on him. Even the problems with the Maquis, who felt that they had been betrayed by the admiral's son when he led Voyager in pursuit of Chakotay's ship, had lessened when they realised that not only was he a brilliant pilot, but that Harry and the other Starfleet crew accepted him as one of them. But still, every so often, someone had to go and treat him as one big joke. Just part of the light relief on Voyager. And it hurt. He looked across at Kim. The kid was faithfully hanging on every word as the Doctor continued to pontificate. How many years would it take before Harry lost that shiny new kid look?

Harry was indeed staring at the Doctor, but his mind was on something totally different. He had known Tom for five years now; in fact he had been the first of Voyager's original crew to meet the disgraced ex-con. He knew that Tom had had a hard time fitting in and adjusting back into Starfleet life. He knew that the Maquis had given him flack for the first few months. He, alone amongst everyone on Voyager, apart perhaps from the captain, knew something of Tom's experiences in prison; indeed, he had even been in prison with Tom. But there were days when he felt he didn't know him at all. When this briefing was over, Harry decided, he was going to sort this out with Tom once and for all.

Tuvok, as was his wont, paid close attention to the Doctor. No doubt his skills and knowledge would be called upon at some point during the away mission. Although by human standards he had no such emotion as pride, he did feel. . . fulfilled, when the captain sought his opinion, and even more so, when she acted upon it. However, this was becoming rare, as more and more, he felt that she was taking unnecessary risks. The recent incident at the Void with the Malon was a prime example. In his own personal log, he kept careful note of Janeway's unorthodox decisions, against the time when he might need them.

Seven regarded the entire issue of protocols with little enthusiasm and an air of resignation. Humans were so complicated and confusing.

Tom was brought out of his reverie by the captain's curt "Dismissed". As the group filed out, he saw Harry lingering by the exit to the bridge, obviously waiting for him. He was just resigning himself o an intense discussion when the captain brought him up short.

"Mr Paris, a moment, please."

Harry smiled ruefully and followed Chakotay out. Tom returned to the table.

"Okay, Tom, what's wrong?"

He started, unused to the sharp tone of voice from the captain. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't understand?"

Janeway leaned back in her chair and regarded her pilot with a keen stare. "Tom, you daydreamed through that entire briefing. When you weren't gazing out of the window, you were boring holes in Mr Kim with your eyes. Would you care to explain?"

Tom shifted stance, annoyed that Janeway could read him that easily. No one over the years had gotten close to him. He hadn't let anyone get close to him. Having said that, these five years on Voyager were just about the longest time he had spent with the same group of people in years. Maybe it was time to move on?

He was brought back to the briefing room by a polite cough from the captain. "I have some personal issues that I'm working on at the moment, captain. They don't have any bearing on my working relationship with Ha. . . with any member of the crew. I'd rather not say any more."

Janeway narrowed her eyes, then raised her voice to the comlink. "Mr Kim?"

"Kim here."

"Report to the briefing room, Mr Kim."

Tom stiffened. "Captain, please. . ."

She held up a hand for silence. A few seconds later, Harry walked in, then stopped dead as he saw Tom, and noted the flush on his face.

With an admirable attempt at self-control, he spoke. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"

Without taking her eyes off of Tom, Janeway spoke to her young ensign. "Mr Paris appears to have an issue with you, Mr Kim. Care to enlighten me as to what that might be?"

Harry was baffled. Although this morning's incident had obviously upset Tom, he had no idea that the pilot would have run to the captain over it. "No, Ma'am. We had a disagreement this morning, but it was extremely trivial, and certainly not worth your time. . . " He stopped, as the captain's steely gaze locked into his face.

"Mr Kim, I will decide what is worthy of my time. Understood?"

If it was possible, Harry's spine became even straighter. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Gentlemen, you seem to have problems. I suggest you deal with them. You will both be on the away mission this morning. I'm assigning you to the Delta Flyer. Mr Paris, you will have the chance to see how your design spec holds up under prolonged exposure to the atmosphere of this planet. Mr Kim, you will be responsible for monitoring the sensor readings and providing backup in the event of an emergency. When you both return, I expect this problem to be resolved. Launch at 0800 hours. Dismissed."

The two officers filed out and into the turbolift. Once the doors had closed, Harry turned to Tom. "Was it really that bad?"

Tom was confused by the anger in the younger man's voice. "Was what so bad?"

"Whatever I said to you in the corridor this morning, that you had to go running to Captain Janeway like a spoiled kid!"

"Harry, I. . . "

At that moment, the lift drew to a halt at Harry's deck. As the doors opened, he turned to look at Tom with hurt on his face. "Let's just get through this mission and keep Janeway happy, OK? You've just lost any respect that I had for you, Ensign Paris. I think from now on, we'll just stay professional." And with that, he was gone.

The doors closed, and the lift moved off in the direction of Tom's quarters, carrying one confused and hurt ensign.

---

The Delta Flyer exited Voyager's shuttlebay smoothly and with little fanfare. Although Tom had insisted on outfitting the Flyer with tactile controls, he handled the new instrumentation with the same skill and control that he did with the more familiar panels aboard Voyager and the conventional shuttle. Harry had to admire it. He himself, although he carried out the routine diagnostics, was a nervous wreck inside. He was not looking forward to this mission. Two days in close quarters with a man who seemed to have taken an active dislike to him? This was not going to be fun. On the other hand, he thought, there were advantages. He could have been stuck here with Tuvok - or worse still, Chakotay. At least Tom was usually good company.

The man in question raised his voice to the intercom. "Paris to Voyager. Launch complete. Approach to planet confirmed. Estimated time of arrival is four hours and three minutes - mark."

Janeway's voice came back clearly over the intercom. "Confirmed, Tom. We'll see you in two days. If you have to land, don't forget the Doctor's advice and use the spray regularly. You do remember what happened the last time you landed on a planet with an itchy atmosphere?"

Tom gritted his, teeth, convinced that Harry was laughing at him. But when he turned to the Ops console, there was no sign of mirth. Harry was absorbed in his work.


The Delta Flyer swerved to avoid what looked like a cloud of dust in the upper atmosphere. Harry gripped his console as the deck tilted alarmingly. "Take it easy, will you, Tom? Or at least give me some warning before you loop the loop again!"

Tom grinned maliciously to himself. "Sorry, Harry. Didn't realise that your stomach was so sensitive."

Harry was about to fire off some sarcastic reply when his proximity detectors began beeping urgently.

"Incoming!"

Tom snatched a quick glance at his panel. "Confirmed! They're right on top of us! Altering course to one-zero-zero. Stand by for emergency manoeuvres!"

For all the good it did them, they might as well have not bothered. The object on their detectors continued to follow them, closing slowly. Harry opened a comlink.

"This is the Federation shuttlecraft Delta Flyer. Please identify yourself?"

In reply, twin streaks of red plasma lanced out towards the Flyer.

"Red Alert! Shields up!" The plasma bounced off Tuvok's multi-adaptive shielding, as the occupants were thrown about in their seats.

"Kim to Voyager! Under attack! Request assistance!"

The comlink was silent.

Paris gestured to the viewscreen. "They're coming round for another attack. Hang on. . . "

Kim gripped his chair as Tom threw the Flyer into another series of evasive acrobatics. He gritted his teeth. "Can't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast!"

Tom grinned as the Flyer rolled to avoid another salvo. "This is no time to quote old films, Harry!"

The Flyer canted away towards the surface. Kim leapt over to Tactical. "Returning fire." Seven of Nine's Borg-inspired photon blasts struck home with no apparent effect. Kim looked across at the pilot. "We're in trouble, Tom."

Tom's response was to swing the ship down towards the atmosphere. "We'll skim the surface and hope for the best. Keep trying to contact Voyager!"

---

Tom turned to Harry. "Well, it was a good plan."

Harry looked up from the scanners. "What do you mean?"

"We don't have enough lift to pull us clear of the surface. Stand by for a rather sudden trip to wherever this planet is!"

"You mean we really are gonna crash?"

"Well I am. You're going to beam out at the last minute."

Harry glared at Tom. "Not on your life. We can both get out using the emergency transporters. Come on!"

Tom shook his head, never taking his eyes off the console. "It takes skill to fly a dead ship, Harry."

"Well in that case, you'll need my skill at the Ops panel. I'm not leaving you, Tom. If we go, we go together. As Neelix says, if a fool needs company. . . "

Tom coaxed the Flyer into a slow spiral. "If it looks like we're crashing, maybe they won't follow us down."

Harry kept his eyes glued to the panels. "Looks like you're right. They're not pursuing."

"Never mind about them, brace for impact!"

Harry strapped himself into the co-pilots chair. The Flyer straightened as Tom deftly guided the ship into a controlled descent across the plain.

"I've found some kind of cave formations dead ahead, about two thousand kilometres," said Harry. "They should give us some protection from the atmosphere."

Tom nodded and altered the Flyer's trajectory gently. The ship jolted as it touched down, then slithered to a halt. Tom grabbed the console as the world titled alarmingly about him. The port nacelle dipped as the ground settled under it, and Tom felt himself falling across the cabin. When everything stopped spinning, he found himself lying across Harry's chest.

He looked up into the younger man's dark eyes to meet a concerned grin. "That was some landing, Tom. What do you do for an encore?"

Tom eased himself off of Harry. "Sorry, Mr Kim. Usually I give my partners some warning before I jump on their bones!"

The two men exited the Flyer and stood blinking in the sunlight. What they were looking at was in effect, paradise. A gentle breeze blew across their battered faces, and the sun reflected on a deep blue lake to their right. Harry looked at Tom in confusion. "Did I hit my head harder than I thought?"

They returned to the ship and looked out through the viewscreen. A harsh reddened landscape glowered back at them, complete with volcanic clouds of ash spurting up in the distance. Nothing grew here.

Tom glanced out of the open hatch. A bird glided past overhead, cooing gently. In the distance he could hear waves crashing on a shore.

Harry shook his head. "Scans show that this hellhole on the screen is the right environment. In fact, my skin is starting to itch - Tom, can you close that hatchway?" There was no reply. "Tom?"

He looked across to see an empty space. Stepping outside, he saw his friend gazing around contentedly, taking deep breaths. "Harry, this is beautiful! Come on, what say we take a walk to the beach?"

"First things first, Tom." He tapped his combadge. "Kim to Voyager. Voyager, respond!"

No reply. Returning to the Flyer, Harry grabbed his tricorder and a medikit. After securing the ship, he climbed back out to see Tom moving off in the distance, his uniform jacket already slung over his shoulder. Harry ran to catch up, but as he neared, Tom broke into a sprint, and Harry fell behind. Slowing to a walk, he watched as Tom crested the low ridge and started down the other side. Suddenly his combadge beeped.

"Neelix to Kim."

"Neelix? Is that you?"

"Harry! We've been trying to get you for ages! We scared off the ship that attacked you, but then we couldn't raise you or Tom. Are you both OK?"

"Fine. Listen, Neelix, can you put me through to the bridge? I need to talk with the captain."

"Ah, she's not on board at the moment. She, Chakotay and Tuvok are down on the planet negotiating with some of the local inhabitants for supplies."

"I thought you said that planet was uninhabited?"

"My mistake, I'm afraid."

Harry shook his head and grinned. "Well, who's in charge up there? Seven?"

He could hear the indignation in the Talaxian's voice. "I am, Mr Kim!"

This suddenly got more serious. "Where's B'Elanna? Where's the Doc? No offence, Neelix, but even Bateheart outranks you!"

The voice came back over the link, crackling with distance. "The Doctor is off line, and B'Elanna's in sick bay with a concussion. Everything's fine and we'll b. . . transporter range within two days. Capt. . . . . . . . . "

The static blared through his badge, then cut out altogether.

"Neelix? Neelix!"

The link was gone. Harry tapped his badge again. "Tom, are you there? Tom?"

Was everybody ignoring him today? He turned and followed Tom over the ridge. And stopped short.

A beach heaven awaited him. Clean white sand, pure blue water, palm trees nodding in the breeze. Something dark caught his eye. Tom's uniform, dropped on the sand near the water's edge. He looked out into the water and saw the pilot just beyond the breakers, floating on his back. He saw Harry and waved.

"Come on in, Harry, the water's lovely!"

"Tom, we're in the middle of a crisis, in case you missed it. The captain, Chakotay and Tuvok are down on the planet Neelix found, but they're missing. B'Elanna's in sickbay and Neelix is in charge up there! Come on, we have to get back to Voyager."

Tom sighed. "OK, Kim, you win. Let's go." He rolled onto his stomach and struck out strongly for shore. Harry held his breath as Tom reached shallow water and stood up. The water ran off his naked body and glistened in the sunlight. In desperation, Harry turned away and held out Tom's uniform behind him.

Tom looked at the back of Harry's head quizzically. "I'm not putting that back on just yet, Harry, I'm soaking! We'll walk back to the shuttle; I'll be dry by then."

Harry groaned silently. "Can't you dry yourself on your shirt, Tom?"

"What is it with you, Harry? Have you never seen a naked man before?"

"Of course, it's just that I. . . I've never seen you naked before."

"Well turn around and take a good look, ensign. That's an order!"

Harry turned in obedience, too late remembering that Tom was now an ensign too. He opened his mouth to protest, but then decided to enjoy the view.

Tom stood in the sunlight. The hot sun had already dried the fine golden hair on his chest, outlining the well-defined muscles. A tiny rivulet of water trickled down that darker hair beneath Tom's navel to the top of his pubic hair, also dark gold. Tom's cock was flaccid, but long, bigger than Harry's. It hung down over two low slung balls, again covered in that dark golden down. As Tom turned around his ass came into view, displaying firm cheeks that hinted at the muscles beneath. Tom reached down to scratch his shin, and his cheeks parted to give Harry a glimpse of his tiny puckered hole. Harry's cock sprang immediately to life, tightening up against his uniform.

Tom straightened and turned round, smiling easily. "OK? Enough of a show?" He moved closer to Harry and put one hand on his shoulder. "Or would you like a tactile exhibition as well?"

Harry swung round and started off to the shuttle. The fast walk did nothing to ease the friction in his boxers. If anything, it made it worse. He climbed inside and settled into the pilot's chair, trying to access the computer interface.

Tom reached the shuttle and turned around for one last look at the paradise they would be leaving shortly. As he clambered inside, the reddish glow from the viewscreen reminded him of the strange double impression that the planet gave off. He looked down at himself. Why the hell was he naked?

"Harry? Remind me, was clothing on this mission optional?"

"Tom, just get dressed, will you? I don't have time for your infantile games!" Tom shrugged, resigned to the fact that Harry was still mad at him from this morning at the interview with the captain.

Pulling up his shorts, he sauntered into the cockpit. "I still don't understand why I'm walking around this hellhole buck naked. It looks pretty inhospitable out there."

Harry turned to him with a questioning look on his face. "You don't remember what just happened? The sea, the beach. . . what you did?"

Tom looked blank. "What did I do?"

Harry averted his eyes from Tom's nipples. In the cool air of the Flyer, they were large and erect. "You. . . came on to me, Tom."

The pilot's face tightened. "That's not funny, Harry. I can't remember anything since the crash, and you're accusing me of. . ."

"I'm not accusing you! If you say you can't remember, then fine! But don't ask me to go into details. You might not like it."

Harry raised his voice to the intercom. "Kim to Neelix. Respond, please?"

"Mr Kim," came back Janeway's voice. "Is there any reason why you are calling Mr Neelix when I've been hailing you for the last half-hour?"

"Captain? What are you doing back? I thought you were on the planet for supplies?"

"Harry, that's not for another two days. We agreed to pick you and Tom up en-route. I don't recall giving you instructions to land. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, Captain. An unknown ship that fired at us forced us down. Seven's weapon systems had no effect. Damage to the Flyer is minor, but there are some unusual atmospheric conditions that we would like to investigate."

"Back to the ship first, Harry, then I'll leave it in your capable hands. How's Tom?"

Harry looked across at Tom as he struggled to get dressed in the confines of the co-pilots seat. The last glimpse of chest hair disappeared under the tight grey undershirt. He swallowed and continued. "He's fine, Captain. Could I talk with Neelix, please?"

"Neelix is on the planet, collecting supplies. Harry, are you sure you didn't bump your head? We discussed all this at the briefing this morning."

"I seem to have a different recollection of events, Captain. We're lifting off now, and should be with you shortly."

"Agreed. See you soon, Harry. Janeway out."

Tom shrugged into his jacket. "What do you make of all that, Harry?"

"What do I make of all what?"

"You're the one whose memory doesn't seem too clear at the moment. Are you sure that it's not the other way around? Maybe you stripped me while I was unconscious and came on to me."

Harry shook his head in exasperation. "Oh, grow up, Paris!"

The Flyer lifted off and exited the atmosphere. Sure enough, there was Voyager hanging against the backdrop of space. Harry leaned forward to take in her sleek lines through the window. "Home, sweet home."

Tom took over the controls for Docking. "Some home. A big hunk of metal in the middle of nowhere."

Harry settled back in his chair and watched Tom's hands dance over the panels. "We'll get there. One day. We'll get home."

He missed the stricken look that flashed in Tom's eyes.

---

Harry lay back and watched out of the corner of his eye as the Doctor passed yet another scanner over his head.

"Mr Kim, I'm afraid I can find nothing wrong. Apart from some swelling due to the bump to your head on landing, there seems to be nothing remiss. I can only assume that it was some sort of concussion, perhaps aggravated by the atmospheric conditions."

Harry sat up as the bedscanner opened, permitting him movement. "Hey, Doc, don't worry about it. I'm glad you can't find anything wrong." From across the room, B'Elanna waved her splinted arm at him in greeting.

The Doctor replaced his scanner on the instrument table. "Mr Paris has a different opinion, surprise surprise. He claims that you 'came on' to him, down on that planetoid."

Harry was speechless. The world seemed to move on its axis. He couldn't believe that Tom would not only have thought this twist up, but to have told the Doctor? Who else had he spread these lies to?

He tapped his combadge firmly. "Ensign Kim to Paris?"

"Hey, Harry, you're awake! I'm down in Sandrine's, fancy a. . . "

"Don't move, Paris. I'll coming down right now."

The Doctor returned from his office to see the sickbay doors slide shut. He sighed. "Computer, end EMH program."


Tom looked up from his shot as the doors to the bar slammed open. "Harry, I. . ." the next words were forgotten as the ensign bodily picked Tom up and flung him against the holographic wall.

"What the hell have you been saying, Paris? Did it give you a thrill, spreading lies about me? Who else knows? B'Elanna? Chakotay? Why not just announce it on Neelix's programme!"

At first taken by surprise, Tom easily forced Harry away and pushed him against the pool table. "What the hell's the matter with you, Harry? I haven't even seen the Doctor since I got back. I reported to the captain, then went to see B'Elanna. Then I came down here for a drink, and the next thing I know, I'm being assaulted by my best friend."

With a heave, Harry pushed Tom off. "Fuck off, Tom. You're no friend of mine. I told you before this mission even started that I wanted to keep things professional. Is this your idea of professional?" He turned to storm out of the holodeck. "And you're a liar," he shouted at Tom. "B'Elanna's in sickbay, so how could you see her without seeing the Doc as well?"

"Harry, Be'lanna's not in sickbay. She's down in Engineering. Call her and check, if you don't believe me!"

Harry glared back at his former friend. "I wouldn't believe you if you said Earth's sun rose in the east. Stay out of my way, Paris. As soon as the captain gets back, I'm requesting a change of shift. I don't even want to look at you anymore."

Tom stopped short, now totally bewildered. "Harry, the captain is on the bridge. She hasn't left Voyager in weeks. . . "

Harry was now totally confused. "What's happening to me?"

He turned and ran from the holodeck. Chakotay turned the corner as Kim bounded past and grabbed the ensign.

"Slow down, Mr Kim, where's the fire?"

Harry halted. "I'm sorry sir, I just had to get to my quarters."

Chakotay smiled understandingly. "Another fight with Tom? When are you two going to settle down and admit you're perfect for each other?"

Harry stared in disbelief. Had Chakotay just said what he thought he'd said? He broke out of the commander's armlock and continued at a run down the corridor. The first officer stood staring after him, as Tom came out of the sliding doors, hot in pursuit of Harry.

"Mr Paris, is everything all right?"

Tom slowed. "Which way did Harry go, sir?"

"To his quarters, I think. What's happened?"

Tom shook his head. "I don't know, sir, but I think he's got some problem with me. He says that I've been spreading rumours about him. I need to go sort it out."

"Good luck, Tom. You're going to need it."

Tom halted outside Harry's quarters, unsure of what to do. He could just barge in and shout back at Harry until they both tired and then talk reasonably. Or he could stand here and ring the bell. He pushed the chime. No response. Again. No response. He tapped his combadge. "Paris to Kim?"

The silence in the corridor was deafening. "Computer, locate Ensign Kim." The computer's flat tones came back instantly. "Ensign Kim is in his quarters."

Tom squared his shoulders and banged on the door. "Harry? Hey, Harry! Let me in!"

The door flew open. Kim stood in the doorway, red in the face and still furious. "Can't you take no for an answer?"

Tom pushed past him into the room. "I'm not leaving until you explain what this is all about. I would have thought that after five years I deserved more than 'fuck off, Tom'."

Harry ran his hands through his thick black hair. "Tom, I don't now what to say to you any more. I feel as though my world has been turned upside down. You run to the captain about me. You tell the Doc that I came on to you. You lie to me about the captain being off the ship, when we both know that she, Chakotay and Tuvok were down on that planet. And to top it all, you give me some kind of cheap show on the beach and flash your cock at me, expecting me to come begging for it!"

Tom was speechless. "Harry, you've lost me. Flashed my cock at you?"

"Come on, Tom! Down on the planet? You came out of the water after a skinny dip, and paraded for me naked."

Tom's eyes flashed, hard. "I think you're getting confused, Kim. It was you who couldn't keep his hands off me when I woke up in the cargo bay of the Delta Flyer. Who took my clothes off, is what I'd like to know. I was prepared to let it go, dismiss it as some kind of prank. I was prepared to come down here and apologise, even though I don't now what it is I'm supposed to have done. But now you can stuff it. If you want to go running to Janeway and beg for a shift change, be my guest. Just don't expect me to pick up the pieces when she turns you down."

"How do you know she'll turn me down?"

"Because I've already asked!"

"You asked to move me onto a different shift?"

Tom threw up his arms in exasperation. "No, you idiot, I asked for me! How do you think I feel, having to work with you every day and knowing I can never touch you? Sitting next to you at lunch and feeling our legs brush together, but never being able to respond?"

Harry shook his head. "Tom, what are you say. . . "

Tom stepped forward and put his hand over Harry's mouth. "I'm saying, Harry Kim, that I love you. That I've always loved you. Ever since I first rescued you on DS9, I've wanted to watch out for you, protect you. And now, when I finally feel that we might be getting somewhere, after the Delaney sisters, Seven, the holodeck characters, for Christ's sake! You turn round and deny your feelings for me! Well, no more, Harry! I'm not some kind of human punchbag."

He turned to go, but was caught by a gentle clasp on his arm.

"I don't want you to go, Tom." There was genuine confusion in Harry's eyes, but also something else. Desire? Maybe.

Tom turned back. "So where do we go from here, Harry?"

The younger man settled down on the couch. "We need to talk this through, Tom. We seem to have different memories of what happened down there on the planet, and I can't get on with my life until we sort this mess out."

Tom sighed. Not exactly the direction he wanted this to go in, but fair enough. He settled down on the couch next to Harry, and immediately felt him tense up. "Oh, for God's sake, Harry, I'm not going to jump on you."

Harry visibly relaxed. The whole thing would be funny, Tom reflected, if I didn't love him so much.

"Tell you what," the pilot suggested. "Let's go down to holodeck 2 and run a simulation each. Then we can at least see what the other saw."

"Good idea," Harry answered. "I'll change into a clean uniform and see you down there."

Harry entered holodeck 2 a short while later to find it deserted. Well, at least deserted as far as flesh and blood went. There was some kind of programme running, but what it was, Harry couldn't tell. It appeared to be some kind of prison scenario, with a dirty mattress in one corner, and a slop bucket in another.

"Computer, whose programme is this?"

"The programme belongs to Ensign Thomas Paris."

"You're damn right it does. Who the hell gave you permission to barge in unannounced!"

Harry swung round. Tom was standing in the open doorway, a look of total fury on his normally open face.

"Tom? You asked me to come down here, remember?"

"I didn't even know you were back from the planet yet, Harry. Mind you, after you requested a change of pilot and took Dern instead of me, I stopped worrying. Now, get out!"

Harry found himself outside on the corridor floor, flat on his back. His chest was throbbing where Tom had more or less punched him out of the holodeck. He looked up to see a pair of long, silver legs, and the usual expression of polite contempt that Seven of Nine usually wore.

"Ensign Kim. Is there a problem?"

Harry got to his feet, and walked off with as much dignity as he could muster.


The door to Janeway's ready room chimed, and she sighed. Looking at the clock, she was startled to realise that she had been in here for three hours without interruption.

"Enter."

Ensign Kim walked in and stood stiffly in front of her desk. He looked as though he had been crying, she thought.

"Harry? Is there a problem?"

"Captain, I think I might be going insane. I need you to convince me that I'm not."

---

Janeway, seeing Harry's distress, came out from behind her desk. "Harry, what's wrong? Come and sit down." She led him over to her couch, where she often sat and looked out at the stars. "Now," she said, once he had calmed himself, "what is it?"

He fidgeted, unable to help himself. "Captain, I. . . it's Tom. He, well, he sort of made a pass at me."

She looked blankly at him. "And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?"

"Harry, you and Tom have been. . . together for three months now. Are you just starting to get cold feet?"

Harry was stunned. "OK, captain, this is where I'm really lost. Tom and I are an item?"

She smiled. "Usually, though I probably shouldn't say it, you're at it like rabbits, or so the gossip goes."

Harry jerked to his feet. "No, this can't be happening! Not again!"

"Again? Harry, what is it?"

"Captain, you remember when I came back from the alternate dimension with the other Voyager after the fight with the Vidians?"

She nodded.

"Well, I went through a period of. . . adjustment. Nothing was quite right, but I learned to live with it. But lately, everything seems to be shifting slightly. Nothing is right at all."

"What do you mean, Harry?"

He took a deep breath. "Until two days ago, Tom and I were best buddies. We had a laugh, played sports together, that sort of thing. Then I had a row with him in the corridor before the briefing on the Delta Flyer test flight, and it all started going wrong. We crashed on the planet, and instead of checking for damage, he went for a swim. I called him back out of the water when we couldn't contact Voyager, he got out stark naked, and, well. . ."

"Made a pass at you."

"Yes."

"You don't think you've been imagining things?"

"No, captain, it's not just that. People don't seem to be where they're supposed to be, my internal clock seems to be off, and I keep seeing things differently than other people. When we were down on the planet, Neelix contacted us to say that he had taken command of Voyager because you, Chakotay and Tuvok were off on a supply mission. And when we looked out of the window of the flyer, it looked like a Demon class planet. But on the surface, it was paradise. I just can't seem to make any sense of any of this. And I'm frightened, captain, really frightened." He was blinking away tears now. "And then there's Tom. I just don't know what to do about Tom."

She held him then, as the tears flowed freely, his whole body shaking. God, what would she give for a counsellor now!

"Harry, I don't know what to suggest. Maybe it's some kind of delayed shock from the shuttle crash. The Doctor tells me he can't find anything wrong with you physically. As far as Tom goes, maybe the best thing is for you to keep away from him for a while, and get your feelings straight."

Something occurred to him. "Captain, you did hear me right when I said that Tom and I were down on the surface?"

She nodded. "Why, is there something wrong there as well?"

"Tom says that I requested a change of pilot, because I didn't want to be cooped up in a shuttle with him for two days. But I don't remember doing that. Hell, Tom's the best pilot on board. Why would I want anyone else?. . . "

He trailed off as he saw the captain's raised eyebrows. "Harry," she began. "It seems to me, whether you remember the past few months differently to me or not, that you have some issues with Tom. I think that you should sit down with him and sort this out."

Harry stared at her. "That's just what you said the day all this started."

She smiled with mock sternness. "And you haven't done it yet?"

He smiled back, relieved that something was right for both of them. She raised her voice to the comlink. "Janeway to Paris."

Silence. She repeated the call, to no response. "That's odd. Computer, locate Ensign Paris."

"Ensign Paris is in holodeck 2."

"Mr Paris, this is the captain. Respond, please."

There was still no reply. Motioning Harry to join her, Janeway swept from the room, beckoning to Tuvok to follow. The taciturn Vulcan took up his usual place behind her left shoulder.

They exited the turbolift and came to a stop outside the holodeck. Harry by this time was somewhat concerned. He stepped up to the doors and nearly bumped into them as they refused to open. Tuvok entered his security code and the doors slid back. Harry recognised the programme as the one that had been running earlier when he and Tom had met down here. There was an addition, however.

Ensign Tom Paris was chained to the rails at the rear of the cell. His naked body was spread-eagled across the bars, and bleeding from what looked like multiple whiplashes across his chest.

Janeway caught her breath. "My God," she whispered.

Tuvok took command. "Medical Emergency. Doctor to holodeck 2." Harry rushed over to his friend and lifted his chin. Tom's eyes were unfocused and unseeing. He groaned with the effort of keeping his head aloft.

"Computer, end programme."

The cell shimmered out of existence, and Tom fell forward. Harry caught him before he collapsed to the floor. Cradling him in his arms, he looked up desperately as the Doctor materialised in front of Tom. Taking in the situation at a glance, the Doctor instructed the computer to beam the entire party back to sickbay.

Laying Tom gently onto the biobed, Harry was forced to stand back as the Doctor examined Tom. He held the medical tricorder over Tom's lacerated chest for some time, frowning at the results. He stood helplessly next to the captain, who had a worried look on her face. She turned to look at him and saw her concern echoed in his dark eyes. She came to a decision.

"Harry, come with me." She took him into the Doctor's small office and sat him down while she perched on the edge of the desk.

"How much do you know about what Tom went through before he joined Voyager at DS9?"

Harry shrugged, unsure of what the captain meant. "I know he doesn't get on with his father. I know that he was drummed out of Starfleet and spent time in prison after leaving the Maquis. I also know that he enjoys twentieth century trivia - Captain, what are you getting at?"

"Before I released Tom from the penal colony, I read through his records. He went through some kind of hell in the prison. From what I can make out, he was. . . gang raped. Not just once, but several times. When he was moved to the low security area and I brought him to Voyager, his one request was that no one should ever know what had happened. He thought that anyone who knew what had happened to him would shun him as - damaged goods, I think his expression was."

Harry sat there, stunned by the enormity of what the captain was telling him. Unbidden, he felt tears for his best friend pricking his eyes. How could anyone go through that and survive with any semblance of dignity?

He gathered himself together and forced the images away from his mind. "That doesn't explain the lashes, Captain."

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but the holographic Doctor tapped discreetly on the window next to the entrance. She beckoned him in.

"Mr Paris has suffered various lacerations to the chest, which I have repaired. He also has some severe chafing and skin loss from where he was manacled at the wrists and waist." He paused, as if uncomfortable with what to say next. Janeway steeled herself. "Please go on, Doctor."

"I took the liberty of examining the programme that Mr Paris was running. The injuries he has suffered appear to be self- inflicted. I can only assume that he was an willing participant in the torture."

Janeway stared. "Do you mean he did this to himself? With the safety protocols off?"

The Doctor nodded. "It appears so."

Harry stood. "Doctor, can I see Tom? Is he conscious?"

"Certainly, Mr Kim. In fact, he's been asking for you."

"Harry," the captain touched his arm. "Be gentle with him. Don't force anything just now. We can find out what happened later."

Harry nodded, still struggling with his feelings. He moved to the side of Tom's bed and looked down.

Tom lay under the closed arms of the scanner. He looked up at Harry and winced. "Guess I messed up big time, eh Harry?"

Harry smiled back into Tom's blue eyes. "Ensign Paris, when you get out of here, we have to talk. As you say, big time."

"Harry, look, from what the Doctor's told me, it wasn't pleasant, the way you found me. If you want to have a go at me, then I think you'd better do it now, while I'm still drugged enough to forget it. Because there's nothing I want less right now than trouble between you and me."

Harry pulled up a stool and perched next to the bed. "Go on."

Tom paused a minute, as if weighing his words, then continued. "I told you in my quarters last night that I loved you. That was true. I also told you that I have always loved you, and that was also true. Ever since we first met on DS9, I've known that you were the one for me, Harry. But there's something more. Going right back to prison, and even before that, with all the trouble at Starfleet, I always knew that somehow I would be OK, because there was someone waiting for me, and I needed to be around to see them. Every time I dreamed, it was of this person. Someone who would come into my life, and show me the kind of person that I wanted to be. Someone I could look up to, who would show me how to live my life. That person is you, Harry. I'm sorry if I've messed this up for you, but I can't hold it in any longer."

With that, he closed his eyes, hoping that Harry might take the hint and leave. Instead, he felt a firm grip on his hand and opened his eyes. Harry looked hard at him. "I'm not going anywhere, Tom. But you've got me all wrong. I'm not some kind of holy icon that has been sent to show you the right way. I'm just a man." He smiled wryly. "At this moment, a very confused man." Hesitantly, Tom returned the smile, and to Harry, it was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

"When you get out, I'll be waiting. Don't even think of trying to hide from me, Tom. Remember, I control ship's sensors."

Tom's smile turned into an open grin. "Yes, sir."

Janeway came in from the Doctor's office. "Mr Kim, the Doctor wants Tom to rest for a while. If you want, we can continue our conversation?"

Harry shook his head. "I'd like to hear what Tom has to say first, please Captain. Can I find you later?"

She smiled and nodded, then left quietly.

Harry gave Tom's hand one last squeeze, then got up to go. "Don't forget, Tom, I'll be waiting."

---

"Computer, dim lights."

Tom walked into his quarters, over to the couch, and sat down carefully, relaxing for the first time in three days. Not, he thought, that this state of affairs would continue. The captain would want to talk with him, the Doctor wanted to monitor his progress, and then-

And then, of course, there was Harry. Apart from his duty shifts, the Ops officer had hardly left sickbay the whole time Tom had been there. Once he found out that Tom was back in his own quarters, the long delayed conversation would have to take place. Tom was not looking forward to that. As if reading his thoughts, the door chime beeped discreetly. "Come in!" he called.

Harry entered with a grin on his face. "Well, look who's up and about!"

Tom smiled back ruefully. "Well, not exactly up and about. I'm on 24 hour alert from sickbay, and off duty for the next few days."

Harry walked over to the replicator. "Well, Ensign Paris, lunch is on me. What will you have?"

"Just coffee, thanks. The thought of food just now is too horrible to think about."

Harry brought over two mugs of steaming coffee, and sat down opposite Tom, on the floor, with his legs crossed under the coffee table.

Tom gathered himself. "I suppose you want to talk now, Harry?"

His friend shrugged. "If you're ready. I'm just glad to see you alive, to be honest with you."

Tom eased himself into a more comfortable position. "It was just a shock, Harry, seeing you in my holoprogramme. There are very few things that are private on a ship this size, and I thought that holofantasies were one of them."

"Hang on, " Harry protested. "We agreed to go down to the holodeck to explore these. . . whatevers that have been happening to me. I said that I would change and meet you down there, and the next thing I know, I'm lying flat on my back with Seven standing over me."

Tom frowned. "It looks like it's happening again. We seem to have different memories of the last few days." He averted his gaze to the window, and spoke hesitantly. "Do you remember anything I said to you?"

Harry blushed slightly. "Yes, Tom, I remember quite a lot. My side of the story is that you needed me to show you how to live your life. You seem to hold me in some kind of high regard, as the perfect man. But I'm not. I'm just very confused."

"About what, Harry?"

The younger man's next words were nearly a whisper. "About you. About me. About us."

Tom ached to say something, but he knew it would break the spell.

Harry continued, his face just a shadow in the gloom. "When the captain first told me that we were a couple, I was shocked and scared. I never thought I could fall for another man. Especially my best friend. But when I calmed down, it seemed, to quote Tuvok, quite logical. Who else on board knows me better than you? And then I thought of the day down on the planet when you offered me- well, you. I came to a decision that I wouldn't mind finding out what it was like. Being with a man. I've had very little experience with women, either. I've always been afraid to let go. I don't understand what's been happening to me over the last few days, but fundamentally I haven't changed. This perfect ensign that you say I am? I don't know him. All I see is a lonely, frightened man, who may have messed up his one chance of happiness with his best friend."

Tom was, for once, speechless. Harry stood up and moved off into the darkness. There was the rustling of clothes. He came back into the light and kneeled before Tom. "I'm sorry, Tom. I couldn't see it before. Do you still want me?"

Tom took in the sight of his best friend. Naked, asking for his forgiveness. He looked down Harry's smooth, hairless chest. Down to his groin, where his penis, not as big as Tom's but much wider, strained at full erection. Taking it in hand, he leaned forward and kissed Harry softly on the mouth.

Harry grunted in surprise at the suddenness of the attack, than relaxed and opened his mouth to admit Tom's probing tongue. Tom's hand stroked Harry gently, caressing the length of his straining cock. Harry's hand came up and rubbed Tom's crotch hard, running his fingers over the mound in the black trousers.

Breaking the kiss, Tom leaned back and began to unfasten his belt. Harry stopped him, and pushed his hands away. Tom settled back as Harry undid the belt, then lifted his hips as his trousers were tugged down. His own erection tented the front of his shorts. Harry reached inside and grasped his cock hard, wanking him slowly.

Tom groaned involuntarily. It had been so long since anyone had touched him there, and now, it was Harry. He fumbled with the waistband of his shorts, suddenly longing to be free of the restricting cloth.

Harry pulled the shorts down, letting Tom's erection spring free. He then climbed into Tom's lap, and kissed him tenderly, pulling Tom's top up and over his head. Naked together at last, they hugged tight, cocks rubbing against each other, kissing hard. Harry got up and extended a hand.

"Come on," he whispered. "Time for bed."

Tom stood up and followed Harry into the bedroom. He stood for a moment, watching his friend pull back the covers, transfixed by the play of the dim light over Harry's flawless body. The younger man lay back on the bed, his legs splayed apart, offering Tom everything. The pilot needed no second invitation. He knelt in between Harry's thighs, gazing at the proud erection, a small drop of precome glistening at the tip. Kneeling lower, he took his best friend in his mouth.

Harry jerked his hips at the touch. Looking down, he could hardly believe it. Tom, sucking his cock. Tom looked up and their eyes met. The love that he saw in those blue eyes sent Harry over the edge. He bucked his hips convulsively and came, a torrent of semen spurting into the pilot's mouth and down his chin. Tom swallowed frantically, then licked Harry's penis clean and crawled up the bed to lie next to him. Lazily, he snuggled down into Harry's armpit. When Harry's world had stopped spinning and he had recovered his breath, he looked down at his lover.

"I take it I'm forgiven?"

Tom smiled drowsily. "Don't think that you're getting away with it that easily, Harry. You'll have to do a lot more than that to make it up."

"Oh well," said Harry, "in that case.."

He reached a hand down and took Tom in hand again. Gently, he coaxed Tom's penis back to full erection. Rubbing a finger around the glans, he smeared precome all over the tip and used it as a lubricant on the shaft. Tom felt himself nearing the edge, and fixed his mouth on Harry's full lips. He reached a finger round to Harry's ass and gently stroked his crack. Harry's eyes widened as he felt Tom's finger working it's way into him. He wanked Tom faster, as the pilot rubbed him harder, creating a delicious friction. He again felt himself stiffen against Tom's thigh, and began to rub himself against the soft hair in time with Tom's probing finger. That was enough, and Tom came with a cry, shooting all over Harry's chest and hand. This in turn set Harry off, and his second ejaculation, though not as impressive as Tom's, still hit the pilot full in the chest. They both collapsed, chests heaving.

Finally, Tom got up and fetched a towel from the bathroom. He came back and gently wiped Harry clean. When all trace of their passion had been removed, Harry got up and began groping for his clothes. Tom watched as Harry found his shorts and began to dress. "Don't go, Harry," he asked.

The young man turned around and looked at his lover. "We need time, Tom. Time to decide if this is really what we both want." He finished getting dressed. "I'll see you in the morning." With that, he was gone.

Tom sat on the edge of the bed, bewildered and hurt. What we both want? What more could anybody want? He felt used. Rolling onto his side, he tried to sleep. He clutched the pillow, breathing in the scent of Harry. A sob escaped him, then another.

---

Harry sat in his quarters, unsure of what to do next. He loved Tom, he was sure of that. And, he reflected, it was some of the best sex he'd ever had. But where do we go from here? He wasn't at all sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life as a homosexual. Although by and large, no one took any notice of old taboos, not everyone back home would be so willing to accept the change in him. Libby, for example. If they ever did reach the Alpha quadrant, he would have to do some serious soul searching. But for now, was it enough? He lay back, closed his eyes and thought of Tom. Yes. It was enough.

"This is the Doctor to Ensign Kim. Please report to sickbay."

When Harry entered sickbay, the Doctor came over to meet him. "Ensign, I believe we are somewhat further along in discovering the reason for your memory discrepancies. I ran a deep cellular scan of your DNA yesterday, and the results are surprising."

Harry studied the display that the Doctor was showing him. "This set of scans shows the DNA from your last transport two weeks ago. As you can see, it's perfectly normal. The second show the results from yesterday."

"Doc, what are these interruptions here and here?" Harry indicated two gaps in the DNA strand.

"This is what I wanted to show you," the Doctor said. "There shouldn't be any gaps in your DNA at all. If there were, it would mean for a brief moment that you weren't here."

Harry studied the Doctor. "Weren't here. You mean, not on board Voyager?"

"Not just Voyager,", he replied. "Not here at all, in any sense of the word. There's only one other occasion that this has happened."

Harry suddenly felt a wave of anxiety flood over him. "Let me guess. The time I was transported back to Earth. My alternate life in San Francisco."

The Doctor stared at him, all the wind taken out of his holographic sails. "How could you know that?"

Harry made for the door. "Because suddenly, a lot of things make sense, Doc."

"Computer, locate Ensign Paris."

"Ensign Paris is in Shuttlebay 2."

Harry gave the necessary order to the turbolift and it moved off. He considered what he was doing. Did he really want this? Was the rest of his time on Voyager going to be filled with these doubts and uncertainties? The turbolift slowed to a halt outside the shuttlebay. Harry entered and immediately saw Tom's long legs lying under the Delta Flyer. A variety of scanning devices was scattered around him. He knelt and stroked Tom's thigh gently. Tom jerked in surprise, and a muffled thud told Harry that the pilot had just banged his head.

Tom pulled himself out from beneath the Flyer, and they stood, regarding each other in the dim light of the bay.

"Hello, Harry," said Tom, noncommittally. "Long time, no see."

"Tom, I've got some news for you. I've just been to sickbay. The Doc told me that. . . what are you doing, anyway?"

Tom shrugged. "I'm trying to scan the hull for any anomalies that may explain your. . . predicament." Tom's reticence was lost on Harry.

"But that's what I came to tell you, Tom! The Doc has found out that I've been travelling through alternate realities. The shuttle crash on that planet somehow sparked off another temporal inversion. Every so often, I. . . switch realities and become another Harry. That accounts for my discrepancies in memory. It also explains why I was so unsure about you."

He took a step closer to Tom and put his palm on the pilot's chest, feeling the strength there. "About us." He moved in to kiss the older man. Suddenly, Tom took a step back and knocked Harry's hand away.

"No, Harry!"

Harry was stunned. "What's wrong, Tom?"

Tom turned away. "Do you think I can just turn my feelings on and off like a switch? I've spent the last few days thinking as well, Harry, and I've decided that I don't want to hang around like a lovesick schoolboy, waiting to be noticed by you. I think it's time I moved on in my life. I've spent too long on you. Too long hoping that we would get together. And after one night, you dump me while you think. Well, sorry, Harry, but you left it too long." He walked past Harry and out into the corridor, blinking back the tears.

---

Captain Janeway sat on the bridge, trying to weigh up the atmosphere. Beside her, Chakotay had his head buried in the latest sensor sweep. Tuvok was immobile and silent at his security station. Seven was likewise resolute at tactical. Across the bridge, Ensign Wildman was studying the science logs from the last mission. Suddenly she realised why the bridge felt so strange. Tom hadn't spoken. In fact, she recalled, Tom hadn't spoken in some time. Even the latest encounter with yet another posturing representative of some piddling little planetary empire hadn't raised one of his usual quips. And without turning her head to Ops, she was fairly sure that she could guess the reason why. Even without looking, she knew with absolute certainty that Mr Kim would be gazing at her pilot, his eyes attempting to bore holes in the back of Tom's head.

Of course, it was all over the ship that the two of them had broken up, but she didn't understand why they were both taking it so hard. Tom's reputation made the concept of any kind of long-term relationship laughable, and the last time she had spoken to Harry, he had made it perfectly clear that the thought of a relationship with another man was just not acceptable to him.

She reflected that there were both good and bad sides to Harry's continual - what did Tom call them? Oh yes, 'quantum leaps' - on the plus side, no matter which Harry was present at any time, she always got her usual superb Ops officer. On the negative side, it seemed to be destroying her pilot. Although the Doctor wanted to monitor the situation, she thought, noting Harry's flashing cortical monitor, she wasn't at all sure how long this could go on for. Tom was losing weight. Slim to begin with, his uniform now seemed to hang off him. The dark circles under his eyes showed his lack of sleep, and when anyone did enquire after his health, his brusque attitude was obviously some kind of front.

"Mr Chakotay, you have the bridge. I'll be in sickbay."

As she headed for the turbolift, Harry didn't even look over from his intense study of Tom's back.

As she entered, the Doctor came out of his office, and greeted her. "Captain, I was just about to call you."

"I'm only in the mood for good news today, Doctor."

"Then I'm afraid I must disappoint you, captain. Although I have isolated the reason for Mr Kim's reality shifts, I am no further forward in finding a way of stopping them. Mr Kim may well continue to move randomly through alternate dimensions for the foreseeable future."

She rubbed a hand over her eyes in frustration. "Oh, well, it could be worse. He could be moving through time as well. That would be fun. We'd have to be permanently on guard against corrupting the timeline." She looked up at the Doctor. He obviously had more to say. "Go on, Doctor. Make it worse."

He paused, then spoke hesitantly. "I've done some research into this condition. A similar problem was encountered by the crew of the Enterprise D under Captain Picard. His tactical officer, Lieutenant Worf, flew through some kind of spatial disturbance, and as a result, began experiencing alternate realities."

Janeway vaguely recalled the case. "That was resolved, though, wasn't it, Doctor?

As far as I know, Worf went on to DS9 as some kind of liaison officer for the Klingon Empire." The Doctor nodded. "That's correct. The Enterprise crew saved their Worf by recreating the exact circumstances of the accident. Mr Kim's situation however is different. We don't know what caused this accident in the first place. Until we do, Mr Kim is going to continue shifting."

She sighed. "Very well, Doctor, please keep me appraised of the situation. I have other crewmembers to consider, however. Be advised that you may have to treat another senior officer in the near future."

The Doctor nodded gravely. "I'll be ready for Mr Paris, Captain."

She swung around. "How did you know?"

The Doctor permitted himself a small smile. "Please Captain, I may only be a trick of light, but as a medical hologram I am programmed to be sensitive to people's feelings. It's fairly obvious that Mr Paris is having some. . . problems, with the current status quo."

She nodded and left.

---

Sandrine's was fairly quiet that evening, with only a few of the off duty crew sitting quietly at tables in the various corners. The programme had quickly become a firm favourite with the lonely band of explorers from the Alpha Quadrant, as many of the original Voyager crew had studied in France as part of their Academy training. It also had a second and just as valuable purpose. It was quite dark and secluded.

Harry sat in a corner and watched the pianist play some maudlin French ballad about a lonely lover who is far from home. This is all I need, he groaned to himself. What am I? A man who is far from home, and apart from his true love. If this gets any more cloying, I'll make myself cry, he thought. He was awakened from his reverie by a thump as a mug of coffee was slammed down in front of him. B'Elanna Torres seated herself opposite and looked belligerently across at him.

"Okay, Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry braced himself. "Wrong?" he asked innocently, finishing his drink. "Don't you know that half the crew is talking about you, Harry? The captain is very worried about you. The Doctor hasn't deactivated himself in a week, and even the Delaney sisters have stopped chasing men while we wait."

Harry was puzzled. "Wait for what?"

She leaned forward, red in the face, and hissed sharply. "For you to stop shifting! Don't you know what you're doing to people? To Tom? Take a good look at him, Harry! This is tearing him apart!"

"Take a good look? I haven't stopped looking since this whole thing started! B'Elanna, I love him. I've tried to tell him, but he won't even stay in the same room as me!"

If anything, she went a deeper shade of puce. "Can you blame him? You had a fantastic night of passion with him. He was all ready to declare his commitment to you for the rest of his life, and you walked out on him!"

Now it was Harry's turn to blush. "He told you that? Did he also tell you that I tried to apologise to him and he knocked me back? I tell you, B'Elanna, you're not the only one who's fed up of all this." He stood up, ready to go, heedless of the rest of the occupants watching. "I'm sick of this. I'm sick of you, I'm sick of Tom, and I'm sick of Voyager! The worst thing I ever did was to sign on for this nightmare trip. Now get out of my face, B'Elanna, and stay out!"

He stormed out of the holodeck, as the half-Klingon nearly exploded in anger. She overturned the table and raced out after him. "KIM!" she screamed in rage, nearly flying down the corridor after the ensign. She turned a corner and stopped short. The passageway was empty. Breathing hard, she thumped her combadge.

"Torres to Kim," she snarled.

"Kim here," came the calm reply.

"Where are you, you bastard!" she yelled.

"B'Elanna?" Harry said.

"You coward, Kim! Is that how you deal with problems? Running away from them? No wonder Tom doesn't want anything to do with you. After everything that this crew has been through for you. . . "

She cut off as Harry materialised in front of her, soaking wet, and his uniform clinging damply to his body. He glared at her. "Okay, Be'lanna, you've got my attention. You woke Tom up with your cursing. You got me out of the shower. What the hell do you want?"

She stared at him. "How did you get in the shower so fast? You just left here!"

"What do you mean, I just left? I've just got out of bed! Tom is really pissed off with you. . . " He trailed off. "Be'lanna, what am I doing dripping wet in the corridor?"

She suddenly understood. "You haven't just been in the holodeck, have you?" The stricken look in his eyes tore at her soul.

"Oh, god. It's happened again, hasn't it?"

She nodded, suddenly chagrined to realise the abuse she had put the young ensign through. "Let's get you to sickbay, Harry. Maybe the Doctor will find something while it's still fresh in your mind. Let's just hope we get you back to your own dimension before the captain finds out."

Ignoring his protests, she dragged the dripping wet Harry Kim off down the corridor.

The Doctor ran another set of scans over Harry. "No change, I'm afraid, Mr Kim. As before, there seems to be no difference in your readings apart from the DNA discrepancies."

Harry accepted the news stoically.

"Oh well, guess I'm stuck in this reality for now. Doc, remind me, am I with Tom Paris in this reality?"

The Doctor stared at him. "With, Mr Kim? In what way, with?"

Harry blushed. "Doc, in some of the realities I've been through, Tom Paris and I are. . . lovers. I need to know if this is the case here."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "I see. Well, that is something you'll have to take up with the captain."

Harry nodded. "OK, Doc. Do you know where she is right now?"

"I would imagine that he is in his ready room, Mr Kim."

Harry stopped short. "He?"

The Doctor nodded. "Captain Paris is usually to be found in his ready room at this time."

"This is some kind of joke, right? What happened to Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, Tuvok?" The hologram sighed. "Captain Janeway died during the battle following the ship being brought here by the Caretaker. Mr Tuvok never returned from his mission to find the Maquis. I don't know any Commander Chakotay. The only reference I have regarding that name was the leader of a band of rebels that Captain Paris executed soon after taking command of Voyager."

"Executed?"

"Yes. The captain was apparently the next in line to take command. When he did so, this Chakotay character and his band tried to mutiny and commandeer the ship. Captain Paris and the two other senior officers sealed the bridge and took hostages of the Maquis serving there. When Chakotay surrendered, the captain executed him and the leaders of the mutiny. The rest were allowed to stay aboard as crewmen."

Harry shook his head, unable to take this in. Starfleet crew taking hostages? Prisoners being executed? What kind of alternate universe was this?

"I need to speak with Captain Paris as soon as possible, Doctor."

He nodded. "EMH to the captain. Mr Kim is recovered, and wishes to speak with you, sir."

Tom's voice came back loud and clear. "Thank you, Doctor. Mr Kim, please report to my briefing room immediately."

Entering the bridge gave Harry pause. He didn't recognise anyone in uniform, let alone any of the species operating the familiar consoles. A yellow skinned humanoid with flared nostrils and long, tendril-like hair rose from the commander's position to greet him. It was wearing what could only be described as a loose version of the Starfleet uniform. Although the standard black jumpsuit was still there, the coloured yoke had been replaced with some kind of tough looking leatherlike substance. Harry didn't miss the wicked looking weapon that it had holstered at its hip. Turning round, he noticed all the bridge crew was similarly armed.

"You are the one known as Kim?" the humanoid enquired through some kind of voicebox on its chest. He nodded, unsure of how to address this creature. It nodded in return. "Captain Paris is expecting you in his office. Please proceed." With a look of dismissal it returned to its seat.

Harry hesitated before pressing the door chime. He still wasn't convinced of what he'd find. But he knew that whatever happened, he had a duty as a Starfleet officer to serve this captain as best he could. He rang and in response to a muffled "Enter!"walked in.

Captain Thomas Eugene Paris rose from behind his desk to greet Harry. The arm that was extended to shake Harry's hand gleamed metallic in the harsh overhead lights. The one remaining human eye swivelled to focus on the ensign. As he came around the desk, the artificial leg dragged behind. But the expression on the face was all Tom.

"My God," he said softly. "Ensign Harry Kim, as I live and breathe."

Harry stood stunned, unable to accept this transformation. "Jesus, Tom, what happened to you?"

The artificial eye glinted. "I think," Tom said, "if you don't mind, Ensign, we'll keep it formal."

Instinctively, Harry stiffened. "Aye, Captain."

The lifeform- Harry was unable to think of it as Tom- returned to its place behind the desk. "In response to your query, the Borg paid us a visit two years ago. The Doctor was off line, and this was the best the field medics could come up with. Although I can see that in your dimension you've had it easy, Mr Kim."

Harry was irrationally annoyed. Had it easy? "For the record, sir, 'my' Voyager has been boarded by the Kazon, destroyed by the Krennim, almost assimilated by the Borg. . . "

The captain held up a hand for silence. Harry noticed a small ring on one of the fingers. "Easy, Ensign. I wasn't decrying your efforts. It's just that this ship has been through enough shocks and surprises without an crewman turning up that we all thought was dead and buried ten years ago. Things move on. Times change. I'm not sure we have room for you any more, Mr Kim."

"Ten years?"

"Ten years since the Caretaker dragged us into the Delta Quadrant. In our dimension, you were killed, along with Janeway, in the initial exchange of fire with the Kazon. Since then, I've held this ship together. Me. I've recruited new crewmen, improved the defences, made some modifications to the warp and increased our chances of getting home by quite some margin."

Harry was intrigued, in spite of himself. "Can I see what you've done?"

In answer, a padd was pushed across the desk to him. As Harry read on, he was horrified to see the extent of the 'improvements' made. Other beings brought on board as little more than slaves, technology ripped from other races using Borg assimilation techniques, a brig that now extended across half a deck. . .

"This is your idea of improvements?"

The one good eye fixed him with a baleful stare. "As I said, Mr Kim, we may not have room for your outdated attitude to the Delta Quadrant. We will get this ship home. I will get this ship home."

Harry let the disgust he was feeling show in his voice. "I'm glad that Captain Janeway is dead. I'm glad she never found out what her trusted pilot is capable of."

The former friends faced each other across the desk. "Don't push it, Ensign. I don't need some shiny Starfleet kid telling me how great life used to be."

"Then don't come the dictator with me, Tom. You'll never get this crew home. Ten years? Captain Janeway's gotten this far in five. Without terrorising the entire quadrant en route."

"We may have been - friends - once, Mr Kim, but don't presume that friendship will get you out of this. I may not have a head of security, but I still have loyal followers. Your misguided sense of loyalty won't get you far on Homeward."

Harry laughed in contempt. "You've even changed the name? God, Tom, you're pathetic. Living in the shadow of Janeway, bullying your way across the quadrant, killing and enslaving en masse to get back to Earth. I'd rather stay here in the Delta Quadrant than stay on board this, this. . . pirate ship!"

The life form spoke, devoid of any emotion. "Fine."

Too late, Harry saw another of those weapons, pointing directly at him. Oh well, he thought, as the blast hit him. This is one way to escape. . .

---

"The time is now 0700 hours. Alarm call as requested."

The room was dark, except for the dim light coming from the bathroom. Harry couldn't figure out where he was, until he felt a stirring from the other side of the bed.

"God, Harry, why do you have an alarm call at this time of the day? You're not even on duty for another two hours!"

He looked over to see the bare body of Tom, curled up next to him. He suddenly realised that he was naked. The second realisation, coming hard on the heels of the first, was that he wasn't particularly bothered. Boy, he thought, he sure was changing.

Tom eventually stirred himself and rolled over onto his back. Harry leaned over and kissed him tenderly. Tom responded enthusiastically. When they eventually came up for air, Harry lay back with Tom at his side. He put his arms behind his head, and Tom nuzzled down into his armpit. "Morning, lover," he murmured.

Harry's spirits soared, although he answered mildly. "Morning yourself, Tom." He wasn't going to blow this chance with any more doubts. After a few minutes, Tom's heavy breathing convinced Harry that the pilot had gone back to sleep. He raised himself gently and looked down at his best friend.

Tom looked exactly the same as he had that day on the planet where Harry had first seen him naked. Long legs, tapering to a slim waist, with golden chest hair covering a well-defined set of pecs. As he shifted position, his cock came into view, long and semi-erect. The end rubbed gently against Harry's almost hairless thigh, sending tiny electric shocks through his nervous system.

God, dare I, he thought?

The decision was taken out of his hands, however, as Tom shifted once more to lie flat on his back, his penis now rearing to full erection. Harry moved gently down the bed and took a long look at it. Nearly nine inches long, the head was deep purple in colour. Tom's balls rested loosely in their sac, covered in a fine downy coating of golden hair. He cupped them in his hand, watching them respond as if by magic to the warmth of his skin. Returning his attention to Tom's cock, Harry breathed on it gently. Tom twitched in response. Harry wasn't sure if the pilot was awake or not, but he knew that if he didn't take this chance now, he might never pluck up enough courage to do it again.

Kneeling between his open thighs, Harry bent down and took as much of Tom as he could manage into his mouth. Although he felt a need to gag, he sucked very gently, every now and again pausing to lick around the glans, tasting the precome. Tom moaned in response, and Harry felt a hand loosely grip the back of his head.

He grinned around the length of the shaft and continued, a little more firmly. He felt Tom's fingers running through his hair, moving his head up and down the length of his cock. He paused for a moment, and felt Tom stiffen even further in anticipation.

Slowly licking around the tip, he felt the balls surge up against his throat. He braced himself, as Tom spurted into his mouth. Frantically swallowing, he waited until Tom's trembling had subsided, then released the now limp cock and stroked it playfully, before returning to lie next to his friend.

"Wow," said Tom, eventually.

"Yeah, " said Harry.

He raised himself on one elbow, and stroked Tom's chest lovingly. "So what did you think of my very first blowjob?" he asked teasingly.

Tom opened one eye and caressed Harry's nipple in return. "Not bad," he drawled, "but it didn't last long enough."

Harry grinned. "That's not my fault," he replied.

"Oh, but it is," said Tom. "You're just too goddamn horny for your own good, Harry. I only have to look at you and I get hard."

Harry leaned over and kissed his lover again tenderly. "Well, I hate to break up this mood, but you and I need a shower. It's no good reporting for duty with our uniforms stuck to us, now is it?"

Tom groaned. "Always the practical one, Mr Kim." He sat up, stretched, and jumped out of bed.

Harry lay back and watched his lover's firm ass disappear in the direction of the bathroom. "I take it that means you go first?" he called after him.

Tom's head reappeared around the doorway. "Not necessarily," he smiled. "It's a big shower!"

---

Tom's shift finished two hours after Harry, as his replacement called in sick and the second alternative was half way through his annual physical with the Doctor. By the time he eventually left the bridge, it was way past the time he had arranged to meet Harry in their quarters. He asked the computer for Harry's location and altered course to Sandrine's.

Harry leant over the pool table and calculated the angle of his next shot. Across the table, the captain watched him with narrowed eyes.

"Mr Kim," she eventually admonished. "We are due to reach the Alpha Quadrant one day. I would like to be in my seat with my hair colour still the same as it is today."

He grinned and took the shot. The ball bounced off a cushion and failed to find a pocket. He groaned in mock resignation. "That's what happens when I'm rushed, Captain." She returned his smile.

"Stand aside, Ensign. Let the grownups at the table."

Harry moved off to the bar as Tom entered. "Hi, Tom. Want a drink?"

Tom moved up next to him. "Sure, Harry. House red, please." Harry gave the order to Sandrine, and she promised to bring them over to the table. Harry returned his attention to the pool table, where the captain was lining up the black.

"Okay, Captain, I surrender! Your game."

She straightened up and proffered a cue to Tom. "Fancy your chances, Mr Paris?"

He shook his head. "I still haven't gotten over the last drumming you gave me, Captain. Sorry, but Harry and I need to talk. But perhaps Commander Chakotay?"

She looked up as her first officer walked in. He caught her smile and blushed as he moved to join her at the pool table.

Harry leaned over to the captain. "Can I ask you something in confidence, Captain?" She turned to him with a quizzical look in her eyes, and nodded. "How long have Tom and I been lovers?"

He had never seen her speechless before. Part of his subconscious filed that look away to chuckle over later. Eventually she collected herself. "Excuse me, Mr Kim? Lovers?"

He smiled in understanding. "I see. Not long, then. Thank you, Captain." He walked over to Tom's table, already suspecting Chakotay's whispered question to her.

"Harry," greeted Tom. "How was your day?" Under the table, his foot caressed Harry's.

"Oh, you know, the usual," answered Harry, with a deadpan expression. "Rockets going off, bluebirds on my shoulder singing zippidee doo dah, that sort of thing. You?"

"Oh, about the same." The foot moved higher.

Thank God I haven't jumped again, Harry thought, just as Tom's foot rubbed his crotch. His erection was back, pounding against his trousers. He shifted position slightly to take some pressure off, just as Chakotay came over to the table, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Ensigns, may I have a discreet word with you?"

Harry flushed, and Tom's foot returned to the floor. Tom looked up to Chakotay. "Certainly, Commander, what can we do for you?"

Chakotay pulled up a chair, unsure of what to say. "Gentlemen, I'm not quite sure of where to begin. The captain has just informed me that you two are. . . " he hesitated, looking for the right word.

Tom grinned, relishing the commander's discomfort. "Lovers?" he offered. "Partners? Together?"

Chakotay relaxed, returning the pilot's grin. "I think I'll settle with 'together', if that's okay with you."

"Fine," replied Tom.

"As you know," Chakotay continued, "Voyager operates without the benefit of a counsellor. Let's just say that when word of your relationship spreads, you may face some. . . prejudices or hostility. Without wanting to pry, if you feel that you need to talk about the changes in your lifestyles, my door is always open. Okay?"

They thanked him and he got up, plainly anxious to leave their company.

Harry regarded him as he moved back to the pool table. "Now what was all that about?"

Tom shrugged. "He probably wants all the horny details of our continuing nights of passion together."

Harry switched his attention back to Tom. "Are there going to be?"

Tom met Harry's frank stare. "Are there going to be what?"

"Continuing nights of passion."

Tom smiled and returned his foot to its previous position. Harry gasped as he realised Tom had slipped his boot off, and was now massaging Harry's crotch with his bare foot. "Well, what do you think, Ensign?"

"I think," Harry whispered, short of breath, "that you'd better stop doing that or I'm gonna cream my shorts as we speak!"

Tom's smile widened. "That would just be a waste. Come on, Harry, let's go."

Harry's face was stricken. "I can't Tom, not yet. Suppose the captain sees me like this?"

Tom opened his mouth to reply when B'Elanna strode in. Seeing the two of them she made a beeline for the table.

"Hi, you guys." Tom smiled back in return. Harry didn't even get a word out before she fixed him with that challenging glare. "So where were you last night, Mr Kim?" Harry choked on his wine. He was trying to sputter some excuse when she continued. "You were supposed to meet me in Engineering for the extra warp core diagnostic. Remember?"

Tom grinned broadly. "Cut him some slack, B'Elanna. He had his hands full last night."

The engineer turned her full attention to Harry. "Well, Ensign? I'm waiting!"

Harry took a deep breath. "I was with Tom last night, B'Elanna." She sighed. "I know you were in Tom's quarters last night, Harry. I checked with the computer. Then I tried calling you three times. Eventually I gave up and turned in for the night."

Harry shook his head. "No, you're not listening, Bel. I was in Tom's quarters last night And I was with Tom. Now do you see?"

"What?" she snapped. "I don't understand. Yes, you were with Tom?. . . " She broke off in confusion. "Oh. Oh I see." She regarded the two of them, obviously very much in love. They did look right for each other, it had to be said. "Well," she said, with a huge grin on her face, "it's about time!"

Now it was their turn to look puzzled. "What do you mean, it's about time?" asked Tom.

"This means that Chakotay owes me two weeks worth of replicator rations!"

Harry and Tom exchanged glances. "Sorry, B'Elanna," said Tom. "I still don't get it."

Her expression was positively gleeful. "The whole ship has been running a betting pool on how long it would be before you two stopped messing around and finally decided that it would work out for you."

Comprehension dawned on Harry's face. "So that's why the captain looked so poleaxed when I told her!"

The half-Klingon nodded. "She also owes me! Big time!" The three of them broke into laughter.

---

Captain Kathryn Janeway leaned back against the padded rest of her ready room sofa and considered the situation. Over and over, she told herself, she'd made a conscious decision not to interfere in the private lives of her crew. Out here, still thousands of light years from home, the few humans on this ship were virtually all the family of mankind. Right from the start, they had begun to pair off. Ensign Wildman's being pregnant had made a bad situation worse. On Naomi's birth, she had remarked that she didn't know whether to commiserate or congratulate the mother and daughter. The Delta Quadrant was no place to bring up a child, and Voyager was no nursery. But despite the fact that Naomi's playpen was made of duritanium alloy and warp conduits, she had become a firm favourite amongst the crew, some of who saw her as the child they themselves might never have. Further happy couples had begun to sprout all over the ship. Even the Delaney sisters appeared to have settled down.

But the blossoming of relationships among the crew of Voyager had never repeated itself amongst the bridge staff. And now that it had, who would have thought that Harry and Tom would be the first couple? Tuvok was staunchly faithful to his wife, T'Pel. Coming from a long-lived race, the Vulcan regarded the seventy odd years needed to traverse the galaxy as a minor inconvenience. B'Elanna - well, Janeway just couldn't see her choosing to live with anyone. Which was a shame, really, because her temperamental chief engineer was capable of so much love. Seven of Nine still regarded the emotion of love as some kind of human failing, not necessary for existence. Neelix still seemed to be carrying a torch for the departed Kes. And then there was Chakotay.

Don't even go there, she admonished herself. But she had to admit that more and more lately, her thoughts had been turning to her first officer. Quiet and unassuming, she had at first thought her decision to promote him over Tuvok had been a terrible mistake. Over the years, however, she had come to rely on his simple homespun philosophy a great deal. There was no one she trusted more than the quiet Native American. And as the journey home wore on, she knew that her enforced celibacy was a constant source of gossip among the lower ranks.

She knew that Chakotay loved her, there was no doubt about that. Her only fear was that by allowing herself to weaken, she would set in motion a possible chain of events that might prove catastrophic. The working relationship that she had with her first officer had proved to be a good one that had stood the test of time. If they were to progress to the next level, and it went wrong, could she be sure that the relationship would survive? Chakotay was too good at hiding his feelings. There would never be any change in the day to day life they shared on Voyager. But could she really make the poor man miserable for however long it took to reach Earth?

It wasn't as if he could transfer to another ship, she thought bitterly. No, like it or not, they were stuck with each other. As are we all, she thought to herself, her mind returning to her pilot and Ops officer.

Harry was not the kind of person to throw himself into a relationship without weighing up all the pros and cons. The fact that he had chosen to start one with Tom Paris of all people gave her serious cause for concern. To her, it seemed to signify that he had given up on ever reaching home. He had obviously come to some kind of resolution over his fiancee, Libby, and moved on. If Harry, her most enthusiastic officer, had resigned himself to the fact that could be stuck out here forever, was she really right to go on leading the crew on this forlorn mission?

Tom, on the other hand, she was only just beginning to understand. His offhand manner, coupled with his happy go lucky attitude to life had always grated on the senior staff. She knew why he presented this façade to the world. He had simply shut away the part of his life that ashamed him. Or she thought he had. The revelation of his holodeck fantasies also concerned her. From the look in his eyes when she first saw him tied to that rack, he hadn't been enjoying the experience. He seemed to be trying to punish himself for his weakness. Punishing himself for not being able to fight back in New Zealand. And now that he had the chance to make a life for himself with Harry, he seemed to be punishing himself all over again.

Gods, she thought again, what wouldn't she give for a counsellor!


Although Voyager had two holodecks, strictly for use by any of the crew, Sandrine's always seemed to be running. As Janeway entered the bar, she marvelled again at Tom's sense of perfection. From piloting Voyager to creating the perfect holoprogram, he seemed to be a perfectionist. No doubt that was one of the reasons that he and Harry had hit it off. The young Ops officer was diligent to the point of obsession. No doubt he admired Tom for his professionalism. Amongst other things, she smiled to herself.

As she looked around, she noticed Tom in the corner, playing some sombre piece on the old piano. Somewhere in her subconscious, she noticed that he had changed the timbre of the instrument. Tonight it sounded more like a concert grand than an old bar honky tonk.

Yet another facet of this complex man was revealed to her. Tom was an excellent pianist. The piece was by Rachmaninov, but beyond that she couldn't be sure. Tom threw himself into the work heart and soul. When he drew the last chords from the battered old instrument, Janeway sat in silence, unwilling to break the spell. She watched his shoulders jerk, and then he slumped down onto the keys, drawing a harsh discordant sound from the piano. With a shock, she realised that he was crying. Muffled sobs escaped his hunched over body, and she moved over to put a comforting arm on his shoulders. He jumped upright in surprise, then realised where he was.

"Ah, Captain, I. . . didn't hear you come in."

She smiled kindly. "That much is obvious, Tom. I don't mean to pry, but is there anything I can do?"

He sniffed, uncertain of how to proceed. She guided him over to her table and sat him down. After a minute of him surreptitiously sniffing and wiping his nose, she raised her eyebrows. "Tom?"

He raised his eyes to look at her. The pain in them ripped through her like knives. "Harry jumped again," he said simply.

She sighed. "Oh, Tom."

He stood up and moved to the piano, resting his head on the surface, as if to try and draw some of the emotion he had poured out back into himself. "I knew it was a possibility. I knew that the time we had might not last. But it still doesn't make it right. It still doesn't make it fair!"

She followed him over to the piano and replaced her comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what happened."

He laughed, jerkily. "It would be funny, if it had happened to someone else." He took a deep breath and continued. "This morning, Harry was still asleep. I got up to go into the shower. When I came out, he was standing next to the bed with a look of total disbelief and shock on his face. I would have been worried, except for the fact that he was stark naked. I tried to say something, some glib comment, but he looked at me with disgust on his face, dragged his trousers on and left. He didn't even talk to me. I went to sickbay and checked out his latest set of scans. There was another jump this morning." He turned to face her.

"I've lost him again, captain. And the worst part of it is that I'm not sure if I want him back." A single tear rolled down his swollen cheek. "I can't keep riding this emotional rollercoaster. Not knowing if he's with me, or someone totally different. It's too hard, captain!"

The tears began to flow freely again. She held him tightly, feeling his pain and hurt. This has to stop, she decided, one way or another. We can't continue on this voyage, just hoping to reach home. Am I the only one? Am I dragging the crew on some kind of mission impossible?

---

The morning briefing was more crowded than usual this time. As Katherine Janeway looked around her officers and friends, she studied them as if seeing them for the first time. B'Elanna looked flushed and annoyed, as she always did at being dragged away from Engineering. Harry looked quietly out of the window, waiting her call to order. He looked calm, but she knew what effect the situation was having on him. On the other side of the small conference room, Tom was positioned as far away from Harry as possible. His thinning hair only accentuated his gaunt appearance. Seven stood immobile in the centre of the room, watching as Tuvok and the Doctor continued their conversation regarding possible solutions to Harry's time shifting problem, as the ship had come to call it.

The two officers looked unchanged from the first time she had gathered them in this room, although of course the Doctor had to watch from the monitor, the discovery of his mobile emitter being some years down the line. Seven, of course, was one of the highlights of the last few years. Her brusque personality concealed an almost childlike eagerness to improve, and her Borg origins had saved the ship on countless occasions.

Neelix circulated, filling coffee cups and chatting away as he always did. Even his ebullient personality was beginning to droop under the constant pressures of this voyage. Her first officer came to stand beside her, as she gazed at her followers.

The beginnings of grey at his temples, the careworn lines of his face, all of these tore at her heart. She straightened and called the meeting to order. As well as her usual attendees, she had requested senior staff from Science, so that her announcement would be circulated to all hands as soon as possible.

When they had all taken their places, she rose and moved to stand behind her chair. "Over the last five years," she began, "this crew and ship have faced virtually every challenge and obstacle that the Delta Quadrant has thrown at us. We have beaten the Kazon, the Krennim, and the Borg, not to mention Q. Every time we have risen to the occasion and emerged triumphant. But at what cost? Many of our crewmates will never serve again. Voyager has been pounded and battered until she's virtually unrecognisable as a ship of the line. Kes has gone. We've lost most of our torpedoes, and I get so many complaints about rationed food that I'm considering taking a phaser to the whole replicator array. Although we've made progress towards Earth, the most recent of our problems concerning Mr Kim has given me a. . . kind of wake up call. This won't be easy for any of you to hear, but look at us all. We aren't getting any younger. Every day we plod on this voyage without end, with no real hope of getting home. But we continue to try. What I want to ask you all today," she straightened and faced them all, "is to consider staying here."

There was stunned silence around the table. No one wanted to be the first to reply.

Eventually Tuvok cleared his throat. "Am I right in thinking, Captain, that you intend giving up the idea of returning to the Alpha Quadrant, and finding an M class planet to colonise here in the Delta Quadrant?"

"Eventually, yes. First, though, I would like to turn the ship around and return to the precise co-ordinates where Mr Kim's shifting began. Whatever happens to us in the future, Harry needs to know that his future will be stable."

Harry raised his hand. "Captain, I'm OK. Please don't think that I can't cope with this. As Seven would say, I will adapt."

His joke failed to lighten the mood. Janeway smiled, but shook her head. "I'm not thinking of you, Harry. There are others on board who need the stability you provide."

Tom felt his face burning up. He couldn't stay in this room. Although the captain had voiced his fondest wish, to stay here away from all his troubles at home, the future without Harry was just as bleak here or in the Alpha Quadrant. He knew that the rest of the senior staff thought that his current troubles with Harry were just some kind of meaningless playacting. It was obvious that the captain's sudden about turn in policy was directed at him. Jumping to his feet, he excused himself and hurried from the room, almost knocking Neelix over in his haste to leave. The captain's voice went unheeded.

Janeway watched him leave, a troubled expression on her face. She returned her attention to the rest of her senior staff. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"

Silence greeted her. "Very well. I want you all to conduct ballots of your departments regarding this decision. As you know, I have never run this ship by committee, but for a decision of this magnitude, I feel it is important that every< crewman has their say. I want the results by 0700 tomorrow. Dismissed." br>

Her staff filed out, with only Chakotay lingering behind. "Out with it, Commander, I could almost hear you grinding your teeth over there."

He smiled. "All right, out with it. What's prompted this turnaround? You've been adamant about getting home, to the point of obsession. Don't give me that smokescreen about the damage to the ship, we both know Voyager has thousands of light years left in her. Is it really Harry and Tom?"

She paused a moment before replying. "No, although they do play a part in this. I feel that Harry has given so much to this crew, even dying for us- that we must make every effort to straighten him out. No pun intended," she smiled.

He didn't return her smile. "Captain, don't you think it was a little insensitive, bringing up their problems in front of the senior staff? Harry and Tom have enough to contend with, without their private lives being broadcast to the entire crew."

She stiffened at the implied criticism. "These morning meetings are confidential, Commander, and I think that. . .

" He cut her off. "Surely you're not so naïve to think that the reason for this policy change are going to be kept confidential? Between 151 people? Wake up, Kathryn!"

She straightened and faced him down. "Commander," she grated. "Please do not speak to me in that tone again."

He shook his head. "Or what? You'll toss me in the brig? I'm not speaking to you as one of your staff, but as a friend. For whatever reason, you're choosing to abandon the last five years and give up on everyone's hopes and dreams of reaching Earth. Look at your crew. Neelix left everything, his home, his people, his way of life to join us. Kes did the same. You ripped Seven away from the only life she's known in over twenty years. Naomi has grown up on this ship, hearing nothing but 'when we get back to Earth'. Many people on this ship have passed up the chance for happiness with their crewmates for the chance of getting home. You're going to deny them all that? I thought I knew you better. I'm sorry, but you're wrong, Kathryn." He turned to go, emphasising the last word, daring her to pull him up on it. She didn't take the bait. He left in silence.

---

Harry sat in his quarters, his mind in total chaos. The ship was heading back to the co-ordinates of his jump, for whatever the result of the captain's vote, she had promised him that they would do everything in their power to get him back to his original self. But, he asked himself, did he really want to go back to his original self?

Unbidden, the image of Tom came into his mind. Tom, lying in his bed that morning. The shower they had taken together. The last night in that prison, where they had sworn to defend each other. "This man is my friend. No one touches him."

The words were still ringing in his mind, after all this time. Tom loved him. Had always loved him. Was it fair to turn his back on all that his best friend was offering?

The doorchime beeped discreetly. He opened the door, and there stood Tom. Harry had to admit that he found his friend stunning. Even with the weight loss and gaunt appearance, the sight of him could still pull at Harry's heart like no one else.

Without a word, Harry moved aside and let Tom enter. They stood, facing each other. No one wanted to be the first to break the silence. Eventually, Tom cleared his throat. "Harry, I have something to say to you."

The younger man smiled ruefully. "Actually, Tom, that was going to be my line."

They both grinned, glad to break the tension. Harry took Tom's arm and sat him down on the couch. "Go on, then," he prompted. Tom jumped up again and moved to the window.

"OK," he said. "If I've put you under any kind of pressure over all this, then I'm sorry. I don't even know which Harry I'm speaking to, but I'm hoping that whoever we get back at the end of all this, he will still be my friend, irrespective of what's gone on between us." His shoulders slumped, as if glad to take the weight off his mind.

Harry stood and put his arms around Tom, both facing out to the stars. "It's OK," he whispered. "You've got the right guy. And if it's any help," he turned Tom to face him, "I'm going to ask the captain to stay at the jump location until I stabilise in this reality."

Tom raised his head and met Harry's dark eyes. "You mean. . . ?"

"Yes, Tom. I want to be with you. Now and forever. Whether we stay here in the Delta Quadrant or if we get home, I want to be with you."

A single, solitary tear rolled down Tom's face. "God, Harry, what have I done to deserve you?"

They embraced quietly.

---

At precisely 0700 hours the next morning, the captain entered the bridge. There was a definite air of expectancy as she took her seat. Without speaking, she accessed her bridge terminal and scanned the results of the voting. A slight tremor crossed her face, and she raised her voice to the comlink.

"All hands, this is the captain. The result of the voting is as follows." There was a palpable hush, which she fancied that she could feel throughout the ship. "For staying in the Delta Quadrant- 75 votes. For returning to Earth- 75 votes." She felt that she could almost hear the exhalation from the crew as a huge pent- up sigh was released. "Obviously, a member of the crew has neglected to make a decision. I am therefore extending the deadline until 1330 hours today."

Down in Engineering, an excited babble broke out. B'Elanna turned to her staff and silenced them with a glare. She listened intently as the captain continued. "I realise that this is a very close vote. I am obliged to listen to any of the crew who feels that they should definitely stay in this region of space. If anyone wishes to come forward, I will be my quarters from 1400 hours today. The meeting will be held in strictest confidence. Janeway out."

B'Elanna's mind raced furiously. Who was it who had not voted? Surely no one in their right minds would just refuse to make probably the most important decision of their lives. There had to be a way of finding out. "Torres to Kim."

"Kim here. What can I do for you, Bel'?"

"I need to speak with you. Can you meet me in nacelle control immediately?"


Harry stood and faced his friend. "You can't be serious."

"Of course I am! We can't leave the lives of the entire crew in the balance because some idiot forgot to make a choice!"

"B'Elanna, you know that the individual votes are supposed to be secret! I can't go poking around in everyone's database just to find out who didn't vote!"

"Harry, you are the only one who has complete access to the ship's personal databases. Every time someone uses the computer, they have to log on with their ident. It should be easy for you to sift through the last 24 hours and find out who didn't vote."

"It is easy, Bel', but I'm not doing it!"

She gritted her teeth in frustration. "I can't believe you're getting noble on me. Don't you want to get home? Back to Earth? Have you forgotten what we all went through to get this far?"

He turned away and banged his fist against the console. "No, I haven't forgotten. But you don't seem to realise that not everyone want's to get back and start fighting all over again. Some people want to restart their lives out here. For some people, life is better out here than back on Earth."

She shook her head. "Harry, I never thought you'd be taken in by Tom and his easy ways. Is that all it take, just a bit of rough sex for you to abandon your life on Earth for the chance of some fun with a convicted felon?"

She was surprised how quickly he moved to face her. With an effort, he kept his voice under control. "B'Elanna, I love you like a sister. But if you ever talk that way about Tom again, and we're finished. Understand? I love him. This is not just about sex. This is about me and Tom, together forever." He turned on his heel and moved over to the turbolift.

"You're wrong, Harry. Sooner or later he'll get tired of you. He'll toss you aside like some whore he'd had enough of, and move on to someone else just as gullible. Don't throw your life away on that loser!"

Her last words were lost as the lift doors closed and it moved off.

In the lift, Harry wrapped his arms around himself and slid to the floor, sobbing like a baby. He knew it would be hard. But he thought he could count on B'Elanna. If one of his best friends thought that little of Tom, what about the rest of the crew?

---

Tom tossed and turned, unable to sleep alone. Harry was in sick bay, undergoing the latest in a long line of tests. The Doctor's new theory was to scan the region of space where Harry's jumping had occurred for traces of his DNA that matched original transporter records. There being no way to identify which Harry would eventually re-emerge, Captain Janeway had agreed to hold position until his Harry showed up. His Harry. God, that sounded good.

Tom stretched and considered the enormity of what he was about to do. Harry was his best friend in the whole universe. The two of them had been virtually inseparable since that first meeting on DS9. Through life and death, literally, they had stayed with each other till this point. Along the way, Tom had fallen in love with Harry, and now he was stunned to realise that Harry felt the same way about him. The commitment they had made to each other still scared Tom rigid. Although he had nothing to live for, on Earth or on Voyager, he accepted that Harry had had some serious soul searching to do before he came to this moment. Was he being fair to ask this much of someone? Even someone who professed to love him?

The door slid open and Harry stood there, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. "Tom?" he asked quietly.

"In here," came the reply from the bedroom. Harry moved towards the sound, and called for 25% illumination. The lights came on as Tom sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes theatrically. "Hey, Harry, what time is it? You woke me up. . . " he broke off as he saw Harry's grin.

"Liar," the younger man smiled.

Tom leaned forward to kiss Harry tenderly. At first he stiffened, then relaxed as Tom's tongue gently penetrated his lips and explored the insides of his mouth. After a moment, he responded, bringing his hands up to tentatively stroke Tom's chest. They broke apart, and Harry moved back slightly to sit on the end of the bed. Tom looked at him with a question in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tom. I'm not quite there yet, okay?" The older man nodded, unable to mask the disappointment he felt.

"Hey!" said Harry, seeing Tom's face. "I'm not going anywhere! I love you, it's just that I'm not used to this yet. It's going to take time, that's all." At that moment, the Captain's voice broke the silence.

"Mr Kim, please report to Shuttlebay 2. We're going to launch the Delta Flyer at 0800 hours, as before. I'll inform Mr Paris and he will meet you there."

"Ah, Captain? Tom kind of already knows." They both heard the grin in her voice. "Very well, I'll see you both at 0745. Good night, gentlemen."

Harry stripped down to his shorts and slid into bed with Tom. Although he wasn't ready for any sexual liaison just yet, he still needed sleep. And he had to admit that sleeping with Tom was a strangely comforting experience. At that moment, Tom rolled over and put his strong arms around Harry, enveloping him in a loving embrace. Harry relaxed and drifted off to sleep, safe in his best friend's arms.

---

At 0745 sharp, Harry and Tom entered shuttlebay 2. The Captain and Chakotay stood there, talking quietly, while the Doctor was making some last minute adjustments to some kind of cortical monitor. Tuvok's voice suddenly echoed around the shuttlebay.

"Bridge to shuttlebay 2. We are now in the exact position where the Delta Flyer was launched previously. All conditions appear to be identical."

"Is there any sign of the ship that attacked us out there?" asked Tom.

"Negative," came the reply. "All sensors are clear. No anomalies or unusual phenomena of any kind."

"Okay, well, we might as well try anyway," said Tom, as he boarded the Flyer.

The Doctor attached the cortical monitor to Harry's jaw and activated it. "If my theory is true, Mr Kim, you should start shifting almost immediately. Although you shouldn't notice, this monitor will alert us to any jumps. We will then tractor the Flyer as soon as you are. . . yourself again. Or whoever you decide to be, of course."

"Doc, how will I know when. . . when it's time to signal you?"

The Doctor hesitated. "I can't give you a definite answer on that one, Mr Kim. What I would suggest is that you pay close attention to Mr Paris. I will be monitoring your vital signs. Any increase in heartbeat, dizziness, blood rushing to certain parts of the anatomy, I suggest you consider these to be signs that you have arrived at the correct Mr Kim."

Harry blushed furiously as he heard Tom snigger from the pilot seat.

The Flyer launched smoothly and headed for the co-ordinates where the mysterious ship had attacked. Harry scanned the region intently, but to no avail. "Nothing," he muttered. Tom was noncommittal.

"Give it time, Harry. Maybe they got up late?"

Harry's withering reply was cut short by the proximity detectors beeping. As he moved to tactical, twin blasts of plasma struck the hull.

"Right on time!" cried Tom, throwing the Flyer into a tight spin.

"Returning fire," said Harry. Just as before, the blasts hit the enemy hull with no sign of damage. Harry suddenly felt a great wave of dizziness. Suddenly, everything began blurring. Tom suddenly grew a beard, then lost it again. A ring on his finger appeared, then vanished, to be replaced by some sort of artificial joint. As Harry turned to look at the consoles, they merged and reformed, constantly shifting shape. The very configuration of the Flyer altered as bulkheads disappeared and reappeared with frightening speed.

Tom grabbed hold of Harry and looked into his eyes. "Harry! Hold on! Look at me! Me!" As their eyes met, Harry felt a great wave of relief crashing over him. Tom smiled at him, and the world slipped sideways.

"Tom?"

"Yeah?

"Send the signal. Now!"

The Flyer landed back in shuttlebay 2. Tom cut power and turned to look at Harry, who was gazing at him thoughtfully.

"What?" asked the pilot.

"Oh, nothing," replied Harry. "I was just wondering how you would look with a beard."

Tom grinned. "It doesn't work, just comes through all wispy and patchy. How about you?"

Harry shook his head. "No body hair. I don't even need to shave."

Tom smiled slyly. "Well, there is some body hair that I know about. . . "

---

Harry sat on the couch in the Captain's ready room.

"So, Harry, how do you feel? Ready to resume duty?"

He nodded. "Definitely, Captain. I feel. . . grounded again."

"Good," she said. "And Tom?"

His smile was all the answer she needed. As he got up to leave, he turned back to face her. "Captain, did anyone show up to talk about staying in the Delta Quadrant?"

She shook her head. "No. But I wish that whoever decided not to vote had come to see me."

"It was me, captain."

She stood up, surprised. "You, Harry?"

He nodded. "I was thinking of Tom. If we had stayed here, there was a chance for him to be happy, away from all his. . . previous troubles. But, if I hadn't made my. . . choice in the way that I did, he would have been permanently miserable."

"Seeing you and knowing that he couldn't have you?"

"And if we were going to continue home, he would have to face his past. I really didn't know what would be hardest, so Iabstained."

She smiled. "That makes sense, I suppose. Anyway, Harry, your next duty shift doesn't begin till tomorrow morning. Why don't you go and unwind at Sandrine's?"

They both stepped out onto the bridge. As Harry entered the turbolift, he heard Janeway speak decisively to the conn, ensuring her words were also heard all over the ship. "Set course for home. Maximum warp!"

---

Harry entered Sandrine's and stood looking around. It was deserted, except for one man seated at the piano, playing a soothing ballad.

He walked over and ran his hand gently down the neck of the pianist. "Hey, Tom."

He turned to smile at Harry. "She let you go, then?"

"And I'm off duty till tomorrow morning. Got any ideas what I can do with all that spare time?"

Tom stood and draped an arm around his shoulders. "Funny, she gave me the same amount of time off. Wonder what she had in mind?"

Harry grinned. "Your place or mine?"

As they entered Harry's quarters, Tom was struck by how neat it was. He suddenly realised that through all this mess, they had never once spent any time here. He didn't even know what kind of decor Harry favoured in his bedroom. But there would be plenty of time for that, he decided.

Harry walked over to the replicator and ordered two snifters of brandy. As they relaxed on the couch, each of them mused over the events that had brought them to this moment. Tom still found it hard to believe that Harry loved him. After all this time, all his dreams and hopes, the man for whom he had waited so long was finally here, next to him. With him.

Harry was feeling settled. Although he could never have imagined this day, deep down he knew that this was what he wanted. In the roller coaster ride that passed for life in the Delta Quadrant, he thought that this life choice was somehow fitting. He and Tom loved each other, and that was fine. They didn't need anything else.

Tom stood and offered his hand to Harry. "Are you ready?"

Harry stood and followed Tom into the bedroom. Tom stopped and looked around, admiring the muted watercolours that hung on the walls. "Harry, these are beautiful. Where did you get them?"

"I drew them," came the reply.

Tom turned in amazement. "You, Harry?"

He nodded. "I don't just play the clarinet, you know. My mother is a very talented artist, and she taught me watercolour technique. I've been painting since we started home. It helps me relax."

Tom moved around the bed and kissed him tenderly. "I can help you relax, Harry. If it's what you want."

Harry's hands moved up and down Tom's back, feeling the strength and warmth under the uniform. He slid his hands under the jacket and pushed it off of Tom's shoulders, then ran his fingers over the hard flesh on either side of Tom's spinal column. In return, Tom's hands grabbed Harry's ass and massaged it gently. They ground their hips together, rubbing against each other, feeling the other's erections through the rough fabric. Eventually Tom broke away.

"Enough, Harry, or I'll come in my pants."

The other man smiled evilly. "Now there's a thought." He lifted Tom's shirt up over his head and licked his armpit carefully, barely touching the hairs. He left Tom's head still engulfed in the material and turned his attention to Tom's nipples, which were standing out through Tom's chest hair. He blew on the right one gently, and it stiffened even further. Locking his lips on it, he bit gently, eliciting a muffled groan from Tom. The pilot continued to squirm as Harry attacked the other nipple in the same way.

Eventually Tom struggled free of the top and lifted his lover up to face him. Suddenly he pushed hard, and Harry found himself lying flat on the bed with Tom astride him. He lay back and quit struggling as Tom skillfully undid his fly, reaching inside for Harry's cock. He wanked it slowly, and Harry groaned in appreciation. Suddenly Tom's hand was withdrawn and Harry felt his trousers and underwear being pulled down. His shirt was pulled off and then he was naked, lying there with his lover gazing down at him, his cock straining in the cool air.

Tom stood and removed the remains of his clothing, then returned to lie full length on top of Harry. Their cocks rubbed together, creating a delicious tempo that had Harry nearing the edge much too soon. He gently rolled Tom off and knelt between his legs, leaning down to take Tom's huge cock into his mouth. Tom squealed, as Harry's loving tongue spread his precome around the head and down the length of his shaft. In response, he rubbed a finger gently over Harry's ass, inserting a finger gently into the rectum. Harry ground back against the finger, groaning around his mouthful. Tom inserted a second finger, then a third. Harry released his hold on Tom's cock and spoke in short breaths.

"Tom, I need you inside me. Now."

"Harry, are you sure? I don't want to hurt you. . . "

"Just shut up and fuck me!"

Tom grinned and took the proffered lubricant that Harry grabbed from the bedside drawer. He turned Harry onto his back and gradually pushed his now lubricated fingers into his ass. The younger man was writhing, now moaning incoherently.

"Tom, Tom. . . "

"Easy, Harry. Ready?"

Harry groaned in frustration as Tom's fingers were removed, only to cry out as they were replaced by something huge that filled him as it pushed into his ass easily. He had never known a sensation like it before. He groaned as he tried to take more and more of Tom into him, until he felt the slap of his lover's balls against his ass and knew that he had taken it all.

Tom began withdrawing slowly, receding the length of Harry's tunnel. Just as the head was about to pop out, he slammed back in again. Harry screamed in pleasure as Tom's cock filled him to the hilt. Tom began solid thrusts, each time pumping Harry's cock in unison. Harry opened his mouth to catch the droplets of perspiration that dripped from Tom's chest and forehead. They fit together perfectly, Harry's ass contracting to grip Tom's cock and squeeze the last few millimetres of length from him. The universe narrowed to a single point for Harry, his whole being focused on Tom and his cock, filling his life. All he ever wanted to do was to be impaled like this forever.

Tom felt the onrush of orgasm and pumped Harry's cock harder. They came together with a cry, Tom emptying himself into Harry as the younger man shot all over his lover's chest.

Tom slowly withdrew from Harry. He groaned, as his ass seemed to slam shut. The pilot collapsed next to Harry, and they kissed tenderly. Tom looked down at his semi erect cock, pleased to see that there was no blood on it.

Eventually, Harry managed to raise himself on one elbow and gaze down at his lover. What he saw in his eyes made his heart miss a beat. The love that shone back at him caught in his throat.

Tom spoke, gently. "This is forever, isn't it?"

Harry nodded, a tear of love trickling down his face. "For ever."

---

End