by Elizabeth Davis
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Disclaimers: Paramount owns all, this is strictly for fun, no money changed hands.

If you are under 18 years old, please do not read.

I got so many nice comments about my first story 'If You'd Only Asked' I decided to go ahead and write another one right away.

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Harry couldn't believe it, after the last few weeks of double shifts, he was finally going to get some time off. Voyager had gone into orbit around a planet that Neelix assured the Captain was perfect for shore leave. He had gone on and on about how beautiful the planet was. He also promised that the natives were both friendly and technologically advanced. Frankly, Harry hadn't been so sure Neelix was right when he first saw the planet. There were no energy readings to indicate that an advanced society lived there, but when they went into orbit the people there contacted them immediately.

At first Harry couldn't figure out how they did it without the sensors picking up an energy source, but then he realized that they were actually communicating telepathically. The image on the screen had just been an illusion. The Captain had gone down to the planet with Tuvuk and made arrangements for supplies. She had also gotten an invitation for the crew to have shore leave. After she came back she had informed the crew that they would each be given a few days shore leave in shifts. Part of the crew would remain on board to make repairs and do some maintenance that they hadn't had time to do for a long while.

Harry was looking forward to breathing some fresh air. He was going down with only Tom as B'Elanna was assigned to a different shift. He was going to miss B'Elanna, but was happy about spending some time alone with Tom. He was also hoping that given the opportunity he could finally have 'The Talk' with Tom. He had been trying to tell Tom how he felt about him for months, but every time he got up the nerve something or someone interfered. But it looked as if he might just get the chance sometime in the next few days since they were planning to spend their shore leave together. Hopefully, Harry would be able to talk to Tom without the rest of the crew looking on.

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As Tom finished packing for shore leave he kept thinking about how important this vacation was going to be. The next few days would determine the course of Harry's and his relationship. Harry didn't know it but Tom had fallen in love with him almost at first sight. However, Tom was smart enough to know it just wasn't the right time to say so. After all, Harry hadn't given up on the hope that Libby would be waiting for him. Also, it had taken Tom a long time to accept that even if he wasn't good enough for Harry, that no one would ever love him as much as Tom did. Sometime in the next few days Tom was determine to tell Harry that.

Unfortunately, Tom wasn't sure how Harry would react. Hopefully, Harry would be happy about it, but Tom was aware that might not be the case. He knew that Harry might not like it and that it could destroy their friendship, but Tom just couldn't keep it inside any longer.

Finally, Tom finished packing and went to meet Harry at the transporter room.

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When Tom and Harry beamed down to the planet they saw that Neelix hadn't been exaggerating about the beauty of this planet. It was one of the most beautiful places either of them had seen. As they followed their guide to their hotel they couldn't help but stare all around themselves. Finally, they got to their hotel and registered. When they found out that they would be sharing a room each was secretly pleased. They went to their room and unpacked and then decided to go look around.

For hours they went sightseeing, each looking for an opportunity to tell the other what was in their hearts. However, they never seemed to find the right time. It was very late when they made it back to their hotel and both were exhausted. So they gave up for the night and went to bed.

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The next morning after talking to their hostess at breakfast they traveled to the next city where they were both told a beautiful ancient temple stood. Their hostess said that it was very peaceful and quiet there. She also told them that there was a old belief that if you visited it with your true love you would be forever joined. Neither Tom or Harry believed that, but they both decided that maybe they could find some place to talk to each other there.

When they arrived at the temple they looked around for somewhere quiet to talk. As they looked around they spotted an bench made of rock. So they wandered over there to sit down. It was rather strange looking sitting right in the middle of the temple, but no one was around and neither of them was willing to be picky now that they were finally alone.

As they sat down, a blinding flash of light filled the temple. Tom got up quickly and pulled Harry out of the temple. He then asked if Harry was OK. Harry assured Tom that he was fine and wondered what that light was all about. Tom didn't know, and after all the things that had happened to them on other shore leaves, he wasn't so sure he wanted to.

Harry, however, being the scientist that he was just had to investigate. So, he went back in the temple. Tom followed reluntantly. He didn't want to go back, but he wasn't about to let Harry go in there alone.

As Harry examined the rock bench he tried to find something that would have caused the light but couldn't find anything. Finally, he gave up and decided to ask their hostess when they returned to their hotel. He was sure that this couldn't have been the first time this had happened, and felt that the natives would know what it was. So, Tom and Harry returned to their hotel again without talking to each other about the thing most on their minds.

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When they got to the hotel Harry asked to speak to their hostess only to find out she had left the city for the day. Harry decided not to ask anyone else about the temple until she returned. He and Tom then went out to dinner, and then back to the hotel to sleep.

As Harry slept that night he had a strange dream in which he went back to the temple and sat back down on the rock bench with Tom. In his dream Harry found himself telling Tom exactly how much he loved him. It was such a wonderful dream that Harry didn't want to wake up the next morning. He awoke when Tom shook him, saying that it was time for breakfast and that the hostess had come back. Then Tom left the room.

Harry quickly got dressed and went downstairs to meet Tom. As Harry sat down at the table with Tom the hostess came into the room. Tom spotted her and waved her over to their table. Tom asked her to join them for breakfast. She readily agreed, and then they soon ordering something from the waiter. As they waited for their food to arrive, Harry asked her about the light they saw at the temple.

For a few moments she just stared at them. Then she began to tell them that she had never heard it happening in her lifetime, however, the old belief that if you visited it with your true love you would be forever joined had more to it. According to the ancient tales if you sat in the center of the temple with your true love a blinding light would appear and their minds would be joined mentally forever.

Harry almost missed the part about being mentally joined, thinking about the true love part, however the phrase 'joined mentally forever' caught his attention and he started to ask questions.

Apparently the tales said that the joined couples shared dreams and eventually started to be able to read each other's minds. The hostess said that it was from these joined couples that the ability to communicate telepathically first developed in her people. She soon left afterwards.

Tom looked at Harry and told him about a dream he had the night before. It was the same dream that Harry had. When he realized that, he knew the old tales were true. Harry looked at Tom and said, "I hope you know what I told you in our dream last night was true."

Tom smiled, nodded and replied, "I love you, too."

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End