The BLTS Archive- You're My Best Friend by Joanne Collins (luchenbackoutlaw@gmail.com) --- Characters belong to Paramount/Viacom. Not much plot, just a scene from Tom and Harry's future. This has nothing to do with any of my previous stories, but it could probably be considered a sequel to any of the P/K stories except the American Pie series. No distribution beyond the PKSP Story Archive, R'Rain's archive and my page. May be posted on the BLTS and PKSP lists only. You're My Best Friend, written by W. Hollyfield, sung by Don Williams. --- Harry smiled as he read the note from his husband. "Sandrine's, 1900. No uniforms." "No uniforms, hmmm? If I didn't think it'd shock the children, I'd show him no uniforms," Harry mused, then was overrun by two miniature tornadoes, also known as his and Tom's children, Katie and Robert. "Daddy, look what I made, a shuttle," five-year-old Robert waved a box with things stuck to it in the air. "And I made flowers," seven-year-old Katie said, with that big-sister superiority Harry remembered so well from his own sisters, and he smiled at the memory, and at how his and Tom's children seemed to have taken the best from both of them. Katie was blonde, like Tom, but her eyes were Harry's deep brown, while Robert's hair was Harry's black, and his eyes were Tom's startling blue, a combination that Chakotay was fond of saying would break more than a few hearts later in life. "Who's looking after you tonight?" Harry asked, as the three made their way to the bedroom and his wardrobe. "Aunt 'Lann and Aunt Sam," the children chorused. Harry smiled at the thought of B"Elanna and Samantha, two of their dearest friends, who had found each other a few years after his and Tom's marriage. It had been good for both of them, B'Elanna needed someone to love her, and Samantha wasn't being unfaithful to her husband by K'Tarian custom if she were involved with a woman. In fact, it was possible for them to continue the relationship even if they got home. "What should I wear?" Harry asked, almost rhetorically. "Red," the children chorused. "Yes," Harry agreed, stroking the softness of a silk shirt, "With the black trousers." "Perfect," Katie smiled, Robert having lost interest. Harry smiled at Katie, and ruffled her hair affectionately, then walked into the bathroom to shower. He could hear the children good-naturedly arguing over something minor over the shower, and yelled for them to keep the noise down to a dull roar. After Harry finished showering and dressing, the door chime rang. "Happy Valentine's day," B'Elanna said, kissing him on the cheek. Samantha greeted him the same way, and Harry asked, "Don't you celebrate?" "We...celebrated," B'Elanna said, exchanging a heated look with her lover, "This morning." "Enjoy yourself," followed him out the door. Harry was outside the holodeck five minutes early. Should he just go in? "Come in, Harry," came Tom's laughing voice on his combadge. "How did you -" "Love, you're *always* five minutes early. Even when you gave birth to the kids." Harry smiled at that. He and Tom had discussed having children almost from the beginning of their relationship, and Tom had said that he didn't really think he could carry a child. Harry had simply agreed to carry the children himself, provided Tom did want them. Of course he had, and soon after their wedding, The Doctor had impregnated Harry with a combination of Harry and Tom's DNA, as well as a donated X chromosome from an anonymous source aboard ship (Harry and Tom had not wanted to know the identity of the donor). He stopped these musings, remembering that he had an appointment to keep, and entered the holodeck. And stopped in amazement. It was decorated in shades of red and white, with hearts of paper and balloons everywhere possible. "Like it?" Tom asked, from a table set for two. "Tom, this is...I'm speechless." "What a change," Tom chuckled. "It is, isn't it," Harry agreed. Tom indicated for him to sit down, and poured champagne. Harry almost choked on it when he realised that it wasn't synthehol. "Tom?" "I've been saving that for ten years. I knew there'd be a day that I'd be glad I did." "But...today's not an anniversary or anything." "Not yet, it isn't." "What do you mean?" "I want to do something to show you how much you mean to me. And I know what I want to do." "What?" "Harry, I want to marry you." "We already did that. Ten years ago." "I want to marry you again, to renew our vows." "But...you don't need to do that. I know how much you love me." "I know I don't *have* to, Harry. I *want* to. I want to feel that commitment reinforced." A terrible possibility occurred to Harry. "Don't you still feel that commitment?" "Of course I do! I just want to do this because I love you, and I want to show it off to everyone again." "In that case, I'd love to," Harry smiled radiantly. "Good. Now for the other part of your present." "That wasn't it?" "Not all of it. The other is a song I discovered. It fits us so well, it might have been written for us." "Really?" "Yeah," Tom grinned, softly, and walked over to the piano. You placed gold on my finger, You brought love like I've never known, You gave life to our children, And to me a reason to go on. You're my bread when I'm hungry, You're my shelter from troubled winds, You're my anchor in life's ocean, But most of all, you're my best friend. When I need hope and inspiration, You're always strong when I'm tired and weak, I could search this whole world over, You'd still be everything that I need. You're my bread when I'm hungry, You're my shelter from troubled winds, You're my anchor in life's ocean, But most of all, you're my best friend. You're my bread when I'm hungry, You're my shelter from troubled winds, You're my anchor in life's ocean, But most of all, you're my best friend. Harry moved towards Tom, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "Now it's time for me to give you your present," Harry whispered provocatively. --- The End