The BLTS Archive- Love Hurts Part Nine by Karen (CP4Karen@aol.com) ---- Disclaimer: Paramount owns them. I imply no copyright infringement. c1998 Karen --- Ensign Dribble was headed to lunch. Things were so strange lately. Crewman Ayala was in command of the bridge; a feat in itself considering that the man hadn't spoken a word since they had been stranded out in the Delta quadrant. Dribble was jarred from his musings by the sight of Lieutenant Tom Paris staring at the door to sickbay in befuddlement. //Sexily befuddled.// Well, yes. But... //Gorgeously befuddled.// Better, but no. //Beautifully befuddled.// Yes! The ensign was nothing if not poetic. At least in his own mind. "Umm, Lt. Paris, is there something I can help you with?" //Like that hot pink plastic number you were wearing the other night??// "Oh...hi, Dick. This sign on sickbay says that they're closed for repairs, and no one is answering the comm. I tried activating the EMH but I get a busy signal." Dribble placed his ear against the door. "I hear music." //I'm just a love machine--// The younger man almost swooned when Paris leaned over his shoulder to place one delicate, pink, shell-like ear to the door. The sight of those rosebud lips and deep blue eyes only centimeters away were simply too much. "Dick?" Tom nudged the young man with one immaculately booted foot. "Ensign?" Paris rolled the other man over and lifted an eyelid. "Dribble? Ooooh, green eyes." //Cool...// Realizing that he was the only medical line of defense that Voyager currently had, Tom carefully checked the unconscious man's airway with his tongue and proceeded to administer artificial respiration. He realized that his ministrations were fruitful when his tongue was sucked back into the other man's mouth. He pulled back quickly. "Dick! I already did that step. Your airway is clear!" Confident that his patient would survive, Tom stood and stepped over the prostrate crewman. Another quick perusal of the door controls convinced him that he was going to need help. --- Tuvok quickly glanced at his lover. The Talaxian nodded back and checked the safety on his disrupter rifle. As long as they kept the lights on, Neelie would be fearless. Tommy had commed them earlier saying that he feared something was amiss in sickbay...well, actually he had said fucked up, but the sentiment was the same. Neelix had immediately promised the young man that they would move heaven and the Hirogens to help rescue the Commander. Neelix stopped abruptly. Reaching out, he clasped his husband's slim-yet-masculine hand. There was something ahead. Something......yucky. "Sweetie, I have a bad feeling about this." Tuvok nodded and shifted his phaser to overdrive. Together they crept down the hall. --- "Kathryn..." Janeway smiled from her perch atop the bathroom counter. Holding up a sign that said 7.0, she grinned when her lover emerged unscathed from the tub full of strawberry-banana gelatin. Seven had certainly proved inventive and amazingly understanding. None of Kathryn's previous lovers had ever enjoyed her own special brand of the 'Olympics'. But then, none of them would ever have been able to pull off a half gainer from the bathroom sink either. --- Tom tapped his foot impatiently. Nee-Nee had promised to come immediately. It was now five after. The music was still coming from sickbay, but the rhythms had changed. //Moon river...wider than a mile!// Tom fought back a sob. How dare they! That was their song! His and-- Geron's? Donna's? Ken's? Commander Cavit's! That was it! Tom sighed. Theirs had been but a brief affair, fraught with emotional hissy fits and wonderful bouts of make-up sex. He had even called Tom his 'Little Maquis Traitor-boy'. Gods, he missed that man! Tom looked at his chronometer again. It had been ten minutes. He moved to kick the bulk head and then stopped. He didn't want to scuff the patent leather. Megan and Jenny had given him those boots to celebrate their first three-way. Tom sighed sweetly, but impatiently. Where *were* Tuvie and Nee-Nee? --- TBC Where indeed are Tuvie and Nee-Nee? Did Harry convince his punkin that true love will prevail? Can Seven complete a one-and-a-half with a twist under an eight foot ceiling? Who hasn't Tom slept with? Stay tuned for answers to some questions (probably not these), in Part Ten of "LOVE HURTS".