The BLTS Archive - Nightmares #2: Nightmare by Leone (tarrashenna@yahoo.com) --- Disclaimer: Paramounts, not mine. No infringement intended. No money is made. Notes: This is dedicated to Britta and Sammi Jo and everyone else who asked for a sequel to 'The Kiss'. It took some time, but here it is. Hugs and kisses to Sammi Jo for beta reading. --- When Commander Chakotay stepped out of the shuttle early the next morning, he was surprised to see that Tom Paris was already awake. The Commander had thought that Paris was still asleep. However, the pilot was not only up, he had also made breakfast for them. Chakotay walked over and sat across from the lieutenant. "You're up early," he said. Tom looked at his Commander. "Early?" he repeated lifting an eyebrow. "I woke an hour ago, which is late for me. I'm usually up at 0400, if not before," he informed the older man. The Commander frowned, surprised. Lt. Paris always arrived on the bridge at the last minute. Chakotay had assumed that it was because the pilot didn't get up before he absolutely had to. Apparently he'd been mistaken. He looked over at Paris. "If you're up that early, you can't get much sleep." For a moment an odd expression settled over Tom Paris' features. Then it vanished and the pilot shrugged. "It's not a problem," he assured the older man. "I don't need more than four hours of sleep anyway." The Commander frowned again. "When did that start?" he asked, slightly concerned. Normally a person needed about eight hours of sleep. Of course, some people could do with less, but four hours? That didn't sound right, Chakotay thought. "A few years ago," Tom lied, and hoped that the Commander would let the subject drop. He didn't really think that he would, but he could always hope. Tom wasn't about to tell anyone that he hadn't needed more than four hours of sleep per night since he was fifteen. No one knew that. Not even his mother, whom he adored. He had always told her everything. Except this. Actually, the problems had started a couple of weeks before his fifteenth birthday. With a start he had woken from a sound sleep one night. He knew that he'd dreamed, but he couldn't remember the dream. Tom just knew that he was terrified for some unknown reason. He'd lain awake for over an hour before he had finally fallen asleep again. The next morning he'd been a little tired and still couldn't remember the dream. He hadn't thought much about it, though, figuring that it was a one-time occurrence. That night he had woken again, the terror from the dream making him shake violently. This time, it took about an hour and a half before he was able to fall asleep again. A week after the dream had started, Tom was afraid to sleep. He stayed awake until he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Then he would sleep for a few hours before he woke up, shaking with terror. He still didn't remember the dream. He just knew that it came every night. And that it was terrifying. By the time Tom turned seventeen he'd stopped shaking with terror when the dream woke him. Whether it was because the dream had changed or he'd just gotten used to it, Tom didn't know. He only knew that it came every night. Shortly after his nineteenth birthday the dream suddenly stopped. By that time Tom rarely slept more than four hours a night. If he went to bed really late, and was extremely lucky, he'd get as much as five or six hours. At one point he'd tried using a sleep-aid, but as a result he'd woken up even more terrified than usual. No one knew about any of this. Tom hadn't told anyone, and somehow he'd managed to keep it a secret. He was afraid to find out what the dream was about. He had a feeling that the reason he couldn't remember it was because he didn't want to. The dream still came occasionally, even now, ten years later. When it did, Tom would wake up, shaking and drenched in sweat, but without any memory of what the dream was about. That was the reason he'd chosen not to sleep in the shuttle, where Chakotay might hear him and wake up. The pilot didn't want to explain why he woke in the middle of the night, shaking with fear. Luckily, the dream hadn't come last night. However, Tom knew that it didn't mean anything. His nightmare could still return tonight, or another night while he and the other man were on this mission. --- "Lieutenant?" The Commander's voice startled Tom out of his reverie. He looked at his XO, who was sitting across from him. "What?" he asked quietly. "If you're finished with your breakfast, I suggest that we start gathering the food," Chakotay replied. The pilot nodded. "I'll just put this away." He indicated the utensils and the leftovers of their breakfast. "I won't be long." When the older man nodded, Tom rose to his feet and gathered the things. When he'd gotten everything, he carried it into the shuttle and put it away. Then he went outside again. "All right, let's go," Chakotay said. "Lead the way, Commander," Tom said and flashed a cocky grin at the other man. Chakotay sighed in exasperation. Then he turned and walked over toward the trees, where they'd found plenty of fruit the day before. --- While they gathered the fruit, Chakotay puzzled over the enigma, Tom Paris. He had the distinct impression that Paris had what? Lied? this morning when they talked about the pilot's sleeping habits. The Commander wondered what the problem could be, and why the younger man wouldn't talk about it. Chakotay had sensed that Paris didn't want to talk about whatever it was. For this reason he'd dropped the subject. The First Officer shook his head slightly. He could think about it later. Right now, they needed to gather food and minerals for Voyager. --- Five hours later, the two men returned to the shuttle for lunch. They had worked hard and collected a lot of food. After the break they were going to gather some of the minerals that B'Elanna needed. Chakotay was satisfied with their progress. If this kept up, they'd be able to return to the ship in a day or two, well ahead of schedule. The Captain had given them a week to get everything Voyager needed. She would be pleased if they could finish sooner. The Commander shook off his thoughts and looked at Voyager's Senior Pilot. Paris had been quiet all morning and the First Officer wondered why. {Maybe Paris' lack of smart-ass comments so far, had something to do with this morning,} Chakotay thought, remembering how uncomfortable Tom had been at breakfast. Chakotay sighed and decided to find out if anything was wrong. "Lieutenant," he said quietly. Tom looked up from his lunch. "Yes, Commander?" he asked. Chakotay hesitated for a split-second, then sighed and inquired, "Is there anything wrong?" --- Tom had been lost in his own thoughts when the First Officer addressed him. The older man's question made him blink in surprise. The pilot stared at his XO in silence for a moment, then countered the Commander's question with one of his own. "Why do you ask?" Chakotay sighed. "You've been awfully quiet all morning," he explained. Then he smiled briefly. "I'm not used to a Tom Paris who doesn't make *any* smart-ass remarks for that long." "Missed my brilliant wit, did you, Commander?" Tom asked with a cocky smile. One that the First Officer would love to remove, if the expression on the other man's face was anything to go by. Instead the Commander sighed again and said, "See, that's what I mean. That was your first remotely smart-ass comment all day." Chakotay frowned at the pilot. "Now, stop avoiding my question. *Is* there anything wrong?" This time it was Tom's turn to sigh.