The BLTS Archive= In the Nick of Time
(a missing scene from "The Year of Hell part II")
by Nyani-Iisha F. Martin (nfmartin@fas.harvard.edu)

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Author's Note:

Over Thanksgiving, I came up with this story idea. See how long it
took me to write it? *laugh at self* Anyway, this is probably my
"closest to canon" story; ever since _Day of Honor_ I've been trying
to figure out how to get Harry in there with Tom and B'Elanna where he
belongs :D, and while reading Jim Wright's excellent description of
"The Year of Hell" I thought, "did B'Elanna and Harry drown their
sorrows in each other while Tom was gone?" Out of those thoughts
emerged this story (which is not part of the 'In Triplicate' universe.
I'll be writing more in that one soon, though!), which is dedicated to
the members of the PKSP, for invaluable advice, beta-reading, e-hugs,
and chocolate mousse.

*wave to everyone*

This is a short story, it doesn't need a big disclaimer. I own the
text, Paramount owns the proper names. Characters die (temporarily),
M/f relationship described, m/m/f sex referred to, delete this now if
that'd freak you out. This story is less likely to scare the horses
than most of my other efforts, but don't flame me if the subject
matter horrifies you. The prose is another matter, but please use
email. :)

There, now that that's settled....

---

The Nihydron ship rocked; B'Elanna felt herself fly through the air,
heard Harry's grunt of pain as he met the bulkhead violently. All
around them Nihydronese cried out as consoles exploded, conduits rup--
OW! It was her turn to slam into the floor, which hit back hard.

_Ugh._ "Harry?" B'Elanna dragged herself up with one arm; the other
had suddenly decided not to take her weight. "Harry?" And it had a new
bend, too. _Damn, this hurts._ "Ensign Kim?!"

"Reporting," came a weak reply; when B'Elanna gave up and flopped over
onto her back, she saw him slumped in a pile against the wall, blood
running between those wide dark eyes. "Injured but alive."

B'Elanna's relief surged through her, though she told herself there
wasn't time for it. "What's our status?" she asked, struggling to her
feet. "Can you see?" _Can you get up?_

Harry looked past her head for a moment, reading the console behind
her; she wondered how his eyes could focus when she was so dizzy she
saw double. "We narrowly avoided the Krenim temporal weapon, but it
took out the other Nihydron ships."

That was bad. B'Elanna tried to find something to say and failed.
Harry looked up at her, their eyes locking for a long moment. They
both knew.

And then the ship bucked and whirled.

B'Elanna flew into another bulkhead; her head exploded with pain.
Harry landed on her, a limp and heavy mass, and she felt a rib crack,
heard herself scream as if it were someone else. She felt like a pile
of broken twigs....and the ship wasn't doing any better; the console,
torn from the wall, lay beside her, but its display still worked,
telling her all she needed to know.

"The ship's going to explode," she whispered, not knowing if he heard.

"Yeah." Harry's voice was thick; he pushed himself mostly off her,
reeling as the ship tumbled, and turned his head before he coughed,
but B'Elanna saw blood on his lips. Even if the ship would've lasted,
he was dying.

"Harry, you're---"

"I know." He wiped his mouth and dropped his arm limply.
"I...B'Elanna?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

"WHAT?!" The effort of yelling made her rib scream; before she could
get her breath back Harry put warm fingers to her lips, whispering
urgently, his dark eyes intense. "Kiss me. Kiss me for Tom.  Kiss me
for what we had planned for that night, the day the Krenim took him.
Kiss me for all the nights we slept alone because we couldn't be three
in a bed.  Kiss me because I've loved you for years."

B'Elanna's mouth fell open; desire and conflict swirled within her.
"But, Harry, this...now..."

The console beeped. The central reactor had gone critical.

Harry smiled, just a little. "It's now or never."

"Oh, shut up." B'Elanna smiled back, her decision made, and reached
out her good arm to draw him close. _And I thought it'd be Tom's arms
I'd die in..._ The thought was oddly lighthearted, strangely sweet.

For a dying man Harry held her tightly, his mouth warm and sweet on
hers, tinged with his blood. Her rib cried out but she ignored it as
he released her mouth slowly, his head falling to her hair. "I love
you," he repeated, his eyes beginning to glaze. "I love Tom, I love
you..."

"Harry." _Can I say it?_ His eyes were closing. _I have to say it._
"Starfleet." _I *want* to say it._ "I love you, too, I love you
both..."

B'Elanna thought she saw the tiniest smile curve Harry's lips, just
before her eyes filled with, dissolved into light.

---

Tom tossed one arm around each dear pair of shoulders. "That was a
good showing in Astrometrics today, Harry. You and Seven make quite
the team."

_That damn Borg._ B'Elanna stiffened, and Tom laughed; she elbowed
him, and Harry started laughing, too. "B'Elanna, you're not---"

"No! Of course not!" _Of course I'm jealous._ She looked across Tom,
blond and creamy-pink, to Harry's golden skin and silky black hair.
For awhile now she'd dreamt of having them both, thought about how
they'd look together in bed....and Tom called to Harry in his sleep.
B'Elanna wondered who Harry dreamt of. She knew what she hoped.

"There *is* a way to keep me away from her, you know," Harry
continued; he probably meant an Engineering project, but an idea
flared in B'Elanna's mind, sparked by a subconscious memory of
something that never happened, and before she could run from the idea
she made herself drawl seductively, "Why, Harry, all you had to do was
ask."

Hearing the invitation in her voice, Tom stiffened and glanced down at
her; B'Elanna's heart pounded as she raised her eyes to his face, but
he was beaming at her, his shock dissolving in joy. As one they turned
on Harry, who was already smiling in acceptance and delight when they
both pounced on him; he opened his arms, almost as if he were
expecting it.

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The End