Discalimers : I hate writing these just as much as you hate reading these
but I have too anyway so here goes.  Voyager and her crew belong to the
all-mighty Paramount,  which belongs to the even mightier Viacom.  I'm just
borrowing them for a while in hopes of creating something entertaining - or
at least mildly interesting.  The lyrics for As Long as you love me belong
to the Backstreet Boys.

As Long As You Love Me
October 11th, 1997
Laura C.
 

All the loneliness has always been a friend of mine,
I'm leaving my life in your hands,
People say I'm crazy and that I am blind,
risking it all in a glance
And how you got me blind is still a mystery,
I can't get you out of my head.

Don't care what is writen in your history --
as long as you're here with me

I dont care who you are,
where your from,
Don't care what you did,
As long as you love me

I dont care who you are,
where your from,
Don't care what you did,
As long as you love me

                                  -Backstreet Boys
                                 As long as you Love Me
**********************************************

  Lieutenant Tom Paris paced around his quarters like a caged animal.  It
had been nearly a week since the Day of Honor incident.  Since she had
said it.  At first, Tom had dismissed B'Elanna Torres' claims that she
loved him, because they would have ceratinly died in deep space had
Janeways timing not been impecible.  They hadn't spoken to each other since
then, so Tom had figured that she was either a) really embarrest and
didn't want the subject brought up again or b) was just afraid about the
whole thing.  Tom had faith in option b.  Why you ask?  Because B'Elanna
had sent him a message saying that she wanted to talk with him and she
would be coming to his quarters at 1900 hours.  Tom glanced back at his
chronometer.  It read 1855.
  He didn't know what to expect from her.  Again two scenerios came
to mind.  B'Elanna would tell him that she didn't really mean what she
said because she was suffering from oxygen deprivation at the time, or
that she did mean it.
    *How could you think that she would be interested in you, Tom?  You
are nothing but a ex-Starfleet, ex-Maquis, ex-con, can't-be-trusted-by-
anyone loser.  A failure.* he berated himself.  His train of thought was
suddenly interupted when the chime on his door went off, followed by
a voice, "Tom? It's B'Elanna."
     *Oh my god, she's here.  Okay don't panic, don't panic, don't
panic - oh god I'm panicing.  What do I do?*
     *Why don't you tell her to come in?*  suggested a little mocking voice
in the back of his mind.<br>
     "Come in," he called.  Unfortunately for him as he said it his voice
craked and went really high.
  There was a slight hesitation and then the mechanical doors slid open
revealing her.  B'Elanna Torres walked slowly into Tom's quarters.  He
could tell that she was clearly nervous, because whenever B'Elanna was
nervous she bit her bottom lip.  Like she was doing now.  Paris took a
moment to look at her.  She was not wearing her uniform, but a pair of
faded blue jeans and a gray t-shirt.
     *Probably was on the holodeck* assumed Paris.
     "Hi," she said quietly.
     "Hi," he responded.
  An akward silence was beginning to stretch between them.  They were
both becoming uncomfortable.
    "Tom, -" started B'Elanna
    "B'Elanna, -" said Tom at the same time.
  B'Elanna giggled slightly and Tom said, "You go ahead."
    "Okay.  Tom, I did alot of thinking since, well, what I said.  And I
did alot of soul searching and came up with a conclusion."
     *Oh, man this can't be good.  All right Paris, take it like a man.*
"And ...?" he asked pesimistically
  B'Elanna said nothing.  Instead, she looked him straight in the eye.
She stood still for a moment.  B'Elanna summoned all of her courage, and
then did what she came to do.  She walked towards him, never lifting her
eyecontact.  When she was right in front of him, B'Elanna reached up, put
her hand on his cheek and pulled his face down to hers.  Then she surprised
him by leaning foreward and kissing him lightly.  B'Elanna stopped and
then moved back a bit so she could look him square in the eye.  Paris
looked stunned.
     *Mission accomplised* she laughed to herself.  A seductive little
smile appeared on her face, and she raised her eyebrows suggestively.
     "Good answer," replied Paris.
 He moved his arms around her waiste and pulled her in for another kiss.
This time however, it was a little more than a mere kiss.  It was deep, and
tender, and most of all, contained a promising future.  After about five
minutes, Tom had to stop because he needed oxygen.  When they broke, the
maintained an eye lock for several more minutes.  It seemed like a good a
time as any to confess something for Tom.
     "B'Elanna, I have to tell you something.  We have been through a lot
together over the past few years on Voyager and I don't think I could have
done it all without you.  I've changed alot since my prison days.  I don't
know if you've noticed or not, but I have had this crush on you for so
long.  And it wasn't until the past few months that I realized that is
more than just a crush.  I was falling in love with you."
     "Tom, I meant it when I said that I was in love with you.  I dont'
know when it happened.  Maybe it was that time with the Vidiians or that
time on Skari, but I started to look at you differently.  You're not the
cocky, arrogent, skirt chaser everyone thinks you are, and your not the
failure that you think you are Tom Paris.  You are a kind, compassionate
person Tom.  You're smart, you always make me laugh  and you're pretty cute.
And you make me feel accepted and I - love you.  Yeah, you heard me so
wipe that silly little grin off your face."
     "I thought you said I was cute, B'Elanna."
     "You are," she replied moving towards him, "As long as you love me."
     "Oh, I do,"replied Tom.  They're lips met again.  Tom savoured every
moment.  And he no longer had any doubts about where this relationship was
heading.
 

                                 FIN

 ************************************************************************

 Well, that's it for now kiddies.  Send me comments and critisism at raven_36@hotmail.com.  But please, no nasty letters.  I don't like that.