Note: In a filmed scene Janeway‘s voice-over of her personal log would be continuous as the scene unfolds between Tom and B‘Elanna, but in this written version I have broken it into parts for ease of transition. "Day of Honor- Final Moments" by Julie Evans (Juli17@aol.com) Fade from outer view of Voyager to a view of a corridor where we see Tom striding purposefully, his expression focused and a little tense. As we view this we hear Janeway‘s voice, recording her personal log. "Personal log, stardate 51002.4, Kathryn Janeway recording. It‘s been a very long and overly eventful day, and I‘m glad it‘s almost over. We not only ejected our warp core, we retrieved it again, all in the same day. Luckily the damage is repairable and we should have warp drive back on line in a couple of days. The Cataati have continued on their way, and I personally hope we have seen the last of them. I sympathize with their suffering, but their method of extortion has not endeared them to me in the least. And they nearly cost the lives of two of my best officers." Tom turns the corner and stops abruptly. He looks momentarily relieved, then pleased with what he sees. B‘Elanna Torres is standing in front of his quarters, obviously waiting for him. They look at each other, B‘Elanna‘s face mirroring several expressions, including relief and expectation. Tom‘s expression remains focused and intent as he approaches her. "Tom and B‘Elanna are both fine, thank gods. The doctor treated them for oxygen deprivation and ion radiation, and has probably released them to their quarters for a good night‘s rest by now. I stopped by Sickbay a short time ago to reassure myself, and they both seemed okay, if a little disoriented. I‘m not sure it was only the oxygen deprivation that was behind their discomfiture. In the midst of the flurry of activity around them, I saw several significant looks pass between them." Tom stops several centimeters from B‘Elanna and they stare at each other a moment longer. Then B‘Elanna raises a hand and touches Tom‘s face, the same gesture she used while they were stranded in space, but this time there are no EVA suits, no barriers between them. We hear a small intake of breath from Tom, and his gaze on B‘Elanna intensifies. He copies her gesture, raising his hand to brush her cheek, then he gently cups her jaw. "Significant looks have passed between Tom and B‘Elanna before, but this was...different. Something‘s changed. Perhaps it was the stress of being stranded in space and nearly dying together- damn the Cataati. In any case, I think the inevitable is about to happen, and it‘s been coming for a while. A long while." As Tom‘s hand caresses her jaw, B‘Elanna‘s mouth curves into a small smile, and her expression is both satisfied and anticipatory. Tom smiles back briefly, genuinely, and the love for her shining in his eyes is obvious. Their smiles fade and they slowly lean toward each other. Their eyes close and their lips meet as they begin to kiss slowly, savoringly, as if they have waited a very long time for this moment. Their lips, and their hands cupping each other‘s faces, are the only places of direct contact as the kiss deepens. "If that‘s the case, then I‘m happy for them. It‘s in many ways still a very lonely existence for this crew out here in the Delta quadrant. We have only the most human of ways to assuage our sense of isolation. We have only each other-" (Janeway‘s voice pauses for a moment) "In any case, I can sleep better now knowing that Voyager is sound again, or soon will be. And that Tom and B‘Elanna are safely back here where they belong." Tom and B‘Elanna slowly pull away from each other. B‘Elanna‘s hand drops from Tom‘s face and they look at each other, love and desire plainly visible in their eyes. Then Tom lowers his hand slowly, brushing down B‘Elanna‘s arm, and takes her hand in his. They turn and the door to Tom‘s quarters slides open. Tom and B‘Elanna walk through it together, hands clasped, fingers tightly intertwined. The door slides shut behind them. "End personal log." And fade out.