Title:  MINE  Part Three
Author:  Cheryl Forbes
Fandom:  Star Trek:  Voyager
Pairing:   Chakotay/Tom Paris
Rating:  NC 17
Series:  3 of ?
Email Address for feedback: forbesc@skyia.com
Disclaimer:  Voyager and her crew belong to Paramount and not me.
Whatever.

Summary:  A rose by any other name can be just as deadly.
 

"Then what the hell happened, Tuvok?"

Tom plopped down on the lounge in the ready room beside Chakotay who
unconsciously shifted towards him.   From the corner of her desk
where she was perched, the captain echoed her chief pilot's question
but with a little more tact.

"Yes Tuvok, if the room was supposed to be monitored, why didn't the
sensors pick up the transport of the disc into Tom's room?"

Tuvok standing in the middle of the room turned to face his
commanding officer.

"The sensors did pick up the transport, however the alarm was set for
a bio-signature only."

Kathryn shook her head and threw her arms out in exasperation.

"Fine then what information did we gather about the transport?"

"The holo disc was beamed into the lieutenants quarters at 03:00 by
an independent device which I've tracked to its source.  It was as we
suspected a personal transporter."

"You've found it?"

"Yes commander my security team found the device on the Observation
Deck."  And now for the bad news.  "Unfortunately it had a preset
timer so I am unable to determine when the device was placed."

"Meaning it could be one of how many people." Tom looked to the
security chief.

"47 crewmembers visited the deck yesterday."

"OK one of 47 different people who could have set it."  He threw his
arm back over the rear of the lounge, his fingers lightly resting at
the nape of Chakotay's neck.  "Which means we're right back where we
started," He fought the urge to place his head on the commander's
shoulder as he finished.  "Absitively, posolutely no where."

The commander feeling the light caress at the back of his neck,
folded his arms in an effort to prevent himself from pulling the
distraught man beside him closer to his side.  He racked his brain.
They had to missing something but what.

"What about the hologram itself.  Is there any significance to a dead
rose?"

Tuvok went to his PADD.  "Terran folklore describes the giving of
dead flowers as a farewell or as a symbol of death.  A withered
flower may also mean despair."

"Great!  So the guy either wants to kill me or maybe he's just having
a really bad hair day." Tom's agitation caused him to move flush
against the commander.  "Well that makes me feel a whole lot better.
Thanks Tuvok."

The captain could see the pilot trying to draw comfort from her first
officer and she could also see how hard it was for Chakotay to not to
openly give it.   Their relationship was deepening fast.  She
wondered if the attacker knew how counter productive his actions
were, that all he was doing was bringing these two men closer.  She
directed her concentration back to her security officer.

"What about the weapon?  Are you any closer to finding out what it
was?"

"The computer is still searching Voyager's databanks Captain, it will
only be a matter of time before we discover the instrument of
attack."  Noting Mr Paris' rolling eyes he continued.  "I have also
instituted a data recovery program looking for any further use of the
schematic files or of the use of the word "mine"."

"Very well Tuvok keep me informed and please escort Mr Paris back to
his quarters."

Tom disengaged himself from the commander to stand in front
her.  "With your permission Captain I'd like to complete my shift on
the bridge."

"Not today Mr Paris, dismissed."

With one last glance back at Chakotay he left with Tuvok.   Kathryn
hopped off the edge of her desk to sit beside the commander on the
lounge.  She noted how his eyes followed the pilot's exit.

"He'll be all right."

"I know."  Slowly he drew his eyes from the door to look at her. She
saw all the fear, the hate and the love reflected in those ebony
orbs.  He turned his head to the stars whizzing by the viewport and
continued.

"He has to be."

********

"Paris to Chakotay."

As he tapped the comm badge on the night table he noted the time on
the chrono, 01:15.  Fear made his throat tighten.

"Tom, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I'm OK.  Where are you?"

"I'm in bed trying to sleep, and you?"

"Ditto.  So what are you wearing?"

"A sleep shirt.  Why?"

"Beep wrong answer."

"Excuse me?"

"Ask me what I'm wearing."

"OK.what are you wearing?"

"Nothing but a smile and a hard on with your name on it."

"Tom, you know I can't come there."

"I know baby but you can cum there.  Take off your shirt."

"Oh.  It's off.  What are you doing?"

"I'm licking my fingers and rubbing my nipples remembering your lips
on them." *pause*  "Mmm.  Tell me Chakotay, tell me what you're
doing."

"Thinking of those fingers, your long elegant fingers sliding down my
back and that beautiful mouth on mine."

"Yes.  I'm sucking that luscious lower lip, flicking my tongue into
your wetness."

"Touch me Tom."

"My nails are scratching up your sides, across your chest and
scraping your nipples."

"Yes and I'm tasting that glorious neck, feeling the softness of your
hair with my face."

"I feel your warm breath on my face." *pause* "Oh baby, I'm slipping
my fingers around your cock.  Gods, you're so hot, so huge.  Move for
me baby."

"I am.  Oh spirits."

"Tell me Chak, tell me."

"I slipping my hand around yours and bringing your cock against mine,
oh." *pause* "You're wet, my is thumb running over your head
spreading the wetness over mine."

"Yesss that's good baby.  I'm fucking your hand Chakotay, it's so
good, so good.  Can you feel me thrusting into your palm."

"Yesss.  Oh, Tom I can't, I can't."

"Pumping, pumping, oh fuck, I'm coming.  Oh fuck I can't
stop.Chak!"

"Tom!"

Rustling bedcovers, soft cries and labored breathing evening out
carry across the comm link.

"Chak?"

"I'm here Tom."

A few moments of silence pass.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too Poocuh."

********

"So can you play the "I miss you so much my eyelashes hurt" blues?"

Harry looked up from his plate.  Not feeling like parading through
the messhall today with his Tuvokian convoy, Tom had convince Harry
to lunch in the ensign's quarter's, his treat.

"Tom if I play for you we won't have time to eat."

Tom swirled his spoon in his tomato soup playing with the congealing
skin and thought, so who wanted to eat?

"Right, right."  So he if couldn't gain solace from the strains of
Harry's clarinet, he have to do with talking.  Not sure of his best
friend's reaction to him mooning over another guy he tested the
waters.

"Harry have you ever been with a man before?"

The ensign went as white as the bread on his chicken salad sandwich
and took a big gulp of his milk before answering.

"You mean like sex?"

"Yeah."

"No."

OK, so he hadn't done it but that didn't mean maybe didn't want to
try it.

"Have you ever thought about it then?"

"What do you mean?"

Harry was being obtuse.  That's OK, Tom could play to that.  He'd
just keep talking and watched the man's reactions.

"I dunno, maybe when Gerron Tem walks by you in the messhall and
looks at you with those pretty doe eyes of his, do you start feeling
a little warm below the equator?"

"No."

Strike one.

"OK what about when we're playing pool and Billy Telfer asks to use
your stick?  No stirring of the one eye trouser snake?"

"No, Tom."

Strike two.

"OK let's see who else?  Oh I know.  What about that guy from the
Equinox.  What's his name Noah, Noah Lessing, he's big black and
beautiful."

"No Tom I don't want to sleep with Noah."

Strike three.

Hell there had to be somebody that turned his crank.  He'd figured at
least one of the guys he mentioned would have something that would
appeal to Harry.  Tem had that little boy lost look to him, Billy
would be a willing bottom and then there was Noah.  Noah would be a
definite on your knees and do me now kind of guy.  What was left?
Tom looked at his friend who was it seemed waiting for the next
example.  Realization hit him like a thunderbolt.   Me?  No, that
couldn't be because he belonged to.. -

"Chakotay."

Gods, had he said that out loud?  As he started to explain to Harry
that they could only be just friends he saw the man's reaction to
hearing the commander's name.

"We should go."

As Tom sat watching as the ensign furtively started to clear away
their lunch dishes and put them back into the replicator, he realized
it why they were such good friends.  They liked the same things.
Tom got up, rounded the table and got into the man's personal space.

"Harry, it's OK."

"Tom."

"Look the way I see it is that you have good taste and I have good
taste.  There's nothing wrong in appreciating the same things, OK?"

"OK, can we go back to work now?"

He tried to look the man in the eye but the ensign refused and
skirted around him to exit the cabin and headed out into the corridor.

"Yeah sure Har, what ever you want."

Not really feeling any better than he had when his lunch break
started, Tom made his way to the holodeck to run some flight sims.

********

Something was wrong.

All last night he listened to the comm channels.  When heard his
beloved's voice he had thought he was talking to him alone but the
other one had been there too.  The message had not been understood.

He didn't want to have to hurt but he was left with no choice.  The
message had to be understood.  There was no other way.

It was his fault and he would fix it.  He didn't want to hurt, he
didn't, he didn't, he didn't but..he had to protect what was his.

I have to protect what is MINE.

********

"Kiss me tall, dark and gorgeous."

He leaned forward taking in the Mona Lisa smile and letting his
fingers grace those killer dimples but stopping before his loneliness
entirely overtook him, he stood back.

"You know, I think I'm falling in love with you."

The pale facsimile of his love continued to stare towards the
viewscreen.

"What?  You're surprised?  Well you and me both."  Tom walked from
the conn back to the command chair where his "commander" was
sitting.

"I did think it would happen but there you are."  He fell to his
knees before the holo character of the first officer knowing he
wasn't real but saying the words anyway.  "I love you Chakotay."

Taking his eyes away from the dull stare, Tom looked around the
deck.  Janeway, Tuvok, Harry and Samantha they were all there waiting
in suspended animation for his command to come to life.  Here he had
control.  Here he could command the characters to do his bidding but
in the world outside these walls someone else controlled his life.
Someone who told him who he could be with and who he could love.
With effort he rose, went to his seat at the conn and stared at the
viewscreen.

"Fuck you and fuck the horse you rode in on!"

Feeling a little better, he settled in his seat.  He had four
scenarios he wanted to run through before calling it a day and making
it time for Neelix's dinner special.  OK it wasn't something he
didn't usually strive for but it was something that was still up to
him.

 "Computer, engage sim Paris Gamma Two."

"Acknowledged."

The program began to run.  Vidian warships assailed him and he out
maneuvered them.   The Kazon Nistrum was defeated and he prevailed
against the Borg.  As Tom readied himself for the final simulation
his comm badge went off.  Somebody was requesting entrance to the
holodeck.

"Computer freeze program and reveal arch."

The heavy doors of the holodeck replaced the space where the turbo
lift usually inhabited.  Tom turned in his chair to face his
interruption.

"Forgive me Lieutenant but I was instructed to bring this to your
immediate attention."

Vorik walked down the slope around the command chairs to his position
and handed him a PADD.

Not one of his favorite people after the pon farr incident with
B'Elanna, Tom carefully avoided his touch as the Vulcan handed him
the data PADD.

"Thank you Vorik."

"Thanks are unnecessary Lieutenant."

Before Tom had a chance to form a response to the somber crewmember,
he turned and exited the holodeck.  Tom shrugged his shoulders in
dismissal as he turned his attention to the PADD in his hand.

When he pressed the play button on its panel the small screen went an
almost luminescent black.  Looking at the sparkling screen he was
surprised to hear his own voice being emitted from the slim device in
his hand.

"Computer engage sim Paris Gamma Five."

The lights dimmed and took on a crimson hue as the bridge went into
red alert.   The computer began to talk.

"Self destruct in 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7..."

Tom threw the PADD to the ground and spun in his seat.  For a moment
he tried to assess the main computer on his comm panel before reality
hit him.  He sat straight in his chair.

"Computer end simulation."

"Self destruct in 5 seconds, 4, 3..."

"Computer end simulation!"

White light and bright blue sparks blinded him as he fell to the
deck.   As numbness evaded his body and a searing he felt from the
base of his spine to the nape of his caused him to convulse, his eyes
locked on the forward viewscreen.

The stars were moving.  In his blaze of pain he wasn't sure at first
until they begun to coalesce into form.  Before he lost consciousness
they developed into characters and one word was burnt into his brain,

M - I - N - E

END OF PART THREE