Trials 02 Harry's Trial Page 11

  lunch," she ordered. "Both of you."

  With one last cough, Harry stood. "I'm not very hungry. I'm

  going back to the bridge." He left without a backward glance.

  Paris and Torres exchanged concerned glances. Then Tom turned

  his attention back to balefully keeping an eye on Malista's new

  admirers. He was just waiting for one of them to give him an excuse

  to go over there and take action.

  B'Elanna sighed. It was going to be a long day---and an even

  longer week. B'Elanna didn't hold out much hope that Tom wouldn't

  hear about Malista's date for tonight, or the next night, or---and

  Neelix was throwing another party at the resort on Saturday evening.

  Malista was planning to attend---her first time at a party on the

  ship. Torres intended to have a little talk with the Delaneys. Just

  to make sure they didn't go overboard. She didn't know if Tom's blood

  pressure could stand it if they dressed Shadow in one of their

  typically provocative outfits.

  B'Elanna sighed again, but then smiled as she saw Tom's frown,

  thinking, 'He's so cute when he's belligerent. Kahless help him if he

  ever has a daughter of his own.' That idea sparked another train of

  thought.

  Tom glanced at B'Elanna and was amazed to see her smiling

  thoughtfully, her mind momentarily miles and years away from the mess

  hall thinking of blue-eyed little girls.

  ***********************

  Harry Kim was not having a good week. It seemed that everywhere

  he went, Malista Shadow was there or was just leaving, usually trailed

  by some panting playboy making eyes at her and trying to put his hands

  on her. Though she was seemingly dodging the hands, she wasn't

  making much of an effort to discourage her admirers.

  One of them had even asked Harry for advice on the type of

  perfume Malista would like to receive as a gift. Kim had replied

  rather snappishly that he had no idea.

  On Tuesday night, he'd gone to Sandrine's to meet Tom and

  B'Elanna. At a table in the corner, Malista and Susan Nicoletti were

  on a double date with Gerron and Ensign Michael Murphy. Malista and

  Jerron? Harry found the idea ludicrous, but that didn't explain why

  he felt an urge to tell Gerron to keep his hands to himself. Maybe

  he'd been hanging around with Tom too much lately. Harry was getting

  infected with Tom's protective instincts. That must be it.

  When Harry found himself noticing that the top two buttons of

  Malista's red blouse were left unfastened, he decided he'd better

  leave before Tom caught him looking at her and reacted in big brother

  fashion. It wasn't that she was dressed provocatively. It was just that

  every time she leaned forward to pick up her drink, Harry caught a

  glimpse of cleavage peeking from the vee-neck. If he could do that

  from across the room, he didn't want to think about the view Gerron

  and Michael were sharing. He found himself thinking about it a little

  too much and excused himself.

  Harry decided to stay in his quarters when not on duty. That

  prevented him from having to watch Malista flirting with other men,

  but it didn't prevent him from hearing about it. On Wednesday night,

  she'd had a date with Crewman Joksuun Pakkin and had accompanied

  Jenny Delaney and her date, Ensign Seth Laknar to holodeck one for a

  picnic on Hestes Colony, renowned for the romantic views of the four

  moons rising over its mountain lakes. Harry had heard all about it

  Thursday evening in the mess hall as Jenny and her sister had

  discussed it fairly loudly during dinner.

  On Thursday, she learned to ice skate on a holodeck recreation

  of the ice lakes of New Sweden with Sven Haldersen, Megan Delaney,

  and Paul Bloorden. Susan Nicoletti and Malista were discussing sore

  muscles and Sven's 'adorable accent' as they worked on the bridge

  within earshot of Harry's station on Friday afternoon.

  On Friday, Tom, B'Elanna, Malista, and Lieutenant Trent Salaka

  from the Biology Department attended the recreation of a performance

  of a musical play, something called The Man of La Mancha. B'Elanna

  had insisted on telling Harry all about it at lunch the next day.

  She'd expressed her approval of Trent's good manners and considerate

  behavior. It seemed that he'd known the play was emotionally moving

  and provided a box of tissues for each of the ladies in his party.

  Not that Torres had needed them. But Malista had been moved to tears

  several times.

  And at every opportunity, Tom insisted on talking to Harry about

  his concerns for his 'little sister'. He was afraid she'd embarked on

  a campaign to date every unattached male on Voyager, and feared that

  one of them would try to involve

  Malista in a sexual relationship before she was ready to handle it.

  Harry didn't really want to hear about it, but couldn't think of

  a way to discourage Tom without arousing suspicions again about his

  own relationship with her. Whatever that relationship was. Harry was

  uncertain about the strength of his

  feelings for her and what he wanted to do about them. He'd found

  himself thinking more often about Libby---and about Malista---and

  comparing and contrasting the two women.

  As for Malista's feelings for Harry, she was always polite---

  friendly even, but--- distant. He remembered saying he wanted to

  be friends. It hadn't occurred to him she'd take him at his word so

  literally. He hadn't really meant 'just friends'. Maybe he should have

  done a better job of defining his terms.

  The only positive note was that he'd evidently been forgiven his

  trespasses by the female contingent of Voyager. They were speaking to

  him again, politely, but with a hint of mistrust that had never been

  present before. He was evidently on probation.

  The current object of their scorn was Freddie Bristow who'd

  tried unsuccessfully to pit sister against sister---evidently an

  unforgivable sin---at least till some other poor sap messed up and

  supplanted Bristow as chief villain on the shipboard grapevine.

  Harry was on his way to his quarters when Susan Nicoletti caught

  up with him in the corridor. "Harry?" He paused and turned to face

  her as she caught up with him and matched his gait. "Harry, I was

  looking for you. Did you want to skip

  rehearsal or meet early tonight?"

  "Tonight? Why?"

  She lightly punched his arm. "The party at the resort? Remember?

  Tonight at 0800."

  "Oh. I guess we can cancel rehearsal," Harry said listlessly.

  Susan sent an evaluating sidewise glance in his direction.

  Casually, she said, "Have you decided what you're going to wear

  tonight? Instead of a Polynesian theme, Neelix decided to try for

  Acapulco!" She hid a smile at Harry's lack of enthusiasm.

  "I'm not going."

  Susan grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt. "What do you

  mean you're not going? Mariachis! Margaritas! Ensign Mendez has

  promised to teach us a Mexican Hat Dance in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

  Whatever that is."

  He stared at her with a somber expression. "I'm just not in the


  mood for a party, Susan."

  "Oh, well, I thought for sure you'd want to be there when you

  heard---" she broke off abruptly. She spun on her heel and started

  walking away, as if she'd reconsidered what she'd been about to say.

  "What?" Harry asked.

  Susan stopped near the entrance to her quarters, but kept her

  back towards him. "Oh, nothing!" she caroled.

  "Susan?" Harry repeatedly ominously. It was obvious that she

  didn't want to tell him something. He felt strongly that he needed to

  know what she was keeping from him.

  She turned back to face him with a show of reluctance. "Really,

  Harry, it's nothing. It's just a rumor. Nothing to concern yourself

  about." She didn't sound very convincing. She sounded like she was

  trying to placate him.

  He advanced on her, stopping within whispering distance. "Susan,

  what were you going to say? I'd want to be there when I heard---

  what?"

  Nicoletti gnawed on her upper lip for a moment. "Well, I don't

  know if I should say anything---to you. Maybe I should tell Tom

  Paris---I mean, he does consider himself---sort of responsible---"

  "This is something about Malista?" Harry deduced. His patience

  was evaporating. "Susan, tell me."

  "It's just a rumor. It may not be serious," she explained. "I

  mean, why get you or Tom all stirred up---"

  "Just tell me," he said impatiently.

  She sighed. "Well, all right. You promise not to do anything---

  hasty?"

  Harry nodded, his eyes intent on her face.

  "Well," Susan glanced around the corridor as if to ensure no one

  would overhear. "There's a rumor floating around that tonight at the

  party---I don't know if I should tell you this, Harry. It could just

  cause unnecessary trouble."

  Kim resisted the urge to wrap his hands around Nicoletti's

  throat and throttle the words out of her. "Tell me!" he demanded

  vehemently.

  "There's a rumor going around that tonight at the party, George

  Natwick is going to get even with Malista--- for making a fool of him

  in class," she blurted out.

  "How?"

  "I don't know. That's all I heard. That he wants to get even.

  And what better place to embarrass her than on the holodeck when the

  whole crew is there?" she asked reasonably. "Do you think I should

  tell Tom?" she asked artlessly.

  "No!" Harry snapped. His mind was racing as he came up with

  various scenarios and steps he could take as countermeasures. His

  eyes focused on Nicoletti once more. "No, don't tell Tom. I'll take

  care of it. Thanks, Susan. I appreciate the warning. I'll see you

  tonight." He spun and charged down the corridor to his cabin.

  He needed to make plans and find something to wear.

  Susan watch him disappear then entered her own quarters. Megan,

  Jenny, Malista, and B'Elanna looked up from the computer screen.

  Smiling, Susan held up her right hand with a thumbs up gesture.

  "He'll be there, all right." For a moment, Nicoletti felt a twinge of

  guilt at manipulating her friend, Harry Kim. She quickly shrugged it

  off. She was doing it for his own good---they all were.

  "Good," said Jenny. "Megan, did you take care of---"

  Her twin smiled like a cat who'd been in the cream. "George

  knows what to do. You know, when he's not flexing all those muscles,

  he's kind of cute," she said thoughtfully.

  Susan and B'Elanna exchanged dubious looks. There was just no

  accounting for tastes.

  "Good," Jenny said again. "Now all we have to do is pick out

  an outfit for Malista to wear tonight. How about this one?" She

  indicated a picture from the ship's computer library.

  The others leaned in to study the costume. B'Elanna and Malista

  both reacted with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "Not unless you want

  Tom to have a stroke," Torres said.

  Malista shook her head. "There's not enough material there for a

  bandage, much less a dress. Jenny, you could probably get away with

  that, but---"

  "But Malista wouldn't feel comfortable showing so much skin,"

  Susan concluded, earning a grateful nod from Shadow and Torres for

  her tact.

  Jenny frowned at the screen, then her expression lightened.

  "Maybe I'll wear that one. Or save it for a special occasion. Let's

  see, what else---" She scrolled through the files of replicator

  patterns. "How about this one?"

  They all peered at her next choice. "Jenny---" Malista began,

  only to stop when words failed her.

  B'Elanna rolled her eyes in exasperation at the redhead. The

  two women were not exactly friends. They were temporary allies in the

  common cause of helping Malista Shadow. "Jenny, I know some people

  think less is more, but that doesn't apply to clothing items."

  "Some people have the figure to carry off an outfit like this!"

  Jenny snapped cattily.

  "Anyone who wears that outfit is likely to be carried off!"

  Megan giggled, defusing the disagreement before it could escalate.

  The truth of that remark drew a laugh.

  Susan Nicoletti took over the computer controls while Jenny was

  distracted. "I think what Malista needs is something that leaves some

  mystery," she said diplomatically. "Something that---teases, but

  doesn't reveal---something---"

  "Like that!" Malista, Susan, and B'Elanna said simultaneously,

  each pointing to the same costume.

  Jenny and Megan studied the design with matching pouts. "Are you

  sure? That looks kind of---" Jenny began.

  "Plain," Megan finished.

  "It's perfect," Malista said with a happy smile.

  ***********************

  Neelix had done a remarkable job of decorating the holodeck

  resort with a Mexican motif. Multi-colored pinatas hung from the

  ceiling surrounding the dining area. The tablecloths were gaudily

  striped in bold primary colors, and the salsa and chips were in

  pottery dishes. The Mariachis were dressed in the full regalia,

  playing their instruments as they strolled around the room, their

  huge sombreros brushing the hanging decorations and setting them in

  motion.

  A large dance floor had been cleared in the center of the room

  and the tables grouped around it in a loosely organized fashion. The

  buffet was set up by the pool, with a variety of 'authentic' replicated

  Mexican food---everything from enchiladas to flautas to chiles rellenos

  ---and more than enough jalapenos and pico de gallo to

  scald the palates of those who craved hot and spicy foods. Neelix

  had also thoughtfully provided a cactus-shaped dish of leola root

  dip, for those who cared to improve upon the original Alpha Quadrant

  recipes with a touch of Delta Quadrant cuisine.

  Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay made an early appearance.

  Neelix was disappointed that they were still in uniform, but was

  pleased they were in attendance. The captain was recounting some

  story about her Academy days that involved drinking and a worm in a bottle

  and---eating it. Neelix thought that was disgusting. But then humans could

  be very strange in their culin
ary habits at times.

  Lieutenant Paris and Lieutenant Torres entered the holodeck arm

  in arm. Paris cut a dashing figure though his fairness seemed

  strangely at odds with his chosen costume. He was dressed in black

  slacks, a black silk shirt with loose long sleeves and wide cuffs,

  and wearing a black cape that flowed almost to his feet and swung

  dramatically with his every movement. He was wearing black boots and

  a black flat-topped sombrero hung down his back, held by a string

  around his neck.

  B'Elanna was wearing a white blouse with a short, tight-fitting

  red jacket over it, and a long, split skirt in the same shade of red.

  Her black knee-length boots added two inches to her height.

  They walked over to greet the captain and first officer.

  Janeway studied Tom's apparel with an amused glint in her gray eyes.

  "Is that an authentic Mexican costume, Mr. Paris?"

  He posed like a model and pivoted so she could get the full

  effect of the cape. "You've never heard of the legendary Zorro? He

  was the Robin Hood of California when Mexico owned it! Of course,

  you might have recognized the outfit---if a certain someone hadn't stolen

  the mask that goes with it," he said, a pout evident in the last sentence.

  B'Elanna scowled up at him impatiently. "I let you keep the

  cape. I'm not going anywhere with a man who wears a mask. Masks are

  cowardly. There's no honor---"

  Tom held up a hand. "Never mind," he said nobly, sounding

  martyred. "She wouldn't let me wear the mustache or the sword,

  either." He snagged a couple of drinks off the tray of a passing

  waiter and handed one to Torres.

  "I'm sure you would have looked very dashing, Mr. Paris,"

  Janeway commiserated with a twinkle in her eye. Chakotay just shook

  his head.

  Other crew members continued to arrive, some in costume, others

  wearing civilian clothes or their uniforms. Jenny and Megan Delaney

  stirred the interest of the unattached males by appearing in the

  skimpiest sundresses ever seen in the Delta Quadrant. They seemed to

  defy gravity merely by staying in place. The sisters were holding

  court near the bar area.

  There seemed to be an air of excitement, of expectation as the

  crowd grew. Chakotay picked up on it and searched the faces of the

  party-goers, hoping to find a clue to the source. He didn't like

  surprises.