Trials 02 Harry's Trial Page 9

  to breathe. His eyes flaming with anger---and other emotions less

  readable.

  Without looking at Harry, Malista released his arm and walked

  over to offer Natwick her hand. With a perfectly straight face, she

  said, "Sorry, coach. You must

  have been standing too close. I hope this won't affect my grade."

  Stifled whispers and muffled snorts and titters of laughter

  broke the silence. Natwick slapped her hand away, refusing her

  assistance with a growl.

  She threw her hands up in the air and stepped back. She pivoted

  on her heel and found Chell still seated on the mat. "You might need

  some help getting to Sickbay with that pulled muscle."

  Chell allowed her to pull him to his feet and pretended to

  hobble towards the exit, holding her arm for support. The other

  students who'd claimed to be injured followed his lead. The whole

  class quickly melted away leaving Harry standing in

  the center of the mat.

  Natwick got to his feet, still clutching his stomach. He cast a

  contemptuous glance at Kim and exited without comment.

  Harry looked down at the pipe in his hand. He dropped it on the

  mat and kicked it away viciously. "If I live to be a thousand," he

  told himself, "I will never understand women."

  ***********************

  The story was too good and there were too many witnesses. Within

  thirty minutes, the fall of Natwick was being discussed all over the

  ship. Sandrine's was abuzz. Tom and B'Elanna had heard the news from

  Chell. "She what?" Paris said loudly.

  Torres hushed him as she saw Harry walk in.

  As Kim approached their table, Chell moved on to the next eager

  listener. Torres looked at him calmly. At least she was

  acknowledging his existence now. "May I sit down?" Harry asked in a

  subdued voice.

  Paris and Torres exchanged glances. "Sure, Harry. Pull up a

  chair," Paris said. "You want a drink?"

  "No. I want to talk to B'Elanna. If you're speaking to me, that

  is," the ensign said, watching her and waiting for her response.

  "Of course, I'll talk to you, Harry. You're my friend," Torres

  reassured him.

  "You weren't talking to me this morning," he commented, relief

  evident in his dark eyes.

  Torres frowned at him as she remembered. "I had a hangover this

  morning. That I got on your account. Never mind, what did you want to

  talk to me about?"

  "Do you want me to leave you two alone?" Paris asked, smiling

  innocently.

  Harry stared at him tiredly. "If you promise to stop joking, you

  can stay."

  Torres and Paris exchanged another look. They were getting very

  good at communicating without words. All it took was practice.

  "What's up, Harry?" Paris asked.

  "B'Elanna, I know Malista probably told you---everything.

  Right?"

  "I don't know about everything. She told me some things. What's

  the problem, Harry?"

  Kim pushed his fingers through his hair and clutched his head

  with exasperation. "I don't know what I should do. I've really messed

  up with Malista---and just about the time I think she's going to take

  a chance to beat the living daylights out of me---Chell told you what

  happened tonight, right?"

  Paris grinned. "Yeah, if I'd known she was going to flatten

  Nitwit Natwick I would have sold tickets---or caught it on a vidcam.

  Hey, you suppose Security---" He trailed off in the face of his

  companions' disapproval. "Okay. Never mind."

  "Tom, be quiet or go away," Torres ordered. "Go ahead, Harry."

  "Well, you're a woman. Could you tell me why she did it? She's

  mad at me. I tried to apologize, but she wouldn't let me get close

  enough to even talk to her. She had a free shot at clobbering me---I

  wouldn't have blamed her if she had---but she didn't take it. Explain

  that to me. Does this mean she likes me? Does she hate me? I don't

  get this," Kim was seriously disturbed. He'd never had a problem

  like this with Libby. Once he'd found the nerve to ask her out, their

  relationship had run smoothly and in a straightforward manner. Harry

  didn't know what he could do to restore his friendship with Malista.

  All he knew was that he wanted to be her friend---or maybe---

  "B'Elanna, what's going on in her head?"

  It was a plea for help that Torres couldn't ignore. "Harry, all

  I can tell you is if it was me in that situation---and Tom was being

  set up to take a beating---even if I was furious with him---I'd defend him.

  I might want to beat him senseless, but I wouldn't let anybody else do it."

  "Hey!" Paris protested. "What did *I* do?"

  She slid a slow warning glance up at him. "Nothing--- yet. We're

  speaking hypothetically."

  Harry rubbed his forehead as he concentrated. "You mean she

  hasn't forgiven me, but she still cares about---likes me?" He wished

  he'd gotten more than four hours sleep last night. It would be easier

  to think.

  "That's my opinion," B'Elanna said. "I think I could give you

  better advice about making up with her if I knew exactly what you did

  that made her so mad in the first place."

  "Did Tom tell you to ask that?" Harry said, eyes narrowing

  suspiciously.

  "Tom doesn't put words in my mouth," Torres stated.

  Paris grinned and slid an arm around her shoulder. "No, Tom

  would rather put---" Her elbow in his ribs cut off his wisecrack.

  "Ow! Don't poke me! I'll shut up." He put his index finger in front

  of his closed lips.

  Kim sighed. "I thought you said she told you what happened."

  "She gave us a one sentence summary," Torres said.

  "Us?!"

  "The KTERS. It's a new club. Jenny and Malista are the founding

  members," Torres said.

  "What do the letters stand for?" Kim asked reluctantly.

  "Kill Those Eternal Rats Society. The rats part refers to men,"

  Paris explained helpfully. "And on behalf of the men of Voyager,

  Harry, I'd just like to thank you for getting all the women in an

  uproar and making them hate us! Except for my beloved B'Ella, of

  course."

  "You're pushing it, Paris," Torres said, frowning him into

  submission.

  He put his index finger back over his mouth and subsided into

  his chair. There was a time to speak and a time to be quiet. Tom

  Paris was learning wisdom.

  Harry groaned. "Geez. How did I get into this mess?"

  B'Elanna was beginning to feel sorry for him. "I don't know. How

  did you?"

  "It was the ignoring that got you in big trouble, Harry," Paris

  advised solemnly. "They don't like being ignored. They'll do all

  kinds of things to get your attention ---Ow! Like elbow you!" Paris

  exclaimed indignantly, moving his chair to get out of B'Elanna's

  reach.

  "Why do you think this is so funny?" Kim asked, grumpily.

  A hint of glee peeked out of Tom's blue eyes. "Because, for

  once, nobody's mad at me! I'm not the one who's in trouble," he

  announced with a satisfied smile.

  B'Elanna said. "Your best friend is. You want to help him?"

  "Oh
, yeah," Paris muttered. "Sorry, Harry."

  Harry gave his friend a rueful glance. "It's okay, Tom. I

  probably kidded you more than I should have when you were trying to

  get B'Elanna's attention. B'Elanna, tell me what she said. I want to

  know how much damage control I need to do," Kim replied. It was

  typical of the Ops Officer to put it in engineering terms.

  Torres thought for a moment, trying to recall Malista's exact

  words. "She said you led her on---then you dumped her, and you

  ignored her."

  Harry Kim's mouth dropped open. He couldn't take it in at first.

  "That's what she said?"

  "What did you think she would say?" B'Elanna demanded.

  Harry ignored the question, his mind was racing, trying to put

  the puzzle pieces together. "So if she wasn't mad because---then when

  I---but I didn't want---but she thought---so when I---then she---Oh,

  no---Damn! But why didn't she---no, she couldn't if she thought ---

  but then why---that's it! That has to be it!"

  Paris was chuckling as he listened to Harry's rambling. Torres

  frowned at both of them. Tom made an effort to sober up as Harry's

  gaze suddenly refocused and a smile began to spread across his face.

  "What has to be it?" B'Elanna asked. She hadn't followed his

  train of thought at all.

  Harry jumped to his feet and grasped B'Elanna's face between his

  hands. He planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Thanks, B'Elanna. You're

  a genius." He dashed

  out of the holodeck.

  "Hey!" Paris yelled after him. "Get your own girl! This one's

  mine!"

  "*What* did you say?" Torres drawled, ominously.

  "I love that glint in your eyes, B'Ella," Tom said ingenuously.

  He leaned in for a quick kiss of his own. He kissed her again, a

  slow lingering kiss. She growled low in her throat. He growled back.

  She smiled---dangerously. He wasn't afraid. He smiled back---

  dangerously.

  Chell, who was coming back towards their table, decided he

  really didn't need to talk to either of them right now and went

  looking for more comfortable companions.

  ***********************

  His footsteps slowed as he approached her quarters. Maybe it

  wasn't such a good idea to do this tonight. She was probably tired.

  She might not even be home.

  'Don't chicken out now, Harry,' he told himself. 'You need to

  straighten out this misunderstanding. Before it gets worse.'

  "Get away from me." It was Malista's shaky voice coming from

  around the corner where the hallway formed a dead end next to the

  storage facilities. Harry quickened his pace.

  "Now why would I want to do that?" A husky, growl. Harry knew

  that voice. It was Ensign George Natwick.

  Harry quietly stepped around the corner. Malista was up against

  the bulkhead. Natwick, his hands resting against the wall on either

  side of her shoulders, had her pinned there. She had flattened

  herself against the wall as if she wished to melt into it to get away

  from him. His body was about six inches from hers as he leaned in.

  Harry started to move, but stopped himself, fighting his natural

  instincts to go to her rescue. He and Tom had discussed Malista

  Shadow and Chakotay's advice. Natwick wasn't even touching her. He

  would let her handle it on her own---if she could. If she could not---

  "Back off and leave me alone," she said, fear making her voice

  quiver. She tried to avoid his eyes, but he was right in her face.

  "Why should I?" he sneered. "Come on, Shadow. You're a woman.

  I'm a man. Let's do something about it."

  "I don't want to."

  "Well, what if I do want to?" His eyes drifted the length of her

  body, still clad in the tight-fitting jumpsuit.

  She sounded more assertive as fear gave way to anger at his

  presumption. "Back off!"

  "What? You're gonna make me? You dumped me tonight, because I

  wasn't expecting anything from you. You've been acting scared of your

  own shadow since you came to that class. You think you can take me? Now?

  When I'm ready?" His tone was slightly contemptuous as his stare returned

  to her face.

  She drew breath deep into her lungs and forced herself to focus

  and think clearly. She lifted her chin defiantly. "I think you'd

  better back off now, Mister! You may be able to take me down, but

  I'll take you with me." Her green eyes glittered angrily into his.

  "I'll hurt you. Coming after me will cost you something." Her tone

  projected her utter confidence that while she might not win, she

  wouldn't be the only loser.

  He examined her expression, the sudden readiness of her body to

  respond to attack. She would fight. He stepped back, letting his arms

  drop to his side. "Not bad, Shadow. You're getting the hang of it."

  His menacing air had disappeared, replaced by objective evaluation of her stance.

  She frowned at him, baffled by the unanticipated change in his

  demeanor.

  "I wanted to see if what happened tonight was a one-shot,"

  Natwick said. "Nearly anyone can find the courage to fight for

  someone else. Some people can fight only for themselves. The best are

  those who can do both. If you don't get it, ask your little friend

  there." He jerked a thumb toward Harry Kim, still standing at the

  entrance to the passageway. He strode past the ensign, turned and

  called to them, "See you both in class tomorrow."

  Malista fell back against the wall limply, her eyes closed.

  Harry approached her. "Are you okay?"

  Her eyes flashed open. "Why didn't you stop him?" she asked.

  "I didn't have to," Kim replied matter-of-factly. "You stopped

  him."

  A grin spread across her face. "Yeah, I did. Didn't I?" she said

  unsteadily. "Wow! I can't believe---did you see that? I told him to

  back off---and he did." She seemed amazed at her own temerity.

  Kim smiled at her proudly. "Hey, any sensible man would back off

  if you said it that way. You sounded deadly. He was testing you. You

  passed the test."

  Her smile dropped away as she suddenly realized she was talking

  to Harry Kim. "Excuse me, I was going to my quarters."

  Kim lost his smile as well. "Malista, can we talk? I think I

  need to explain what happened last night."

  She looked past his shoulder as she tried to step around him. "I

  don't think you need to explain. I'm not stupid. I know what

  happened."

  He blocked her way by stepping in front of her once more.

  "Malista. Please? We need to talk about it. You didn't understand---I

  didn't---Please? Can we sit down somewhere and talk about this?"

  Reluctantly, she slanted those green eyes toward him. "I don't

  have much time. I have another---appointment."

  "Please? At least give me a chance to explain---to apologize?"

  His earnest boyish face was his best argument.

  "All right," she sighed. "Come on. We can talk in my quarters."

  He stepped aside to let her lead the way.

  In her quarters, she chose to sit in the big armchair, cross-

  legged, arms braced on the arms of the chair. He sat gingerly on the

  edge of the couch
, leaning towards her as he struggled to find the

  proper words to explain. She stared at him, waiting as patiently and

  silently as a statue. Her defenses were in place. He couldn't read

  her expression or tell what she was thinking. "Malista, B'Elanna told

  me what you said," Harry began awkwardly. "That I---uh---"

  "Led me on, dumped me and ignored me?" Shadow completed his

  sentence.

  "No! I mean, yes, that's what she said. But that's not what

  happened!" Harry exclaimed.

  "I was there, Harry. I know what happened," she said gruffly.

  Her jaw tightened.

  Harry drove his fist into the palm of his hand. "Malista, that's

  what I mean about a misunderstanding. It may have seemed to you---I

  mean I understand---" He stopped to collect his thoughts. "Let me start

  over. Last night, we were kissing and it was really nice---" As he reminisced,

  he began to smile. "But then Tom showed up---"

  "And you couldn't get rid of me fast enough!" Malista

  interjected. "What's the matter, Harry? Did you think my big brother

  might get mad at you? Are you afraid of Tom?"

  "What?! No!" Kim made an effort and controlled his exasperation

  at her stubborn refusal to listen or see his viewpoint. "I heard

  someone coming and I jumped up to see who it was. It could have been

  one of the locals checking on our fire. I was trying to protect you."

  She scrutinized him with an unshaken air of skepticism. "And

  then it turned out to be Tom."

  "Yes. I didn't want you to feel embarrassed. I wasn't sure how

  Tom would react if he knew---what we'd been doing. He's very

  protective of you and he trusted me to---take care of you," Harry

  faltered to a halt. Her stony expression wasn't encouraging. "All

  right, Malista. I'll be honest---"

  "That would be a nice change."

  Kim wisely ignored that interruption. "I felt guilty about

  taking advantage of you. I felt guilty because Tom trusted me to take

  care of you and I felt I let him down. And I felt guilty---really,

  really guilty---because I wasn't sure just how far we might have

  gone---I might have gone with you---if Tom hadn't shown up when he

  did. I mean, things were getting out of control---"

  "They were?" she asked. She was relaxing into the chair, the

  stony expression softening.

  He seemed to have finally said something right. "Yes, they were.