36Author's Note: This originated as a oneshot that popped into my head while I was having a bad week. On this particular day, I needed an outlet for my dark thoughts. Hence my favorite character – Tom Paris, if you haven't read my short bio - turned into the Dark Angel. Melodramatic, I know. But that's the mood I was in.
Then, as my bad week turned into a bad month, or two, or three, my story grew and lengthened. This is the story I worked on when I felt like hitting back at the universe. My life has evened back into normal, but I'm committed now that this story has become a whole new arc on its own. I'm not sure how long it is going to be, but it isn't short, and I haven't finished writing it.
I also have a ten year old son and a husband who are totally into superheroes. Consequently, this story may be slightly over the top in places. But, hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it anyway.
I have also started on prequel to this story as well because … well, my husband wanted me to have more of Tom's background in this one. But I wanted to do something different to my other story and focus on DQ Tom Paris. So, I compromised. I began a prequel. There may be some similarities in this Tom's background to the one in my Second Time Around universe. But there will be differences too.
Finally, this story is rated T for a reason. I was not a happy camper when I started writing it, so there are one or two graphic scenes of violence depicted.
My eternal thanks to OPYKJ for beta-ing the first fourteen chapters that I've written so far. Any mistakes are mine, though, because I've made some changes since OPYKJ first looked at it.
Apparently, this chapter didn't upload properly, so I have taken the opportunity to make a minor change to my chapter lengths.
Disclaimer. I do not own Paramount or CBS. Consequently I have only borrowed the characters and the setting. No copyright intended. Only the storyline, and original OC's belong to me.
Chapter One
November 23, 2358.
"Sh'Endira, I love you! Marry me?" declared the fifteen year old. Tom Paris' joyful, exuberant smile was wide, and his eyes shone with a mixture of love, adoration, and excitement as he gazed intently at his girlfriend.
The sixteen year old Andorian-Trill took a deep, disbelieving breath as she looked at the small blue velvet box that Tom was holding.
Inside it, a Terran engagement ring lay nestled in soft fabric. The exotic centrepiece featured an Andorian diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires. The stones were held together in an intricate pattern that hinted at the majestic Trillin Ice Eagle which had been the inspiration for the design. Sh'Endira gasped in delight at the ring's beauty even as she marvelled at the beautiful spirit of the ring's creator. Her eyes opened even wider in wonder as she recognised the precious gems.
Her memory flashed to their first meeting the year before, at the prestigious Federation Mentoring Program for Gifted Young Teens. To begin with, all the program participants - ranging in age from ten to eighteen - had stayed in their familiar social or species groupings. Then, during a field trip to the Larrakeyahn mining colony, they had been assigned into groups of four. She and Tom had been teamed with two older teens who had grasped the opportunity to run off for some 'private exploring'. Consequently they'd spent a lot of time over the next week getting to know each other while they went gem hunting. The two of them had been finding ways to meet, in secret, ever since.
Glancing once more into Tom's vivid blue eyes, Sariffa Sh'Endira Daout returned his smile with a brilliant one of her own. She ruthlessly suppressed the voice that kept reminding her that they were too young (Tom wasn't even of legal age with his parent's permission, let alone without it), that all four of her parents hated Starfleet, and anyone connected to it; that she had been told many times to 'keep away from that boy.'
"Yes!" she exclaimed, "Of course, I will marry you. I love you, too." We'll run away together. She told herself. Somewhere far away. We'll say we're older, get fake IDs. Somehow, we'll find a way to be together.