Disclaimer: They aren't mine and everyone knows it.  I haven't taken 
them out to play for a while, and they said the missed me.  :-)  They 
didn't know what sadistic plans I had in mind. 


Last Dance
by R'rain
[Voyager, P/K, PG]

"One beer, please."

"A beer, mon cher?  Why not a nice glass of wine to celebrate?"  Harry 
gave his best glare to the holographic host, but it still wasn't very 
intimidating.  His expression was too full of hurt, of loss.  Sandrine 
pat his hand tenderly.  "The ceremony is next door, no?"

"It is.  My beer?"  Frowning, Sandrine handed it over.  Harry examined 
it.  "This isn't synthale, is it?"

"If you cannot tell the difference, then what does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't," he conceded.

"Now why don't you tell Sandrine what is the matter."

Harry sighed.  "I didn't think it was a big secret."

"Lovesickness," she said knowingly.  "Hurts, doesn't it, mon cher.  But 
there are plenty of, how you say?  Plenty of fish in the sea."

"I don't want a fish," he said, staring at the beer he hadn't touched.  
"I don't want anything.  I don't want anyone."

"You cannot lie to me, young one.  I can see it in your eyes.  Ever 
since the day that my Tom announced that he was to be married to 
B'Elanna, you have been moping around like a lost puppy."

"The ceremony is in an hour," he said redundantly.

"I know."  Taking the untouched mug of beer out of his hand, she handed 
him a cup of hot chocolate.  "We are alone; you can tell me all about 
it."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Au contraire.  There is always something to tell when it comes to 
affairs of the heart.  I see how you look at him.  You cannot lie to 
me."

"I'm not trying to lie," he said.  "I..."

"You love him."

"I love him," he echoed her reluctantly.  "Not that it matters now.  He 
never saw, he never noticed.  He never once thought to ask."

"And you?  Did you ever tell him?  Did you ever say the words that you 
wanted to say?  You know that you did not."

"What was I supposed to say, when I knew that he wanted someone else?  
He was the first person since...since we came here that I truly knew 
that I wanted to be with.  But it doesn't matter now.  In an hour he 
will be married and that's the end of it."

The sound of the door swinging open drew both of their attention.  Tom 
stood there, his hands in his pockets, waiting to be acknowledged.  "I 
thought I'd find you here," he said finally.

Harry nodded and looked pointedly at the seat next to him.  Tom was both 
the last and the only person he wanted to see at that moment.  
"Shouldn't you be getting dressed?"

Tom looked down at himself as he walked closer and grinned cockily.  
"What, you don't think I can wear this?"  Harry surveyed the loose 
pants, the short-sleeved shirt with the rip in the shoulder, and the 
tousled hair and couldn't help but smile.  A little.  "I had to come 
track down my best man.  Can't get married without him, you know!"

"You know I'll be there."

"I trust you to be there, Harry, but I don't trust you to be there with 
a smile on your face.  You've been really down, but I've just been so 
busy..."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

Tom looked at Harry's drink and smiled.  "Sandrine, love, can you get me 
what he's having?"

There was no pause before the drink appeared in front of him, as though 
she had anticipated his wish.  Perhaps she had--who knew him better than 
someone he had programmed himself.  As he took a short sip of it, he 
began to hear soft strains of music in the background.

"I will take my leave of you," said Sandrine, smiling gently at both of 
them.  "There are things that need to be said, and I am not the one who 
needs to say them."  She took three steps away and then disappeared.

"So talk to me, Harry," said Tom as he finally took his seat.

"There's nothing to talk about."

Tom nodded, but it wasn't in agreement.  "You know, I'm not as blind as 
you seem to think I am."

Harry started.  "What?"

"You heard me."  Tom was staring at his drink rather than looking into 
Harry's startled eyes.  "But...I love B'Ela, you know?"

"You don't have to tell me that, Tom.  You're marrying her."

"In less than an hour," he amended.  "That doesn't leave us much time."

"Time for what?"

"Look, Harry, I don't tell you this often enough but you're really 
important to me.  You're my best friend."

"I know that."

"You're the best friend I've *ever* had.  You trusted me when no one 
else did.  This might be the wedding jitters talking, but..."

"Tom, you don't need to do this.  I'm fine.  And I'll be there.  And 
I'll smile."

"I know you'd do all that for me.  But you aren't happy about this and I 
wish there was something I could do about that.  Short of falling in 
love with you."  He dared a sidelong glance at his friend, whose eyes 
had never left him.

"It's never going to happen, is it."

Tom shook his head sadly.  "I love you, Harry...but I'm *in* love with 
B'Ela.  I wish that were enough."

Harry shrugged.  "Someday it will be."

"I hope so."  Tom took another sip of his drink, the reached out and 
took Harry's hand.  "Dance with me, just this once."

"Dance with you?"

"So we'll both know what it could have been."

"And what if I don't *want* to know what I'm missing, Tom.  What if it 
hurts too much."

"I promise not to hurt you, Harry.  You're going to be my best friend 
forever, no matter what happens.  This is our last chance."

Harry knew that he was probably making a mistake, but he could no more 
have refused than he could have thrown himself out an airlock.  Dazed, 
he let Tom lead him out onto the empty floor and wrap his arms around 
him, swaying to the faint music.

"Don't ever think you don't mean anything to me, Harry.  Promise me,"
whispered Tom.

"As long as you promise me you're not going to leave me behind."

"Never," laughed Tom. "The Three Musketeers forever."

"The what?"

"Nothing," he murmured, and Harry buried his face in Tom's neck.  For 
the first, last, and probably only time.  Tom's fingers twined in his 
hair as they continued to sway, their bodies pressed tightly together.  
Harry absorbed ever moment of it, to be replayed time and time again in 
his mind.

When the music stopped, Tom tilted his head slightly upwards and kissed 
him, at first lightly then with increasing fervor until he was showing 
Harry with his lips and tongue just how valuable their friendship was to 
him.  His eyes were bright as he pulled away.  "Never forget, Harry.  
Promise me."

Harry didn't think he could do anything but.  "I promise," he swore.  
Slowly their bodies parted until they were no longer touching.

"I have to go," said Tom.  "And get ready."  He took a deep breath.  
"See you there?"

Harry smiled.  "See you there, Tom."  He watched as Tom left the 
holodeck, then looked up at the ceiling of the bar.  "Sandrine," he 
said.  "I know you're still here.  I'll be back later...we have a lot to 
talk about."

He glanced around the empty bar one last time.  "End program," he said, 
and stepped out the door.

--The end--