The Long Voyage Home I 
by R'rain 
 
 
Paris:  And then I said... 
Nelson:  I don’t believe you.  You’re lying. 
Paris:  No, I mean it.  He really tried to make me  
  marry his sister.  And she was the most hideous thing 
  you would ever see. 
Nelson:  I can just see you, at the altar, and him looming 
  over you like... 
 
Kim enters.  At his arrival, Paris moves away from Nelson 
 just slightly. 
 
Kim:  Do you mind if I join you? 
Paris: Not at all, Harry.  Have a seat. 
Nelson:  Off duty already? 
Kim:  Just now, and I decided I needed a bite to eat before 
   I headed off to the holodeck. 
Paris:  (mocking) The holodeck?  Harry, I never realized... 
Kim:  (interrupting)  I have a holodeck program...”A walk in  
  the park”...I know it sounds silly but it helps me relax. 
Nelson:  That’s not silly, Harry, that’s survival.   
  Well, I’m on duty in half an hour.  Thank you for lunch, Tom.   
  I hope we’ll see each other again...? 
Paris:  Uh..I’ll be in touch. 
Nelson:  (smiling)  See you later, Harry. 
Kim: Good-bye. 
 
As David Nelson leaves the mess hall, Paris leans on the table, 
 seemingly toward Kim. 
 
Paris:  So how have you been?  I haven’t seen you around in ages. 
Kim:  (hesitant)  I’ve been busy... 
Paris:  What’s wrong, Harry? 
Kim:  Nothing. 
Paris:  Concerned)  No, I’m serious.  What’s wrong. 
Kim:  I’ve just been a little homesick, lately.  More than a 
  little, I guess. 
Paris:  I know how you feel.  We all do.  I can’t say I miss 
  prison, but I miss Earth, I miss being able to communicate 
  with anyone anytime I wanted.  I even miss Starfleet. 
Kim:  You miss Starfleet?   
Paris: (laughing) Sometimes.  Don’t you tell anyone I told you that. 
Kim:  (laughing as well)  I won’t.  Trust me. 
Paris:  I hope I can, or else my reputation would be ruined. 
Kim:  I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything... 
Paris:  (a little to quickly)  No, no, not at all. 
Kim:  Are you sure?  Lunch with Ensign Nelson is quite a valued  
  commodity. 
Paris:  I’m sure.  You were saying something about a holodeck  
  program... 
Kim:  (a little embarrassed)  It was a place I used to go to 
   when I was a child.  A lot of trees, grass, that sort of thing. 
   It's nice to just go there and get away from it all for a while. 
Paris:  (smiling)  In that case, Harry, would you care for a walk 
  in the park? 
	 
End Scene X