by Adam
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Disclaimer: Tom, Harry the rest of the Voyager cast and Voyager belong to Paramount.

Dedication: Ren! For been an excellent, hard working (harder worker than me!) moderator for the Elite, and for been an excellent Beta'er.

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"FIRE, Mr Kim!"

"NO! I C-can't. I w-won't. Tom's in that shuttle!"

"I am aware of that, Ensign. But Tom chose this. He knew what would happen." Though her words were strong, there was nothing in her voice that backed it up. She was scared, and angry for not been able to do anything, and guilty for not getting yet another crew member home.

"Tuvok," Janeway started, dejectedly."Transfer the 'modified deflector beam to your station and fire'"

"Aye Captain." Tuvok acknowledged. Even his Vulcan stoicism had been tempered.

There was an eerie silence around the bridge as Tuvok prepared to fire…

"Captain," Tuvok suddenly broke everyone out of their somber moods." Deflector controls transferred to Ops. I can't do anything."

"ENSIGN!" She screamed."Destroy that shuttle!"

Harry seemed to ignore her and instead activated the viewscreen displaying a surprisingly calm and composed Tom.

"Harry?" Tom asked shocked at seeing Voyager's bridge. Never expecting to see it again.

"Oh Tom, why did you do it?" Harry's sobs took him over as he continued to speak."Why did you tear yourself from me. Leave me empty. Why Tom? WHY?" Harry screamed at the view screen.

"Three Minutes before complete subspace destruction." the computer's emotionless voice chimed in.

"You know why, my love. How could I live with the knowledge that I could have made sure you made it home to you family and friends, and I didn't take it.

I was a coward at Caldik, I was a coward with the Maquis," Tom stopped for a brief moment, glancing at Chakotay, giving him a quick smile. "But I will not be a coward any more! You are going to live on! You are going to be the one thing in life I am proud of!"

All the bridge crew were either sniffling, holding back tears or sobbing openly. An option which Harry went for.

"Don't cry, Harry." Tom spoke soothingly, frowning at the stained cheeks of his lover."We'll be together again, you'll find a new lover. Someone else to share your life with, to make a life with!"

"To…"

"Harry, STOP. Start your life right now! I'm already gone Harry. My life's over, but yours is just beginning. You won't mourn for me. Harry. You won't be sad. You'll have a new lover before you know it." Tom gave his famous Paris grin, but a special one. One reserved for no one but Harry.

"How can you say that? I'll never forget you!" Harry was hurting more at the feelings coursing through his veins.

"You should check the scans we took one more time, Harry. Once this shuttle is destroyed," Tom continued on, pained at what he saw on Harry's face when he said his shuttle would be destroyed. "… The subspace rupture will be sealed, but with me on the shuttle time will take me away, Harry!"

"What, NO! You can't leave me like this! You can't… can't" Harry couldn't continue. The truth about how Tom would be gone, not just from his physical world, but from his mind within a minute was tearing at him.

"You won't remember Harry, but I will! I'll remember what we shared. What we had. What we did! I won't let a love as pure as ours die, my love. I'll be here with you, Harry, watching over you. You won't know, but I will be here."

"Twenty Seconds until complete subspace destruction."

"Fire! Now! Do it, Harry. I know you can do it!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Harry screamed as he pressed the button to fire.

Harry, Janeway, Chakotay everyone took one final look at Tom, those amazing blue eyes which could show so much hate, so much anger, and so much love. The eyes of Tom Paris were definitely the windows of his soul.

"Never Forget, Harry, I'll never forget!" Tom shouted over the comm."Goodbye Harry, I love y…" Then the Comm went dead, the subspace rupture began to seal and pictures were ripped from everyone's minds.

Harry clung to each one as hard as he could, but they continued to leave him.


… Tom obsessing over his new ship Alice…
… Tom in his Captain Proton costume standing by his side…
… Tom locked in the brig, pacing back and forth…
…. Tom holding a gun on him during the WW2 holodeck scenario…
… Tom saving him and looking after him in the Chute…
… Tom letting himself die for him after only knowing him in the AU for only a few hours…
… Tom saving him on the Ocompan home-world…
… Tom telling him to stay away from him…
… Tom saving him at the bar…

Then everything went black.

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"Harry, come on. We had a date, remember?" James Harris said, spinning around in the Pilot's seat.

Harry sighed but allowed himself a grin.

He could never be this happy. No one could ever make him this happy.

As Harry entered the Turbolift after James, he could have sworn he heard an unfamiliar, but surprisingly calming voice… I'll never forget my love….

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End