Paris and Torres- A good match?

ray gower

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Reminded by Maria and prompted by Endgame, perhaps we ought to consider the possibilities for our various Voyager heroes.

Tonight how about Master Tom Paris and Miss B'Elanna Torres?

About the only relationship on Voyager that seemed to make any sort at the time and well built, they did seem natural together for their predicament. Both were astranged from parents for different reasons and something of an outcast from their relevant societies.

But now they are home. What happens?

Would Tom Paris keep his flighty nature, or Ms Torres' temper get the better of her and she takes the swing for her spouse?
Or perhaps having a baby will change both?
 
Ok, I’ll put my 2 cents worth in for what it’s worth

First, I’ll have to agree with Ray on the fact that they did have a long buildup toward their relationship. Long enough for them to build an attraction and mutual respect for each other (and love too, if that even exists).

I would love to think that they would be able to make a go of it, and on the screen they could, but if it were real life I don’t think so. If true mutual love existed then I’d say yes. It may exist for a few but, as I’ve observed, it isn’t the norm and I don’t see it in their case.

So long as they were very far away from home, they had a chance, as there was nothing to distract them from their bond. Now that they have reached the vicinity of their home planets, there will be many distractions. Before there was nowhere for either to go but to each other, not so anymore. I believe their attraction only happened because there was no one else around for them.

I don’t believe having a baby will change either of them enough to hold their already strained relationship together. In this time and age it wouldn’t and I don’t see things changing for the better that far in the future.

Cynical? Perhaps, but it’s just my view on it.
 
I believe in true love!
(That I have never found it is more of a factor of me never having been in the right place):blush:


However not sure if lve has anything to do with marriage, which is more about compromise, learning to live together and give and take.

As applied to Paris/Torres it does seem that Tom takes a lot, but does not give much back. While Voyager was bobbing around years from home it would be easier for B'Elanna to keep him in check. With a much broader choice at home, she would not be so forgiving.

So I'm afraid I don't think the match would last either. :(
 
*tut tut* I'm disappointed with the pair of you.

I refuse to give up on B'Elanna and Tom. I don't think it was just "right place, right time". Tom dated other women during the series (okay so i can only think of one right now but i'm sure there's more :D) and in one alternate future he was married to Kes! So i don't think it was a matter of no other choice for him. He's always found her "fascinating" even when they were in the maquis and i think over time that grew into friendship (always a good solid foundation for a relationship) and then into something more.

As for Torres - i know she's had her doubts but i think she's a lot more passionate and wouldn't spend years with someone and then agree to marry them if it wasn't true love.

As for Miral, i don't think she's gonna force them to stay together but that the love they have for each other is going to be strengthened by the love the mutual love they have for her.

Verdict: Yes, they are so gonna work!

Okay that's enough hopeless romantic babble from me.
 
Although I thought they were an odd match, for some reason I really liked the two together (and I'm not even a shipper in general!).
 
I thought Tom Paris and B'Elanna were victims of Admiral Janeway's plan to bring Voyager home early. Both these characters found their identities and purpose on Voyager. B'Elanna overcame her insecurities and doubts. She found purpose in life as Voyager's chief engineer. Janeway trusted her and respected her. Tom Paris was very immature and had a history of bad decisions. He even got into trouble with Janeway several times on Voyager and got demoted. Tom & B'Elanna needed the extra ten years on Voyager to continue growing and maturing. That 10 years would have given them time to raise their child and create a family. B'Elanna could have returned to Earth with over 20 years experience as a chief engineer.

I think going home early would have destroyed B'Elanna. One day she's the trusted chief engineer of Voyager and the next she's back to being an Academy dropout. Starfleet would never assign her to another starship as a chief engineer. At best, she'd keep her rank and they'd have her teaching engineering tricks she learned in the Delta Quadrent. Sooner or later her temper would explode and she'd be out.

There's no telling what kind of trouble Tom would get in. He was so implusive. He might have gotten assigned to a starship for awhile. But the separation from B'Elanna would have ruined their marriage.

Admiral Janeway made the right decision. She saved a lot of lives by getting Voyager home early. Certainly Tuvok and Seven of 9 benefited. Lots of redshirts got home safely too. But I think it did mess up Tom Paris and B'Elanna. It would be nice to think that somehow they still managed to make a good life together. They were both very strong, determined characters that matured a lot on Voyager.
 
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Janeway's attitude toward getting back seems rather dicotomous to me. Sometimes she's chasing after anything instead of attending to the business of returning. She's even accused of this in an episode later on. But the two might well be victims of her own return fanatacism when it occurs. However, it's not officialized and permanent the way it would be if she kept fixed attitudes.
 

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