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Disclaimer time once again!   Fiftieth verse same as the first 
. .everybody *sing*:

I don't own these characters, (chorus) Paramount does!
I don't own this venue, (chorus) Paramount does!
I am making no money off of this, (chorus) Paramount does 
not either!

This story assumes a romantic relationship between two 
men, aka: slash.  If that is *not* your cup of tea, sweet as it 
is, then don't read it!  (simple, ain't it??) Feedback is *very* 
much appreciated, and always answered.  Flames will be 
passed around to friends and chuckled over.  :)

This answers two of Matt's challenges, the Iphigenia one 
and the 314 word story one.

'Underhanded' by Amirin <groh@iquest.net>


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"Iphigenia??"

"Tom, there is no *way* the Captain's middle name is 
'Iphigenia'," Harry retorted.

"Bertha?"

"Tom . . ."

"Hortense?"

"*Tom* . . ."

"Zolanderita?"

"*WHAT*!?!?"

"Harry, it's got to be something awful, or else it would be 
mentioned in the databanks," Tom reasoned.

Harry snorted.  "You're being ridiculous."

"Am not, this is *important*, Harry."  Uh, oh.

"Tom?" Harry glared at his lover.  "Did you make another 
bet?"

"Harry . . ." Tom whined, trying to hide his face in the pillow.

"Tom?  You *promised* . . ."

Tom could handle a lot of things, nasty things, scary things, 
but the one thing he *couldn't* handle was Harry being 
disappointed in him.  "I promised to try, and I *am* trying . . ."
Harry wasn't buying it.

"I've cut down considerably . . ."  Harry just shook his head 
at him.  "I thought it was a sucker bet," Tom said, giving up, 
chastened.

"It *was*," Harry said sternly, with *that* glare on his face.

"I'm sorry, Har.  I won't do it again."

"Ever?"

"Yeah, Har.  Ever."

"Okay."

"Okay?  You forgive me?"

"I know you're trying.  I know it's hard." 

"It's really hard, Har."

<pause>

"I wasn't talking about *that*, Tom."

"Oh," Tom murmured, dispiritedly.

"Get over here," Harry relented and smiled *that* smile and 
all was right in the quadrant again.


A FEW HOURS LATER . . .


"I still can't believe you won that bet, Harry.  How did you 
know the Captain doesn't *have* a middle name?"

"I asked her." 

"You *what*?"

"I asked her. She told me her parents didn't give her one."

"You asked her." 

"Yup."

"That's *cheating*!"

"The rules stated that no one could hack into the computer 
to try and find out.  They didn't say anything about asking 
the Captain . . ."

<pause>

"Harry, that's why you're the brains of this outfit, you know 
that, don't you?"

"Yup."


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