By Diane Klepper
(B'Elanna spends the night getting to know Tom's sisters better.)
Tom Paris entered his apartment and was surprised to see the living room was empty. He placed his padds down on the table by the front door. Tom called out, "B'Elanna are you home?"
B'Elanna came out of their bedroom holding nine month old Miral. Frowning B'Elanna said, "Your late."
"Late?"
Placing their daughter in Tom's arms she said. "You forgot Kathleen and Moira are coming over for dinner We are having a girls' night in. You are suppose to take Miral over to your parents' house. Your sisters will here any minute."
Looking perplexed and trying not to drop his wriggling daughter Tom said, "That's tonight?"
"Yes I told you that this morning I thought you wanted me to get to know your sisters better?"
"I do."
"Then what is the problem?" Smirking B'Elanna said "You are afraid they will tell me about some of your old girlfriends."
Smirking Tom said, "I told you about most of them I just don't want them to tell you about some of the stupid nicknames they gave me when I was little."
Smiling B'Elanna said, "Now you have me intrigued Are they better then helmboy?"
"B'Elanna."
"I have always liked flyboy personally."
"Just promise me one thing Don't tell them too many embarrassing stories from Voyager."
B'Elanna laughed, "Okay I'll try not to tell too many embarrassing stories besides I think between the Doctor and Admiral Janeway most of the best stories have been taken."
Tom frowned, "I guess you are right. With all the grief I put them through after Caldik Prime, joining the Maquis, going to prison and when Voyager was missing and I was presumed dead they probably need to let off some steam. "
The doorbell rang. B'Elanna said, "Tom get the door That is probably one of your sisters I have to take something out of the oven."
Shocked Tom said, "Your cooking?"
Smiling B'Elanna said, "Your Mom has been teaching me how to cook She said after keeping Voyager flying and in one piece for seven years cooking should be a piece of pie."
Smirking Tom said, "You mean piece of cake."
"Whatever just get the door."
"Yes Ma'am." Tom turned to his daughter and smiled at her. " Sweetie want to see who is at the door?"
Miral smiled and said, '"Door."
Tom walked over to the door and pressed the button to open it. He smiled when he saw his sister Moira standing there holding a covered dish. Frowning she said, "Tommy what are you doing here?"
"I live here."
Smirking Moira said, "That is not what I mean You are suppose to be at Mom and Dad Mom is making all your favorites I am not suppose to tell you this but Dad is stopping by a toy store on his way home from work to buy Miral a new doll."
"Another doll Miral already has a bunch of dolls already He is going to spoil her rotten."
Moira nodded. "He's the same way with my kids every time he comes over it's a new present I think he is trying to make up for not always being there when we were growing up. It gives him so much joy. Neither, Kathleen or I ever had to heart to tell him to stop."
"Dad seems so different from the man I remember."
Moira smiled, "He's not the only one that has changed little brother."
"I am really that different?"
"Tommy You seem much more settled and happier than I have even seen you You seem more confident .It almost as of it took you getting lost for you to find yourself."
Tom smiled. "Sometimes I look at the holo-images Mom has of me lying around the house and I don't even recognize myself."
Moira kissed her brother on the cheek.. "Oh Tommy I'm just glad we have you back but don't worry you still have the pain in the neck, bratty tendencies you always had."
"Thanks Sis."
"Anytime little brother.": She pointed to the covered dish in her hand and said, "I have to put this in the kitchen Now go before Mom calls out Starfleet security."
"I'm going Tell B'Elanna I will see her tonight."
Tom watched Moira enter the kitchen. He then opened the door and saw his eldest sister Kathleen standing by the door holding a photo album. "No not more photos Now I know why Moira was so anxious to get me out of the house .Do you and Moira have to show B'Elanna every baby picture ever taken of me."
Smiling Kathleen said, "But Tommy you were such a cute baby Whenever Mom and Dad took you to a Starfleet function half the Admirals there squeezed your chubby little cheeks."
"Kat "
"Besides B'Elanna asked to see the photo album. She wants to make one of Miral for Mom and Dad and her father for Christmas and she wants to see how Mom set up hers."
Just then B'Elanna and Moira enter from the kitchen. B'Elanna smiled, "Hi Kathleen I'm glad you brought the photo album." She turned to face Tom, "I thought you left already."
Frowning Tom said, "I'm leaving .you three make me feel so unwanted,"
B'Elanna laughed, "Oh Tom .we just going to do girl talk you would be bored."
Miral started crying, "Wah wah."
B'Elanna frowned, "Tom Miral hasn't eaten yet Your mom is making her supper. Can you please just go."
Tom smiled and kissed B'Elanna on the lips. 'I'm going." He pressed the button to open the door and getting a better grip on Miral. "Just don't believe everything my sisters tell you I'll see you later."
As B'Elanna, Moira and Kathleen watched the door close they all laughed. "I never thought I'd get Tom to leave What are you two going to tell me that is so bad?"
Kathleen laughed, "Nothing that bad I think Tommy is just being paranoid besides most of our Tommy stories are cute I'm sure you have some Tommy stories too,"
" I do .Come in and sit down .I'll bring out the wine."
Kathleen and Moira watched B'Elanna walk into the kitchen and they sat down on the couch. Moira pointed the book that was still in Kathleen's hands. ""I see you were able to get one of Mom's albums."
Quietly Kathleen said, "I think I brought the wrong book This one includes photos of Odile."
A soft voice behind them said. "Odile."
Kathleen and Moira turned to see B'Elanna standing there holding a tray that contained three glasses and a bottle of wine.
Kathleen asked, "Tom told you about Odile?"
B'Elanna put the tray down on the coffee table and sat down on the chair next to her sisters-in-law. "Tom told me about Odile after he had a nightmare."
Moira frowned, "Tommy still gets nightmares .I was hoping he out grew them."
Kathleen gave a small smile. "I remember one time when one time Tommy was about five years old. He came into my room in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm."
Kathleen was sound asleep when she felt someone shaking her shoulder and a voice whispering, "Kat .Kat please wake up."
Kathleen slowly opened her eyes and saw her little brother standing there. Groggily she asked, "Tommy what are you doing up .it's the middle of the night."
Tears were coming down his cheeks. Tommy said, "The thunder woke me up I can't go back to sleep."
"Go to Mom."
"I can't Daddy will get mad He tells me that only babies get scared in thunderstorms."
Kathleen frowned. She loved her father dearly but sometimes she wondered what he was thinking of putting so much pressure on a little kid. Tommy was a good kid but he was putting such much pressure on Tommy to act like a proper Starfleet cadet she was afraid that Tommy was headed for a big fall. "Tommy how about just for tonight you'll sleep with me."
Tommy smiled and jumped under the covers with Kathleen. "Thank you Kat .I love you."
Kathleen kissed Tommy on the cheek and smiled. "I love too you little brother."
Kathleen awoke from her memory and smiled. "Dad put a lot of pressure on Tom when he was little .As soon as Tommy showed how talented in was at flying, Dad took Tommy flying every practically weekend he was home.. Dad meant well but "
Moira added, "There were times he treated Tommy more like a cadet then a son."
B'Elanna frowned. "Tom told me that he also told me that was when he started rebelling".
Kathleen smiled. "The James Dean years."
Perplexed B'Elanna asked, "Who?"
Kathleen smiled. "James Dean was aa American movie actor from the 1950's. His most famous role was in a movie called Rebel Without A Cause. It was about a group of teenagers rebelling against society. I had to watch it for a college class. Tommy watched it with me and unfortunately I think it inspired him to act up and get into trouble."
B'Elanna laughed. "The Tom I know doesn't need any encouragement to get into trouble. In fact Tom took our young and impressionable Harry Kim under his wing and got them both into trouble."
Moira smiled. "That sounds a lot like our Tommy He didn't always think before he acted .He was the same way with Charlie Day .did Tom tell you about him."
B'Elanna frowned. "He did he still feels very badly about the accident when we first started spending the night together he use to get these terrible nightmares but as time passed they lessened a lot."
Moira smiled. "I'm glad right after the accident Tommy had horrible dreams He was trying to hide them from Mom and Dad because they were really worried about him .But he couldn't hide them from me".
Moira walked down the steps to get a glass of milk. She was spending the summer at home with her parents after a grueling year of medical school. If she was really honest with herself, she was spending the summer home because she was worried about her little brother. Since the accident at Caldik Prime Tom was very quiet and withdrawn. Starfleet had given Tom four weeks of leave. But Moira knew Tommy would hide his pain and pretend the accident never happened.
She entered the kitchen and she was surprised to see Tommy sitting in the dark at the kitchen table. She called out to him but Tommy didn't seem to hear him. She walked over to him and gently shock him by the arm. "Tommy."
Tom looked up. He forced a small smile. "Hey Moira I didn't hear you. What are you doing up so late."
"I came down to get a glass of milk .do you want anything."
"No I'm fine I just had a little trouble sleeping."
Moira walked over to her brother and frowned. 'Tommy your not fine. Your room is next to mine. I heard you wake up screaming. I know you have been having bad dreams. It might help to talk about the accident."
Tom frowned and said in a soft voice. "Moira if I did something stupid I mean something really stupid do you think Dad would ever forgive me."
"Forgive you for what?"
Tom stood up. "Nothing .I'm just tired I'm going to bed."
Moira walked over to Tom and hugged him. "Tommy .I wish you will talk to me. I know your hurting I also know you are hiding something .Please tell me what it is I want to help you."
Tom pulled away from the hug and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek. "I know you want to help but this something I have to decide on my own but knowing you here making it easier .I just want to tell you that no matter what happens I love you.."
Back in the present Moira looked at Kathleen and Moira and frowned. "Three weeks later Tommy confessed. "
Kathleen frowned. "Dad was so angry. Him and Tommy had a terrible fight. I don't know what they said to each other because nobody was home when Tommy came back. He sent Mom to my apartment and told her not to come home until he called. Mom was so upset. I called Moira and she came back home from medical school. A few hours later Dad came to my apartment and he said Tom left. He gave us each a note and said that he didn't want to hear any of us talk about Tom again."
Moira added. "I still have my note. All the notes pretty much said the same thing. Tommy apologized to us and he said that he couldn't stay in San Francisco any more. He promised that he would be okay and that he try to stay in contact."
Kathleen frowned. "I think he called Mom three times in eighteen months and then Dad got the call that he was arrested for being a member of the Marquis."
B'Elanna smiled at Kathleen. "Tom told me about how you visit before he was sent to the penal colony really helped him survive his time at New Zealand."
Moira smiled. "B'Elanna I'm so glad Tom found you I have never seen Tommy so happy."
"For a long time I was afraid to let anyone get close to me .I was afraid that if I let anyone get too close they would leave like my father did .But Tom would not give up At first I just hung out with him because Harry asked me to give him a chance but I guess after a while I started to see the another side of Tom .The side he tries to hide from the public."
Kathleen smiled. "That he is more than a hot shot pilot That he is a kind and caring man who wants to make up for all the mistakes he made in his life."
B'Elanna smiled. "Tom didn't like to talk about his life before Voyager, but he use to tell stories about his sisters and how much he missed them .I know Tom wants to have more children. He doesn't want Miral to be an only child.' B'Elanna picked up the bottle of wine and filled the three glasses. She gave one glass to Moira, one glass to Kathleen and she took the third glass and smiled. "I'm glad we got together tonight .Tom was so nervous before he left He was afraid you would tell me some embarrassing names you called him."
Moira and Kathlen looked at each other and laughed.
B'Elanna took a sip of her wine and asked. "What's so funny?"
.
Moira smiled. "We were remembering some of the names we use to call Tommy when he was little."
Kathleen laughed. "He use to hate when I called him baby brother He also hated when I used his full name 'Thomas Eugene Paris' because whenever he heard his full name he was usually in trouble."
B'Elanna laughed. "Tom told me that .he didn't want to give Miral a middle name because he didn't want Miral to think she was in trouble every-time she heard a full name."
Moira smirked. "If she is anything like her father I'm sure she is going to get in trouble a lot."
All three of them laughed at that comment. Kathleen then said, " I remember when Tommy was really little I use to call him, squirt or shrimp."
Moira took another sip of wine. "That changed the year he grew ten inches."
Kathleen smiled. "I remember that. I went away for the summer and I was taller then him but when I got back he was taller than me. I think the name he hated the most was Admiral Brat."
B'Elanna asked. "Admiral Brat."
Moira laughed. "He had this teddy bear that Dad gave him. He carried it everywhere with him. He called the bear Captain Bear so we started called him Admiral Brat."
B'Elanna smiled. "Owen brought Captain Bear over when we moved in. Miral sleeps with him every night." She lifted her glass and said, "Let's make this a tradition. As long as all of us are in San Francisco why don't we make this a monthly tradition Girls Night In."
Kathleen and Moira also lifted their glasses and they all clinked their glasses. Kathleen smiled, "I think that is a great idea Tommy will go crazy wondering what we tell you."
B'Elanna laughed. "That's the idea know lets go into the dinning room and have dinner. If I know Tom he will be back in two hours trying to wriggle out of me what you both said .I won't say what you said but I have a feeling Admiral Brat might come out in our next fight."
Moira laughed. "I knew there was a reason I liked you.'
All three women laughed as they headed for the dinning room.