A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!! Please read and review. And now for the best Christmas gift ever, the Disclaimer!!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story, they are the respectful property of Paramount, I just write stories about them.
"How many steps do you have?" B'Elanna asked her mother-in-law, Linda, as she carried her two-year old son, Aiden, up into the attic.
"I honestly can't tell you."
"Well, at least were at the top." Tom added as he and Miral reached the top step.
"I counted seven." Miral proudly stated as she held up seven fingers for her parents and grandparents to see.
"You did?" Admiral Paris asked.
"Yes, see?" She pushed her hands closer to his face.
"I do, very good, sweetheart."
Tom set Miral on the ground, and gently ruffled her hair with his hand. "Where did you want to start, mom?"
"Oh, anywhere. This attic hasn't been organized in such a long time, that it doesn't matter anymore." Linda sat down near a box and began looking through it. Everyone else followed suit.
"Mommy, look at this." Miral said as she pulled something out of one of the boxes.
"What did you find?" At her mother's inquiry, Miral presented B'Elanna with a small book made out of various colored construction paper, on the top page was a crayon picture of a cat, and in large green letters were the words 'Jimmy the Cat'. "Now what is this?"
"I remember that." Admiral Paris responded. "Tom wrote that in the second grade, it was one of his assignments."
"Can you read it for me, mommy?" Miral asked.
"Sure." Miral handed the book to B'Elanna, and she began reading. "'Jimmy the cat' by Tom Paris. Jimmy is a cat. Jimmy is the family cat. Jimmy is a mean cat. Jimmy likes to be left alone. Jimmy likes to sleep. Jimmy does not like to play games. I don't like Jimmy very much." As she finished reading B'Elanna was wearing a huge grin on her face, and Tom could tell she was holding back laughter.
"I can't believe I actually wrote that."
"Believe it, the proof is right in your wife's hand." Linda said.
Several hours later, Tom and B'Elanna returned home, and had just finished putting Miral and Aiden to bed. They decided to sit down on the couch for awhile, before going to bed themselves. "I love it when the kids are asleep." Tom said as he pulled B'Elanna closer.
"Me too." B'Elanna responded with a laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing."
"Come on Bella, there has to be something remotely funny to you to get you to laugh."
"Honestly, it's nothing." she managed to choke out.
"B'Elanna." Tom did his best to look sternly at her.
"Jimmy."
"What?"
"Jimmy the Cat."
"Give me a break, I was seven."
"I know, but something about it just makes me laugh."
"It's going to take you awhile before you get over this, won't it?"
"Yep, especially since I asked your mom if I could keep it." B'Elanna then pulled out the book from behind her back, and started flipping through the pages. With a sigh, Tom joined her.