"You know, the invitation to come to San Francisco is always open," Kathryn gently chided her family over dinner.

"We'll get there," Phoebe assured her. "By the way, you ever buy that pool table?"

"I did," Kathryn answered. "Tom helped me break it in. It could use a few more games."

Phoebe's husband leaned back in his chair. "That reminds me: Guy at work was talking about a new place just south of Mooresville. It's a diner; mid-20th-century style."

"I've seen images of those; must have cost a boatload of credits to build," Gretchen remarked as Kathryn raised an eyebrow.

"I imagine so," Jim agreed. "He said it even has a game room, and I think it might have a pool table."

"That's not a bad drive from here," Gretchen said. "Maybe we should do a road trip to see it." Kathryn just nodded absently.

ooo

The three managed to hold themselves together until Kathryn left, then they burst into laughter.

"I'll be damned," Phoebe said. "She just walked right into it. I thought we were going to have to work harder than this to plant the idea."

"Well, you two win best segue of the night," Gretchen said as she wiped her eyes.

"Julia really thinks this is going to work?" Phoebe asked.

"I told her she was pushing it, considering that Tom's divorce isn't final," Gretchen said. "Katie's said she's been cautious about spending time with him; as much for her sake as his."

"Maybe Julia should mind her own business; let them sort it out," Phoebe said, then sighed. "On the other hand, we're already in it. Kath and Tom are friends. I suppose inviting him to a family dinner wouldn't look too suspicious."

"So does that mean she's probably on the vid to Tom right now?" Jim asked.

Gretchen and Phoebe laughed. "I'd be willing to bet on that," Gretchen said.

ooo

Tom whistled as they stood outside the restaurant. "Well, they got the front right," he said as he took in the stainless-steel trim and neon.

"What this, Daddy?" Miral asked as she tugged on his shirt. "It's called a diner, squirt," he replied. "We're going to eat dinner in there."

"I thought they were smaller," Kathryn mused.

"The original ones were converted rail cars," he replied. "This style was popular later in the century."

Inside, they were greeted with tile, booths, and more stainless steel. The rest of the family was waiting for them at one of the large tables.

Tom had just lifted Miral into her booster seat when she saw a tray of sundaes go by. "Ice cream?" she asked hopefully.

"After dinner," Tom replied. "Ice cream!" she said a bit more loudly as she looked to Aunt Kathryn for support.

"Dad said dinner first," Kathryn replied in a less intimidating version of her Captain's voice.

It had no effect. "Want ice cream!" she began to whine.

"Hey, do you like French fries?" Gretchen asked. Miral nodded eagerly.

"Good, because we're going to have French fries," Gretchen replied. "But the rule here is that we have to eat them before we have ice cream. So let's order our fries so we can get to the ice cream."

Miral blinked, then conceded. "OK," she said as the adults managed to hide their grins.

ooo

After dinner, they ambled over to the game room and found that pool table.

"It certainly matches the décor," Jim remarked as he ran a hand over the stainless steel trim.

"Well, this is the first time I've brought a milkshake to a pool table," Kathryn chuckled as she grabbed a cue. "Shall we?"

Phoebe volunteered to take Miral to the kids' section, so Tom and Kathryn squared up against Jim and Gretchen.

A few turns and Tom realized just where Kathryn got some of her pool moves. "It's not a math problem, Mom," Kathryn teased as Gretchen studied the table. "It's not all physics, my dear," she retorted — just before her cross-table shot sank the eight ball into a corner pocket.

"You are damn good," Tom remarked. "I know my way around a table," Gretchen said with a wink. "In fact, I beat Ed the night we met."

"Wait a minute; you met Ed in a pool hall?" Jim asked. "I didn't hear that story."

"Sports bar," Gretchen corrected. "We were both out with friends during Christmas break. I was at Northwestern; he was a senior at the Academy. He was with a group of fellows playing pool; they asked us to join them, and the rest is history."

"I take it he was impressed," Tom teased.

"I guess so," Gretchen chuckled. "He asked me out, and we started dating. Didn't hurt that he'd talked 'Fleet into letting him do his master's work at Purdue. It's a short trip between Chicago and West Lafayette," she added with a wink.

ooo

"That was fun," Tom said as they flew back to San Francisco. "I've always liked your mom."

"There's a bit of a daredevil under that professorial demeanor," Kathryn chuckled. "I've spent most of my life seeing Mom, and not Gretchen."

"That's the nice thing about being back home; we get the opportunity to change things," Tom said softly.

ooo

They landed and walked out to the hover-share lot where they would go their separate ways. She was struck by an almost overwhelming urge to hug him, but he was holding a sleeping Miral, and they were in public.

"Thank you for the assist," Tom said, "and for sharing your family. That was one of the nicest times I've had, oh, since Voyager."

She restrained herself enough to give him a playful arm punch. "My pleasure. Having you around kept us on best behavior," she teased.