A/N: Adapted from JuPiter Station Narrative Challenge #250.
2am Coffee (Janeway/Paris)
By Mara/Rommie/Nari (The One Of Many Names)
It had been less than a month since B'Elanna had left them, but it seemed like far longer, Lt. Tom Paris though as he walked into the messhall, his daughter Miral balanced on his hip. It was 2 in the morning, but Miral couldn't sleep, so he couldn't sleep. The messhall was almost completely empty. The sole occupant was sitting at a table near the windows.
"Mr. Paris," Captain Kathryn Janeway said as she spotted them. "What brings you here at this time of night?"
"My daughter being a nightowl," Tom replied with a slight smile. "How about you, Captain?"
"Miral and I have something in common, it seems," Kathryn answered. "Why don't I watch her while you get yourself some coffee?"
Tom smiled gratefully. "Thanks." He handed Miral to Kathryn and walked over to the coffee machine. Usually the replicated coffee was all right, but tonight Tom felt the need to have the real stuff. He poured two cups, and returned to the table Kathryn was sitting at. He placed the cups down, one of them in front of Kathryn, and took Miral back. "Didn't see a cup in your hand," he explained.
Kathryn chuckled. "I've been trying to cut down. But who am I to refuse a cup from my chief helmsman?"
"Why, you're the captain, that's who!" Tom joked.
Kathryn laughed. "I supposse you're right." She raised her cup of coffee to her lips as she turned serious. "How are you doing, Tom?"
Tom sighed. "We're surviving," he replied. "B'Elanna cleared out her things while I was on duty this afternoon. It looks like she never even lived there. I guess that means she won't be coming back."
Kathryn set down her cup and reached across the table to put her hand over his. "I'm sorry, Tom."
"The worst part is she refuses to see Miral," he said, looking down at his daughter, who was playing with the edge of the t-shirt he was wearing. "And with the resequencing, Miral won't even know she's part Klingon. She won't know B'Elanna's her mother when she sees her."
"She will if you tell her."
"How do I tell my daughter her mother doesn't want anything to do with her? Without making her feel like there's something wrong with her?"
Kathryn sighed and squeezed Tom's hand. "You make sure she knows you love her, and so does everyone else," she said. Then she smiled. "Including her Aunt Kathryn."
Tom laughed. "And of course 'Aunt Kathryn's' opinion will be very important."
"Of course, I *am* the captain afterall."
Tom looked down at his coffee. "You think we'll still be in the Delta Quadrant when Miral grows up, don't you?"
Kathryn sighed. "Unless some miracle happens and takes us home, I'm afraid so."
It was Tom's turn to offer comfort. "You're doing your best, Captain. That's all anyone can ask of you. This crew trusts you. *I* trust you."
Kathryn returned the smile. "Thank you, Tom."
"Thank you. You were obviously here to think in private, but you took the time to talk to me."
"Did it help?"
"More than you could ever know," Tom answered. He quickly finished his coffee and stood, cradling the now sleeping Miral in his arms. "Thanks, Captain."
"Your welcome, Tom." Kathryn replied, smiling. "Feel free to come to me if you need anything, Tom. Time off, a few extra replicator rations. Anything."
"I will. Goodnight, Captain."
"Goodnight, Mr. Paris."
Tom started to walk out, then turned back. "I wouldn't mind raising Miral here on the Voyager," he said, just loud enough for Kathryn to hear, before he left.
Kathryn smiled after him before taking the last sip of her own coffee. "I wouldn't mind you doing that either," she said.
End Of Part One
2am Coffee (Janeway/Paris)
By Mara/Rommie/Nari (The One Of Many Names)
It had been less than a month since B'Elanna had left them, but it seemed like far longer, Lt. Tom Paris though as he walked into the messhall, his daughter Miral balanced on his hip. It was 2 in the morning, but Miral couldn't sleep, so he couldn't sleep. The messhall was almost completely empty. The sole occupant was sitting at a table near the windows.
"Mr. Paris," Captain Kathryn Janeway said as she spotted them. "What brings you here at this time of night?"
"My daughter being a nightowl," Tom replied with a slight smile. "How about you, Captain?"
"Miral and I have something in common, it seems," Kathryn answered. "Why don't I watch her while you get yourself some coffee?"
Tom smiled gratefully. "Thanks." He handed Miral to Kathryn and walked over to the coffee machine. Usually the replicated coffee was all right, but tonight Tom felt the need to have the real stuff. He poured two cups, and returned to the table Kathryn was sitting at. He placed the cups down, one of them in front of Kathryn, and took Miral back. "Didn't see a cup in your hand," he explained.
Kathryn chuckled. "I've been trying to cut down. But who am I to refuse a cup from my chief helmsman?"
"Why, you're the captain, that's who!" Tom joked.
Kathryn laughed. "I supposse you're right." She raised her cup of coffee to her lips as she turned serious. "How are you doing, Tom?"
Tom sighed. "We're surviving," he replied. "B'Elanna cleared out her things while I was on duty this afternoon. It looks like she never even lived there. I guess that means she won't be coming back."
Kathryn set down her cup and reached across the table to put her hand over his. "I'm sorry, Tom."
"The worst part is she refuses to see Miral," he said, looking down at his daughter, who was playing with the edge of the t-shirt he was wearing. "And with the resequencing, Miral won't even know she's part Klingon. She won't know B'Elanna's her mother when she sees her."
"She will if you tell her."
"How do I tell my daughter her mother doesn't want anything to do with her? Without making her feel like there's something wrong with her?"
Kathryn sighed and squeezed Tom's hand. "You make sure she knows you love her, and so does everyone else," she said. Then she smiled. "Including her Aunt Kathryn."
Tom laughed. "And of course 'Aunt Kathryn's' opinion will be very important."
"Of course, I *am* the captain afterall."
Tom looked down at his coffee. "You think we'll still be in the Delta Quadrant when Miral grows up, don't you?"
Kathryn sighed. "Unless some miracle happens and takes us home, I'm afraid so."
It was Tom's turn to offer comfort. "You're doing your best, Captain. That's all anyone can ask of you. This crew trusts you. *I* trust you."
Kathryn returned the smile. "Thank you, Tom."
"Thank you. You were obviously here to think in private, but you took the time to talk to me."
"Did it help?"
"More than you could ever know," Tom answered. He quickly finished his coffee and stood, cradling the now sleeping Miral in his arms. "Thanks, Captain."
"Your welcome, Tom." Kathryn replied, smiling. "Feel free to come to me if you need anything, Tom. Time off, a few extra replicator rations. Anything."
"I will. Goodnight, Captain."
"Goodnight, Mr. Paris."
Tom started to walk out, then turned back. "I wouldn't mind raising Miral here on the Voyager," he said, just loud enough for Kathryn to hear, before he left.
Kathryn smiled after him before taking the last sip of her own coffee. "I wouldn't mind you doing that either," she said.
End Of Part One