Saying Goodbye
By Diane Klepper
(Author's Note The names of Charlie, Odile and Bruno and the skiing accident is taken
from the novel Pathways written by Jeri Taylor.)
Newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Thomas Eugene Paris checked his
reflection in the mirror and straightened out his dress uniform. He looked over to the bed
and saw B'Elanna was still sleeping. He really didn't want to disturb her because he
knew she was up late with Miral, but B'Elanna would be worried if she woke up and he
wasn't home. He checked the bassinet by the bed and saw that his beautiful baby
daughter was still asleep. He then walked over to B'Elanna and shook her gently.
"B'Elanna…"
Groggily B'Elanna said, "Tom you get the baby…She has colic…I was up half
the night."
B'Elanna smiled at his wife and said, "Sweetheart…the baby is still asleep…I just
want to tell you I'm leaving now.".
B'Elanna rubbed sleep from her eyes and sat up. "Tom you sure you don't want
me to go with you…I can get a sitter for Miral."
Smiling faintly Tom said, "No…This is something I should of done a long time
ago…I owe it to them to do it myself."
B'Elanna smiled at him. "I understand."
Tom bent down and hugged his wife tightly. "I'll see you both later."
B'Elanna watched Tom leave the bedroom and then she stood up and walked over
to the bassinet. She looked down at Miral who had just woken up. Miral starting crying
so B'Elanna picked her up and said, "Don't worry sweetheart …Daddy will be home
soon…he just has to say goodbye to some old friends first."
Tom walked slowly into the cemetery holding a large bouquet of lilies. It was
early in the morning and the cemetery was empty. He purposely picked this time because
he didn't want the place to be crowded. He walked over to the three graves that were
close to each other and read the names on which read Charles Day, Odile Launay, and
Brunolf Katajavuori. He knelt down and said, "Hi Charlie…Odile…Bruno…I can't
believe you guys have been dead for almost nine years…I still miss you like it was
yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Tom gave a faint smile and then said, "I
haven't been on Earth for the last seven years."
Tom places a bunch of lilies by Charlie's headstone and gave a faint smile.
"Charlie… remember when we kids we use to always dream about exploring far away
places…I did it…I was in the Delta Quadrant for the last seven years… After I got
cashiered from Starfleet after lying about Caldik Prime I wandered around for a while
until I joined the Marquis. I never believed in their cause…I just had to fly again. That
plan didn't work out too well because after only a few weeks I was captured and sent to a
Federation Penal Colony in Auckland, New Zealand. I was about six months away from
the end of my sentence when Captain Kathryn Janeway came to see me in prison. She
wanted me to help here find a missing Marquis ship. She told me that I would be a
observer and that after the mission she would help me with my outmate review…I just
agreed to the mission to get out of prison for a few weeks…I never thought that mission
would give me a second chance."
Tom licked his dry lips as a few tears fell down his cheeks. "Charlie were always
there for me when we were kids… I can't remember the amount of times you convinced
me not to run away from home after one of my fights with my Dad."
Tom wiped some dirt from the headstone. "I was always so envious of you. You
were always so confident about your abilities. I was always so scared I would mess
something up." Tom gave a slight chuckle. "I guess I was right…not only was the
accident my fault…I lied about it."
He stood up and went to Bruno's grave and places some lilies by the headstone.
"Bruno I'm so sorry I blamed you for the accident. You were a great pilot and a even
better friend…You taught me so much about skiing and life…I should never of soiled
your reputation by lying…I'm still not sure why I lied…When I woke up in the hospital I
saw my Dad standing there and he asked me what happened…It just slipped out…My
father always intimated the hell out of me…I just couldn't tell him the truth "
Tom stood up. "I knew what I did was wrong the minute I did it…but I was too
scared to admit the truth…When I first arrived on D.S.9 Nine before I left on Voyager I
met this ensign who just graduated from Starfleet Academy. His name is Harry Kim…I
saved him from a Ferengi bartender who was trying to con him out of all his credits.
When he found out about my past he asked me why I told the truth when I was about to
get away with the lie…I told him that three ghosts visited me and taught me the real
meaning of Christmas…I think Harry thought I was being sarcastic but it was the truth…I
kept seeing you and Charlie and Odile and I knew I hard to confess…I knew it would
destroy my career and that my father would disown my…but I knew I had to tell the
truth."
Tom then walked over to Odile's grave and put the rest of the lilies by her
headstone. "Odile…I think you were my first real love. After I lost you I thought I would
never fall in love again. When I first arrived on Voyager I flirted with half the woman on
the ship…I never really got close with any of them…I thought if I went from girl to girl I
would never be hurt again…That's until I met B'Elanna…B'Elanna Torres was a half
human-Klingon Marquis engineer who wouldn't give me the time of day when I first
arrived on Voyager. But we were both Senior Officers and he had to work together. Also
she was good friends with Harry Kim who became my best friend on Voyager…Charlie
you would of liked him…he was so green and homesick when Voyager got trapped in the
Delta Quadrant but you could always count on him to be there for you…The original
Doctor and First Officer warned Harry to stay away from me. They told Harry that I was
nothing but trouble. "Tom gave a faint laugh. "I even told Harry he should listen to them
and stay away from me…but Harry told me that me that he picks his own friends and for
some reason he picked me."
Tom stood up and wiped some dirt from his uniform. "Harry and B'Elanna
became good friends while they were trapped on the Ocampa home world so over time
we all started hanging out together and I realized without meaning to…I fell in live with
her…After we almost died on an away mission she told me that she loved me too. We got
married and we have a baby daughter named Miral Kathryn who was born just as
Voyager came home…I love my wife and daughter …but part of me will always love for
Odile.".
"Damn it…It should of been me. Charlie, Bruno and Odile you shouldn't have to
suffer for my mistake…" Tom wiped some tears from his eyes with his right hand. "I
loved all of you so much…you were like family to me…I wish I could do something to
change things…but I know I can't…No matter how much I wish you were alive I can't
change things…I often wonder why I got a second chance in life and you guys didn't…I
guess I will never know….but whenever I look at B'Elanna or my beautiful baby
daughter I guess I got a second chance for a reason…I guess sometimes something bad
has to happen for something good to happen."
Tom just stood there for a few seconds. "I guess I'm here to say goodbye…I was
too confused and scared after the accident to ever say goodbye properly. I also wanted to
thank you for being my friends…You were some of the first people to see me as just
Tom…not Admiral Paris's son…I never told you that but I always appreciated it…A
remember throughout my time at the Academy a lot of people wanted to get close to me
so they could get close to my Dad….they thought it would help their career to become
my friend…but all three of you liked me for me." Tom gave a smile smirk, "Even after I
acted like a jerk after I had my skiing accident. I also want you to know that I will never
forget you…Charlie, Bruno, and Odile I hope that someday you can forgive me because I
know that part of me will never forgive myself for killing you…I just want you to know
that you will always have a place in my heart…Goodbye."
By Diane Klepper
(Author's Note The names of Charlie, Odile and Bruno and the skiing accident is taken
from the novel Pathways written by Jeri Taylor.)
Newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Thomas Eugene Paris checked his
reflection in the mirror and straightened out his dress uniform. He looked over to the bed
and saw B'Elanna was still sleeping. He really didn't want to disturb her because he
knew she was up late with Miral, but B'Elanna would be worried if she woke up and he
wasn't home. He checked the bassinet by the bed and saw that his beautiful baby
daughter was still asleep. He then walked over to B'Elanna and shook her gently.
"B'Elanna…"
Groggily B'Elanna said, "Tom you get the baby…She has colic…I was up half
the night."
B'Elanna smiled at his wife and said, "Sweetheart…the baby is still asleep…I just
want to tell you I'm leaving now.".
B'Elanna rubbed sleep from her eyes and sat up. "Tom you sure you don't want
me to go with you…I can get a sitter for Miral."
Smiling faintly Tom said, "No…This is something I should of done a long time
ago…I owe it to them to do it myself."
B'Elanna smiled at him. "I understand."
Tom bent down and hugged his wife tightly. "I'll see you both later."
B'Elanna watched Tom leave the bedroom and then she stood up and walked over
to the bassinet. She looked down at Miral who had just woken up. Miral starting crying
so B'Elanna picked her up and said, "Don't worry sweetheart …Daddy will be home
soon…he just has to say goodbye to some old friends first."
Tom walked slowly into the cemetery holding a large bouquet of lilies. It was
early in the morning and the cemetery was empty. He purposely picked this time because
he didn't want the place to be crowded. He walked over to the three graves that were
close to each other and read the names on which read Charles Day, Odile Launay, and
Brunolf Katajavuori. He knelt down and said, "Hi Charlie…Odile…Bruno…I can't
believe you guys have been dead for almost nine years…I still miss you like it was
yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Tom gave a faint smile and then said, "I
haven't been on Earth for the last seven years."
Tom places a bunch of lilies by Charlie's headstone and gave a faint smile.
"Charlie… remember when we kids we use to always dream about exploring far away
places…I did it…I was in the Delta Quadrant for the last seven years… After I got
cashiered from Starfleet after lying about Caldik Prime I wandered around for a while
until I joined the Marquis. I never believed in their cause…I just had to fly again. That
plan didn't work out too well because after only a few weeks I was captured and sent to a
Federation Penal Colony in Auckland, New Zealand. I was about six months away from
the end of my sentence when Captain Kathryn Janeway came to see me in prison. She
wanted me to help here find a missing Marquis ship. She told me that I would be a
observer and that after the mission she would help me with my outmate review…I just
agreed to the mission to get out of prison for a few weeks…I never thought that mission
would give me a second chance."
Tom licked his dry lips as a few tears fell down his cheeks. "Charlie were always
there for me when we were kids… I can't remember the amount of times you convinced
me not to run away from home after one of my fights with my Dad."
Tom wiped some dirt from the headstone. "I was always so envious of you. You
were always so confident about your abilities. I was always so scared I would mess
something up." Tom gave a slight chuckle. "I guess I was right…not only was the
accident my fault…I lied about it."
He stood up and went to Bruno's grave and places some lilies by the headstone.
"Bruno I'm so sorry I blamed you for the accident. You were a great pilot and a even
better friend…You taught me so much about skiing and life…I should never of soiled
your reputation by lying…I'm still not sure why I lied…When I woke up in the hospital I
saw my Dad standing there and he asked me what happened…It just slipped out…My
father always intimated the hell out of me…I just couldn't tell him the truth "
Tom stood up. "I knew what I did was wrong the minute I did it…but I was too
scared to admit the truth…When I first arrived on D.S.9 Nine before I left on Voyager I
met this ensign who just graduated from Starfleet Academy. His name is Harry Kim…I
saved him from a Ferengi bartender who was trying to con him out of all his credits.
When he found out about my past he asked me why I told the truth when I was about to
get away with the lie…I told him that three ghosts visited me and taught me the real
meaning of Christmas…I think Harry thought I was being sarcastic but it was the truth…I
kept seeing you and Charlie and Odile and I knew I hard to confess…I knew it would
destroy my career and that my father would disown my…but I knew I had to tell the
truth."
Tom then walked over to Odile's grave and put the rest of the lilies by her
headstone. "Odile…I think you were my first real love. After I lost you I thought I would
never fall in love again. When I first arrived on Voyager I flirted with half the woman on
the ship…I never really got close with any of them…I thought if I went from girl to girl I
would never be hurt again…That's until I met B'Elanna…B'Elanna Torres was a half
human-Klingon Marquis engineer who wouldn't give me the time of day when I first
arrived on Voyager. But we were both Senior Officers and he had to work together. Also
she was good friends with Harry Kim who became my best friend on Voyager…Charlie
you would of liked him…he was so green and homesick when Voyager got trapped in the
Delta Quadrant but you could always count on him to be there for you…The original
Doctor and First Officer warned Harry to stay away from me. They told Harry that I was
nothing but trouble. "Tom gave a faint laugh. "I even told Harry he should listen to them
and stay away from me…but Harry told me that me that he picks his own friends and for
some reason he picked me."
Tom stood up and wiped some dirt from his uniform. "Harry and B'Elanna
became good friends while they were trapped on the Ocampa home world so over time
we all started hanging out together and I realized without meaning to…I fell in live with
her…After we almost died on an away mission she told me that she loved me too. We got
married and we have a baby daughter named Miral Kathryn who was born just as
Voyager came home…I love my wife and daughter …but part of me will always love for
Odile.".
"Damn it…It should of been me. Charlie, Bruno and Odile you shouldn't have to
suffer for my mistake…" Tom wiped some tears from his eyes with his right hand. "I
loved all of you so much…you were like family to me…I wish I could do something to
change things…but I know I can't…No matter how much I wish you were alive I can't
change things…I often wonder why I got a second chance in life and you guys didn't…I
guess I will never know….but whenever I look at B'Elanna or my beautiful baby
daughter I guess I got a second chance for a reason…I guess sometimes something bad
has to happen for something good to happen."
Tom just stood there for a few seconds. "I guess I'm here to say goodbye…I was
too confused and scared after the accident to ever say goodbye properly. I also wanted to
thank you for being my friends…You were some of the first people to see me as just
Tom…not Admiral Paris's son…I never told you that but I always appreciated it…A
remember throughout my time at the Academy a lot of people wanted to get close to me
so they could get close to my Dad….they thought it would help their career to become
my friend…but all three of you liked me for me." Tom gave a smile smirk, "Even after I
acted like a jerk after I had my skiing accident. I also want you to know that I will never
forget you…Charlie, Bruno, and Odile I hope that someday you can forgive me because I
know that part of me will never forgive myself for killing you…I just want you to know
that you will always have a place in my heart…Goodbye."