Thank You, Admiral





By Diane Klepper





(Author's note: This is a sequel to Thank You, Kathryn. The story is set a few days after

that story.)





Admiral Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk in her new office at Starfleet

Headquarters reading a padd. She picked up her cup of coffee and just smiled at the smell

reached her nose. She enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to ration her coffee anymore.

She looked at the cup and frowned. Was it her sixth cup or seventh cup of the day? She

couldn't remember. She walked over to her replicator and pressed the button to make it

disappear. "That's enough coffee for today….I do actually want to get some sleep

tonight."



She sat down at her desk and started to read another padd. Janeway's aide, Ensign

Elizabeth Jameson a young blonde haired woman came into her office and said,

"Admiral…you have two visitors."



Kathryn was at first surprised because she wasn't expecting anyone. She put

down her padd and stood up straightening her uniform. "Send them in."



Jameson left and a minute later Kathryn smiled when she saw who walked in.

Maggie Paris walked up to her desk holding seventh month old Miral Kathryn Paris in

her arms. Maggie smiled, "Admiral…I hope we are not disturbing you?"



"Not at all Mrs. Paris…All I was just reading some boring reports."



"Kathryn…I'll make you a deal you call me Maggie and I stop calling you

Admiral."



Kathryn smiled. "You have a deal…It's still hard to get use being called

Admiral."



Maggie Paris smirked. "Don't tell anyone I told you this…it took Owen about a

year to get use to being called Admiral after his promotion."



Kathryn laughed. "No…that will be our little secret…Are you two visiting

Owen."



Maggie smiled, "Yes…I have Miral for the day…Tom and B'Elanna's babysitter

called in sick so I have Miral. .We our going to surprise Grandpa Owen and take him out

for lunch…but Miral told me she wanted to visit her godmother first."



"She did?"



Maggie laughed. "Not in so many words but when I asked her if she wanted to

visit her godmother and she smiled."



Kathryn pointed to a picture of Miral on her desk. In the photograph Miral was

wearing a pink dress and she was holding the blanket that Kathryn had knitted for her.

Janeway said, "Tom and B'Elanna just send me a new picture of Miral…I can't believe

how fast she is growing."



Maggie laughed, "Owen says it's the Paris in her that making her grow so

fast…but I think its part to do with her Klingon D.N.A."



Kathryn smiled. "I think you are both right." Kathryn pointed to Miral and smiled.

"May I hold her?"



Maggie smiled. "Of course Kathryn." Maggie put her in Kathryn's arms. Miral

smiled at her pulled at her comm. badge.



Kathryn pulled Miral's right hand off her comm. badge and said, "Miral…no…I

need that."



Maggie laughed. "I should of warned you before. Miral has a fascination with

comm. badges now…Last week she pressed B'elanna's comm. badge and accidentally

commed Tom's communicator. She babbled if front of his advanced Navigations class in

the middle of his lecture. Tom was so embarrassed.".



Kathryn tried to hide a smile but she couldn't. "It's sounds like Miral is a hand

full."



Maggie nodded. "You know she reminds me so much of Tom when he was a

baby…you have to watch her every second or she will tear apart the whole house."



"Knowing her parents I'm not surprised." Kathryn smiled and sat Miral on her

lap. She turned to Maggie and gave her a slight smile, "Traveling through the Delta

Quadrant for seven years wasn't easy…Even though I never had children of my own I

often felt like a mother hen to my crew…One of my greatest joys of being in the Delta

Quadrant was watching Tom grow from being a sullen ex-Starfleet officer, Ex-Maquis,

and Ex-con to becoming a fine officer and man"



Maggie gave a little smirk, "Owen is jealous of is the fact that you were able to

turn Tom into the man he is today."



Kathryn Janeway softly stroked Miral's fine black hair and smiled. "Tom did all

the work…I just gave him a second chance."



"I know that…but a lot of people wouldn't of even Tom a second chance…The

last time I saw Tom before Voyager came home was when I visited him in New

Zealand…He was so angry at the world."



Kathryn gave a little frown. "When I first went to New Zealand to talk to Tom he

was so angry and he had such a chip on his shoulder I came so close to just turning

around and leaving him there…I'm so glad I didn't…I don't believe we would have

survived all those years in the Delta Quadrant without Tom's flying skills." Kathyrn gave

a little smirk. "According to our Doctor…Tom became a fine medic as well but if you

ask our Doctor he would deny he every said that."



Maggie smiled. "I have met your E.M.H a couple of times. He takes his duties as

Miral's godfather and primary doctor very serious…I have noticed that Tom enjoys

aggravating him."



Kathyrn laughed. "I've noticed that too…Tom was one of the first crewman to

treat the Doctor as a person…I think a lot of the in fighting is that the Doctor didn't

always think Tom took his medical duties as serious as he should."



Maggie Paris stood up and started pacing near Kathryn's desk. "That was one of

Owen's complaints when Tom was little… From the day Tom was born Owen dreamed

of him following in his footsteps and joining Starfleet…"



Kathryn nodded. "I remember the first time I met Admiral Paris…"



Maggie smirked. "Didn't my husband tell you to call him Owen?"



Kathryn laughed. "He did…the first time I met Owen to ask him to be my adviser

on a paper I was writing… I was so scared…he had a reputation for eating cadets for

lunch."



"That was a reputation he enhanced…Owen knew he had to be tough on his

cadets to because he knew how dangerous space travel was…Owen lost a lot of good

friends and crewmates throughout his career…he took every lose personally.".



Kathryn gave a little smile. "Tom told me once that he wanted to join the Naval

Patrol."



Maggie stopped pacing and sat down in the chair across from Kathryn. She could

see Miral was fidgeting in Kathryn's lap and making gurgling noises. "He did…Owen

told him that no son of his was joining the Naval Patrol…Owen was convinced it was a

phase that Tom was going to outgrow…Owen always wanted the best for Tom…he let

Tom fly shuttle simulators when he was five…At first I was so mad at Owen…Tommy

was still a little boy…to him flying was a game…the more he pushed Tom into Starfleet

the more Tom rebelled…I was so scared Tom would kill himself doing some crazy

stunt…My worst nightmare almost came true at Caldik Prime."



"I was with Owen when he found out about the accident…I could see in his eyes

how scared he was when he found out that Tom had been in an accident…"



"He was…When we first found out about the accident we were relieved that Tom

survived….but Owen found out the truth about Caldik Prime he was angry…He was

angry that Tom lied…He said some really terrible things to Tom….they both did…but

Owen never stopped loving Tom…and I know that Tom never stopped loving his

father…I was hoping with time they would be able to mend their relationship….But then

Tom arrested for being with the Maquis… "



Kathryn Janeway nodded. "I remember the story was all over the news channels."



"Owen really took that hard…he always had such pride in his family's

accomplishments…but I still hoped when Tom got out of the penal colony him and Owen

could have some sort of relationship…. But before he was released Tom went on

Voyager and…"



Kathryn smiled, " I know the rest of the story…"



Maggie laughed. "I'm sure you do…I know Owen already thanked you for

bringing Tom back to us…I just wanted to thank you also for helping our boy grow into

the man we are all proud of…"



Kathryn smiled. "Maggie Tom did all the work."



"Yes he did…but you helped him get the confidence he needed to succeed and I

will always be grateful for that."



Before Kathryn could respond Miral started squirming. "Wah wah wah.."



Maggie smiled and said, "Miral is getting hungry…we better go pick up Grandpa

Owen and go to lunch."



Kathryn stood up and walked to the other side of her desk. She kissed Miral on

the cheek and smiled. "Miral you be a good girl for Grandma." Kathryn handed the baby

to Maggie.



Maggie stood up and took Miral in her arms and smirked. "Tom has started

calling Miral his warrior princess…He says it's a reference to an old television show

from the twentieth century…I have never seen this show but B'Elanna has and I've been

told she is not amused."



Kathryn laughed. "I'm not surprised…I've seen some of Tom's twentieth century

holo-programs…"



Maggie laughed. "I know…I raised that boy ands I still can't figure out where he

gets some of his ideas." Maggie headed for the door holding Miral. "Kathryn you are still

coming to dinner tomorrow night?"



"I wouldn't miss it…I told Tom I would be making regular checkups to make sure

my goddaughter was happy."



Maggje smiled. "Good… We have to keep him on his toes. I'll see you

then…Goodbye Kathyrn."



"Goodbye Maggie." Kathryn Janeway watched them leave and smiled. She had to

admit to herself that she still felt like her crew was her family and she was happy that she

was able to keep in contact with as many of them as possible. Early in the trip Chakotay

had called Tom Paris her reclamation project. In a sense he was right. Kathryn knew

there was something more to Tom then the cocky screw-up from his behavior after they

where taken to the Delta Quadrant. He was a man who deserved a second chance and she

was happy to give him one.



Kathryn's thought were interrupted when he aide came in. "Admiral

Janeway…your twelve o'clock appointment is here."



"Send him in a minute." She watched her aide leave and then walked to her desk

and glanced at Miral's photograph and smiled. "Well Miral I guess we both have to keep

your Daddy on his toes…but he's worth it…that's something we all can agree on."