In The Middle
By Diane Klepper
(Author's Note: Tom and B'Elanna discuss naming their daughter. Set a few weeks after
"Lineage.")
Tom Paris walked into his darkened cabin. The lights were at ten percent and
Tom smiled when he saw B'Elanna sleeping on the couch with a padd covering the slight
bulge in her stomach. The Doc said B'Elanna would tire easily during her pregnancy.
Tom walked over to B'Elanna and slowly took the padd off her stomach. He was about to
get a blanket from the bed and cover her when B'Elanna opened her eyes and smiled at
him. "Hi Tom."
"Hi. I didn't mean to wake you."
B'Elanna slowly sat up. "It's okay. I can't sleep…Your daughter keeps kicking
me and wakes me up."
Tom smirked. "Hey how come when she kicks you she is always my daughter?"
B'Elanna slides over to the right side of the couch to make room for her husband.
"Because when she's restless and can't stay still for a second she reminds me of you."
Tom sits down next to her and presses his right hand on her stomach. Tom smiled.
"Hey she is some kicker…maybe she will become a soccer star."
B'Elanna smiled. "She can be whatever she wants to as long as she is
happy…Tom we should start thinking of a name for her…we can't keep calling the baby
her."
"I was thinking maybe we could name her after your Mother…I like the sound of
Miral Paris."
B'Elanna frowned, "Tom do you really want to give her a Klingon name…she is
three-fourths human."
"B'Elanna…I don't want her to be ashamed of her Klingon heritage…I want her
to be proud of it."
B'Elanna hugged Tom and smiled. "I like the name Miral…but we still need a
middle name for Miral."
"She doesn't need a middle name…you don't have one."
"Most Klingons' only go by one name…On the Klingon home world I would be
called B'Elanna, daughter of Miral…Tom I want our baby to embrace both her Klingon
and human sides…I think we should give our baby a middle name…you have a middle
name."
"B'Elanna she doesn't need a middle name…Parents only use middle names
when there kids are in trouble…Every time I heard my Mom or Dad call me Thomas
Eugene Paris I was always in trouble…I hate the name Eugene causes it reminds me of
being send to me room and losing all my privileges."
"I thought you was close with your grandmother Eugenia. "
Tom smirked. "I was…but sometimes she was scary…She always told my sisters
and I that a woman had to be twice as tough as a man to get anywhere in Starfleet…I
think she was the only person in the universe he intimated my Dad." Tom gave a small
laugh, "That was one of the things I liked best about her."
B'Elanna smiled. "I remember reading about some her missions when I was at the
Academy…I always wondered why she changed her name after she got married. Most
female officers keep their maiden name."
"I asked her that… Her and my grandfather Kevin were childhood sweethearts…
They were next- door neighbors from the time they were nine. Both Grandma's parents
were Starfleet officers but her father died on a mission when she was about fifteen and
Great Granddad Paris was like a surrogate father to her. Eugenia Sullivan and Kevin
Paris married right after they graduated Starfleet Academy and she took his name." Tom
smirked, "Speaking of which won't it make sense if you took my last name…it would be
easier once the baby is born."
"Tom I keep telling you it simpler for me to keep my name as long as we are on
Voyager…It will be too confusing to have two Lt. Paris's. B'Elanna gave a little smirk,
"Unless you do something stupid and get demoted to Ensign again.'
Tom laughed, "No…I think I just stay at my current rank…I don't want to break
Harry's record for being the world's oldest Ensign."
"You know if we were back at Starfleet, Harry would probably out rank us both
by now."
"I know…that's why he takes all those late night shifts on the bridge…He still
wants to be Captain Harry Kim…I hope when we do get back home Harry can reach his
goals.
"Me too…Harry is the best friend a guy could have…If it wasn't for him I don't
think I would of lasted the first year on Voyager."
B'Elanna smiled, "Harry has a knack for taking in strays and making them feel
welcome…He was my first friend on Voyager too…In fact if it wasn't for Harry, I don't
think I would of ever given you the time of day."
Tom smirked, "Even with Harry it took you months to agree to spend time alone
with me."
"Well you did spend a lot of time chasing half the woman on Voyager our first
year in the Delta Quadrant."
"I may of chased a lot of women on Voyager but your were the only one I ever
wanted." He caressed her cheek with his right hand, "From the first time I saw you I
knew you were someone special…I just never thought you would give a guy like me a
chance…"
"Tom…"
"I dated a lot before I met you…I never really had problems getting dates…All
though out high school and Starfleet Academy girls wanted to date me because of my
father…They thought that if they could marry into the Paris family they would be set for
life…but most of them I didn't really care about you…Before you I only had two serious
relationships…one was Susie Crabtree who broke up with me at the Academy and almost
caused me to fail Stellar Cartography and the other one was Odile…you know what
happened to her."
"Every guy I dated before you were only interested in my Klingon half…They
just wanted to tell their friends they slept with a Klingon woman."
"Those guys were idiots….I never thought of you as just only part
Klingon…When the Vidiians separated into two people….I thought …the Klingon you
and the human you were both beautiful and smart…but neither one of them were
you…B'Elanna Torres …its all of you that I fell in love with."
"What I remember most about that was that even though my human part was
scared and I felt so sick and weak… you made me feel better."
Tom smiled, "Even after I told you that stupid story on how I wore a baseball cap
to hide the buzz cuts my Dad made me get every summer."
B'Elanna grabbed Tom's right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She learned
towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "It did make me feel better…it made
me feel less alone and scared…being around you always made me feel better even though
I would not always admit it."
Tom gave her a little smirk. "I'm glad you finally admitted it." He gently touched
the bulge in her stomach and said, "We are both glad….Okay if you want to giver Miral a
middle name its okay with me…We could gave her the middle name Kimberly after
Harry."
"Kimberly is nice but I have something else in mind."
Tom laughed. "Don't tell me…Doc has convinced to name her Miral Doctor
Paris."
"Very funny…but I was thinking of naming her after someone we both respect a
lot…I want to name her Miral Kathyrn."
Tom smiled. "I like it…I often think about what my life would have been like if
the Captain didn't get me out of the Auckland penal colony…I know nobody else would
of gave a chase to fly again….let alone make me an officer in charge of the conn. I
probably would have become a drunk and a pool hustler at Sandrines."
B'Elanna smiled. "I know most Captains would of never put an ex-Maquis in
charge of her Engine room…We both owe Captain Janeway a great deal…"
"I like the name Miral Kathyrn Paris…Why don't we tell the Captain that
tomorrow morning when we ask her to be our baby's godmother."
B'Elanna hugged Tom tightly and Tom smiled. "I felt Miral kick again…I think
she wants to get out and meet you."
"She has a few months in their until she'll be ready to be born. " B'Elanna put her
right hand to her face and yawned.
Tom stood up and helped B'Elanna stand up. "Come on it is time to get both of
you to bed…We both have the early shift tomorrow." He kissed B'Elanna softly on the
lips and then pressed his right hand on her belly. "I can't wait to meet you Kathyrn
Miral."
B'Elanna took the hand off her B'Elanna and squeezed it tightly, "I know she
can't wait to meet you either…. Daddy."
Tom smirked, "That's going to take a while to get use to…Let's go to sleep
Mommy."
Tom took B'Elanna hand in his and led her to their bed…He couldn't wait to tell
Kathyrn Janeway that him and B'Elanna wanted to make her their daughter's godmother.
He was also glad that B'Elanna convinced him to give Miral a middle name. Now his and
his daughter would have something in common. They would both have middle names
that reminded them of strong and caring women …He smiled at the thought and was
happy that he would have a lot of great stories to tell Miral about two women who made
such an impression in his life…Eugenia Paris and Kathyrn Janeway.
By Diane Klepper
(Author's Note: Tom and B'Elanna discuss naming their daughter. Set a few weeks after
"Lineage.")
Tom Paris walked into his darkened cabin. The lights were at ten percent and
Tom smiled when he saw B'Elanna sleeping on the couch with a padd covering the slight
bulge in her stomach. The Doc said B'Elanna would tire easily during her pregnancy.
Tom walked over to B'Elanna and slowly took the padd off her stomach. He was about to
get a blanket from the bed and cover her when B'Elanna opened her eyes and smiled at
him. "Hi Tom."
"Hi. I didn't mean to wake you."
B'Elanna slowly sat up. "It's okay. I can't sleep…Your daughter keeps kicking
me and wakes me up."
Tom smirked. "Hey how come when she kicks you she is always my daughter?"
B'Elanna slides over to the right side of the couch to make room for her husband.
"Because when she's restless and can't stay still for a second she reminds me of you."
Tom sits down next to her and presses his right hand on her stomach. Tom smiled.
"Hey she is some kicker…maybe she will become a soccer star."
B'Elanna smiled. "She can be whatever she wants to as long as she is
happy…Tom we should start thinking of a name for her…we can't keep calling the baby
her."
"I was thinking maybe we could name her after your Mother…I like the sound of
Miral Paris."
B'Elanna frowned, "Tom do you really want to give her a Klingon name…she is
three-fourths human."
"B'Elanna…I don't want her to be ashamed of her Klingon heritage…I want her
to be proud of it."
B'Elanna hugged Tom and smiled. "I like the name Miral…but we still need a
middle name for Miral."
"She doesn't need a middle name…you don't have one."
"Most Klingons' only go by one name…On the Klingon home world I would be
called B'Elanna, daughter of Miral…Tom I want our baby to embrace both her Klingon
and human sides…I think we should give our baby a middle name…you have a middle
name."
"B'Elanna she doesn't need a middle name…Parents only use middle names
when there kids are in trouble…Every time I heard my Mom or Dad call me Thomas
Eugene Paris I was always in trouble…I hate the name Eugene causes it reminds me of
being send to me room and losing all my privileges."
"I thought you was close with your grandmother Eugenia. "
Tom smirked. "I was…but sometimes she was scary…She always told my sisters
and I that a woman had to be twice as tough as a man to get anywhere in Starfleet…I
think she was the only person in the universe he intimated my Dad." Tom gave a small
laugh, "That was one of the things I liked best about her."
B'Elanna smiled. "I remember reading about some her missions when I was at the
Academy…I always wondered why she changed her name after she got married. Most
female officers keep their maiden name."
"I asked her that… Her and my grandfather Kevin were childhood sweethearts…
They were next- door neighbors from the time they were nine. Both Grandma's parents
were Starfleet officers but her father died on a mission when she was about fifteen and
Great Granddad Paris was like a surrogate father to her. Eugenia Sullivan and Kevin
Paris married right after they graduated Starfleet Academy and she took his name." Tom
smirked, "Speaking of which won't it make sense if you took my last name…it would be
easier once the baby is born."
"Tom I keep telling you it simpler for me to keep my name as long as we are on
Voyager…It will be too confusing to have two Lt. Paris's. B'Elanna gave a little smirk,
"Unless you do something stupid and get demoted to Ensign again.'
Tom laughed, "No…I think I just stay at my current rank…I don't want to break
Harry's record for being the world's oldest Ensign."
"You know if we were back at Starfleet, Harry would probably out rank us both
by now."
"I know…that's why he takes all those late night shifts on the bridge…He still
wants to be Captain Harry Kim…I hope when we do get back home Harry can reach his
goals.
"Me too…Harry is the best friend a guy could have…If it wasn't for him I don't
think I would of lasted the first year on Voyager."
B'Elanna smiled, "Harry has a knack for taking in strays and making them feel
welcome…He was my first friend on Voyager too…In fact if it wasn't for Harry, I don't
think I would of ever given you the time of day."
Tom smirked, "Even with Harry it took you months to agree to spend time alone
with me."
"Well you did spend a lot of time chasing half the woman on Voyager our first
year in the Delta Quadrant."
"I may of chased a lot of women on Voyager but your were the only one I ever
wanted." He caressed her cheek with his right hand, "From the first time I saw you I
knew you were someone special…I just never thought you would give a guy like me a
chance…"
"Tom…"
"I dated a lot before I met you…I never really had problems getting dates…All
though out high school and Starfleet Academy girls wanted to date me because of my
father…They thought that if they could marry into the Paris family they would be set for
life…but most of them I didn't really care about you…Before you I only had two serious
relationships…one was Susie Crabtree who broke up with me at the Academy and almost
caused me to fail Stellar Cartography and the other one was Odile…you know what
happened to her."
"Every guy I dated before you were only interested in my Klingon half…They
just wanted to tell their friends they slept with a Klingon woman."
"Those guys were idiots….I never thought of you as just only part
Klingon…When the Vidiians separated into two people….I thought …the Klingon you
and the human you were both beautiful and smart…but neither one of them were
you…B'Elanna Torres …its all of you that I fell in love with."
"What I remember most about that was that even though my human part was
scared and I felt so sick and weak… you made me feel better."
Tom smiled, "Even after I told you that stupid story on how I wore a baseball cap
to hide the buzz cuts my Dad made me get every summer."
B'Elanna grabbed Tom's right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She learned
towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "It did make me feel better…it made
me feel less alone and scared…being around you always made me feel better even though
I would not always admit it."
Tom gave her a little smirk. "I'm glad you finally admitted it." He gently touched
the bulge in her stomach and said, "We are both glad….Okay if you want to giver Miral a
middle name its okay with me…We could gave her the middle name Kimberly after
Harry."
"Kimberly is nice but I have something else in mind."
Tom laughed. "Don't tell me…Doc has convinced to name her Miral Doctor
Paris."
"Very funny…but I was thinking of naming her after someone we both respect a
lot…I want to name her Miral Kathyrn."
Tom smiled. "I like it…I often think about what my life would have been like if
the Captain didn't get me out of the Auckland penal colony…I know nobody else would
of gave a chase to fly again….let alone make me an officer in charge of the conn. I
probably would have become a drunk and a pool hustler at Sandrines."
B'Elanna smiled. "I know most Captains would of never put an ex-Maquis in
charge of her Engine room…We both owe Captain Janeway a great deal…"
"I like the name Miral Kathyrn Paris…Why don't we tell the Captain that
tomorrow morning when we ask her to be our baby's godmother."
B'Elanna hugged Tom tightly and Tom smiled. "I felt Miral kick again…I think
she wants to get out and meet you."
"She has a few months in their until she'll be ready to be born. " B'Elanna put her
right hand to her face and yawned.
Tom stood up and helped B'Elanna stand up. "Come on it is time to get both of
you to bed…We both have the early shift tomorrow." He kissed B'Elanna softly on the
lips and then pressed his right hand on her belly. "I can't wait to meet you Kathyrn
Miral."
B'Elanna took the hand off her B'Elanna and squeezed it tightly, "I know she
can't wait to meet you either…. Daddy."
Tom smirked, "That's going to take a while to get use to…Let's go to sleep
Mommy."
Tom took B'Elanna hand in his and led her to their bed…He couldn't wait to tell
Kathyrn Janeway that him and B'Elanna wanted to make her their daughter's godmother.
He was also glad that B'Elanna convinced him to give Miral a middle name. Now his and
his daughter would have something in common. They would both have middle names
that reminded them of strong and caring women …He smiled at the thought and was
happy that he would have a lot of great stories to tell Miral about two women who made
such an impression in his life…Eugenia Paris and Kathyrn Janeway.