By Diane Klepper
(Author's Note: Admiral Janeway has dinner with the Paris family. Sequel to "Thank you, Admiral.")
Kathryn Janeway got out of her hover car and walked to the front door of the home of Admiral Owen Paris. She was carrying a wrapped package in her left hand. Looking at the front door she smiled. She remembered the first time she came to this house. She was a junior at Starfleet Academy. Owen Paris had agreed to be her adviser for her thesis paper. He had invited Kathryn to come over on a Saturday afternoon to discuss her paper.
With Admiral Paris's reputation as being one of the toughest teacher's at the Academy she thought that his home would be stiff and cold but she was pleasantly surprised. Even though the outside of the house looked cold and uninviting, the inside was very friendly and open. Admiral Paris had told her that even though the house has been in his the family for three generations, his wife redecorated the house as soon as they got married. Margaret Paris had told her husband that she refused to raise her future children in a museum and that if she wasn't allowed to redecorate, he would have to find either a new home or a new wife.
Kathyrn felt right at home once she met Owen's wife Maggie. She was a very lovely woman who had blue eyes and blond hair that was going naturally gray. Maggie Paris was a very warm and affectionate woman and even though she saw a lot of Tom in his father, she also saw a lot of Maggie in him too. Even though most people thought that she wanted to help Tom because of her close relationship with his father, she also wanted to help Tom because of Maggie. She saw Maggie Paris suffer through Caldik Prime and Tom's arrest and imprisonment. She wanted to help Maggie reclaim her son just as much as she wanted to reunite Tom with his father.
Kathryn Janeway rang the buzzer on the door and a minute later the door opened and Kathryn saw the smiling face of Maggie Paris, "Hello Kathryn…I'm so glad you could come."
Kathryn smiled back. "Thank you for inviting me." She handed the package to Maggie, "I brought you a bottle of Chateau Picard…Captain Picard brought me a whole case from his family's winery."
Maggie smiled, "Jean Luc always brings us a bottle when he visits…Owen and B'Elanna are both running late…but Tom is in the backyard with Miral…why don't you keep him company while I finish dinner."
Kathryn smiled, "I like that." She walked out the backyard and found Tom sitting on a backyard swing rocking back and forth with Miral. The baby was happily drinking her bottle as Tom was humming to her.
Kathyrn smiled at the image of Tom with his daughter. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Tom was the same angry young man who she took out of prison almost seven- in- a- half years ago. When she thought about how close she came to just leaving Tom behind in the Penal Colony she shuddered. Kathryn Janeway knew in her heart that they would of never survived seven years in the Delta Quadrant with a less talented pilot at the helm.
Tom looked like he was deep in thought staring at the nighttime sky. Not wanting to surprise him she said, "Hello Tom."
Tom turned and smiled at his former commander. "Captain…I mean Admiral." Tom smiled, "I guess it is going to take me a while to stop calling you Captain."
Kathryn grinned, "You're not the only one…how about you Tom…have you adjusted to being called Lieutenant Commander."
Tom laughed, "No…but I guess if I can adjust to being an ensign for a year…I guess I can adjust to anything."
Kathryn Janeway frowned. She knew that Tom's demotion was still a sore spot in their relationship...but she was still proud of the way he handled his thirty days of solitary confinement in the brig and the demotion. Part of her was afraid that he would regress into the man he was before Voyager, but she knew that with the support of B'Elanna, Harry and many of the other crewmembers he made friends with on Voyager he would survive the confinement and demotion with dignity. Even Chakotay who often clashed with Tom during Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant told her that he was pleasantly surprised how well Tom took the demotion and he recommended that Tom get his pip back two months before Janeway finally decided to give him back his rank.
Tom realizing what he sounded resentful, "Admiral…I'm sorry…I know I deserved my demotion…I know that…."
"But"
Tom put his daughter on the swing next to him. She was still happily drinking from her bottle. "I know I messed up on Monea…I just couldn't do nothing and let them destroy their beautiful ocean…I know that I had to be punished."
Janeway nodded, "Yes you did."
Tom stood up and started pacing. "I know that…but Admiral I'm not the only person who didn't follow your orders…Tuvok and B'Elanna broke your orders when they tried to get the alien transporter device after the Sikarians refused to give it to you. Chakotay broke your orders when he went after Seska himself and even Harry…the world's oldest boy scout broke your orders when he got involved with Tal."
"They all got reprimands in their records for going against orders."
"I know that Admiral…but none of them got demoted and sent to the brig for thirty days."
Janeway frowned, "Mr. Paris…are you questioning my crew discipline."
"No Admiral…I know as Captain you have the final decision on crew discipline…but why are were you harder on me then anyone else in the crew."
Janeway grabbed Tom's arm to stop his pacing and just said, "Because you will need the extra discipline when you make First Officer and then maybe one day Captain."
Tom gave a little laugh, "Me First Officer or Captain…you have got to be kidding."
"No Mr. Paris…I'm very serious."
"Admiral I have always wanted to be a pilot…it was my father who saw me as a First Officer or Captain…besides I blew any chance of that after Caldik Prime…Hell Admiral if it wasn't for Voyager I wouldn't even be a Starfleet officer now."
Kathryn Janeway walked over to the swing checking that Miral was still happily drinking her bottle. She sat down on the swing and put Miral on her lap and motioned Tom over to join her on the swing. Tom slowly sat down. Kathryn smiled at him and said, "Tom before I took you on Voyager I read all your files from Starfleet Academy…Some of your professors thought you were riding your father's coattails through the Academy."
Tom nodded, "I think some of my professors were afraid to give me a low grade because they were afraid of my father's wrath."
"But others thought you had the potential to be a great officer…in fact Professor Willis thought that you just lacked confidence and that if you ever got far away enough from your father's influence you would probably reach your full potential."
Tom looked shocked, "He did…Willis made me rewrite my senior thesis paper on navigating unknown space three times and then he only gave me a A minus."
Janeway gave a small smile, "Navigating unknown space….maybe he knew something."
Tom laughed, "He was human but there was a rumor that his mother had psychic abilities…maybe he did know."
Janeway smiled at him. "Tom…I have watched you for seven years…You have always been a superb pilot but you made yourself into an excellent officer…you have risked you life to save the crew more times than I can count. You have an excellent tactical mind…and even though you had an reputation as a person who enjoyed your off time on the holodeck. I know how many double and triple shifts you pulled."
"Admiral everybody on Voyager had to pull double and triple shifts."
"Yes but you did more than your share…I caught you more than once yawning at the conn after a late night shift at sickbay…you may of complained a lot about working in sickbay but I think you were a good influence on the doctor."
"The Doc?"
"Yes…after you started working in sickbay there were less complaints about the doctor bedside manner."
"How do you know I just didn't reprogram the doctor to make him more pleasant?"
Janeway laughed, "Tom you may be good…but your not that good."
Tom laughed, "Your right…you know the Doc has convinced to continue my medical training."
Janeway nodded, "Owen mentioned something about that…how did he convince you to do that?".
"Doc told me that if I didn't finish my medical training he would make a lot of late night visits to check on Miral."
Janeway tried to suppress a laugh, "He did?"
Tom nodded, "Yeah…if I didn't agree to finish my medical training I will never have a night alone with B'Elanna."
Janeway laughed, "From all the complaints I received over the years from crewmembers who had cabins near either yours or B'Elanna's I could see having a lot of late visits might bring out your wife's Klingon temper."
Tom laughed, "That's for sure."
Kathryn Janeway took Tom's right hand in her right hand. "Thomas Eugene Paris…I know that you have potential to make a great first officer and eventually Captain…I want you to promise me you will continue to work hard to achieve that goal…but this time I want you to do it for yourself…not for your father or for the Paris name." Kathyrn looked at the baby in her lap and smiled. "I think Miral needs a father she can be proud of."
Miral dropped her bottle down onto the ground and reached out to her father making cooing noises.
Tom picked up his daughter and lifted her up into the air. Miral giggled happily. Tom lowered Miral into his lap and kissed her on her forehead ridges. "When I was a kid I was so proud of my Dad…I wanted to make him proud of me when I grew up."
Kathryn smiled, "You have Tom."
Smirking Tom said, "I guess he in now…but for a long time I really thought my Dad would be always be ashamed of me."
A familiar voice interrupted, "Tom I may have been disappointed in some of the things you have done…but I was never ashamed of you."
Tom stood up and saw his father standing in the doorway to the house. Still holding Miral in his arms Tom said, "Dad…how long have you've been standing there?"
Owen smiled, "I just got here a minute ago…B'Elanna is here too…your Mom says to come to the table…dinner's ready. Tom I mean it…I have never been ashamed of you"
Tom smiled, "Thanks Dad." He turned to Kathyrn and said, "We better go in now…I better change Miral before dinner."
Owen smiled. "I change her…I have a surprise for her."
Tom frowned, "Dad you are spoiling her."
Owen took Miral in his arms and said, "I'm her grandfather…I'm suppose to spoil her."
Tom laughed, "Okay…but don't overdo it…You don't want to face B'Elanna's wrath."
Owen laughed, "I'll watch my step."
Tom watched his father enter the house with his daughter and then turned to Kathyrn Janeway. "We better go inside before we face my mother's wrath."
Before Tom could move towards the door Janeway stood up. "Tom I mean it…do you promise me you will work hard and get promoted to first officer,"
Tom looked at the woman who helped him turn around his life and said the only answer he could give. "Yes, ma'am."
Janeway smiled and Tom held out his arm so Kathryn Janeway could take it. "Good…lets eat."