By Diane Klepper
(Author Notes: Owen Paris remembers past Father's Days with his family)
Owen Paris entered his house and put his briefcase down on a table by the door. He entered the kitchen and saw his wife Maggie taking cookies out of the oven. He took a cookie off the tray and popped it into his mouth. Maggie frowned, "Owen those cookies are hot."
Owen laughed. "They always taste better when they are hot."
"That what Tommy always said…I always had to make sure he wasn't in the kitchen when I took the cookies out of the oven or else a couple of them would be missing off the tray."
Just then a small voice called from the living room "Grandma are the cookies ready?"
Maggie smiled and said, "B'Elanna asked us to watch Miral for a few hours. She's buying Tom a father's day present and she doesn't want Miral to blab to Tom what it is."
Owen laughed, "Miral never heard a secret she could ever keep."
Maggie smiled, "That's true." She gave her husband a quick kiss on the lips. She called into the other room. "Miral…Grandpa is home…Why don't you come into the kitchen and say hi."
A blur came through the kitchen and before Owen knew it he felt a little girl wrapped around his legs. He bent down and picked her up. "Hello Miral…are you and Grandma having fun."
Miral nodded "Grandpa I'm making Daddy a father's day present…do you want to see it."
"I love to."
Maggie smiled, "Miral why don't you show Grandpa the present and I'll bring in milk and cookies."
Miral smiled, "Okay…come on Grandpa." In a second she was out of the room.
Maggie laughed, "The only speed that little one knows is fast."
"Just like her father."
Owen Paris left the kitchen and saw Miral sitting by the coffee table with a couple of pieces of paper and a box of crayons. She picked up one piece of paper and handed it to Owen.
Owen looked at the picture and saw a bunch of squiggly lines, which appeared to be shaped as some sort of spaceship. Owen smiled at his granddaughter and said, "Miral this is very nice."
Miral smiled, "That's Daddy flying a spaceship."
"I see…I'm sure your Daddy will love this picture."
"Grandpa…did Daddy and Aunt Kathryn and Aunt Moira give you father's day presents every year."
Owen smiled, "Yes they did and I kept a lot of the presents. Do you want to see them?"
"Yeah."
Owen picked up his granddaughter and carried her to his study and he gently placed her on his desk chair. Miral looked scared, "Grandpa…Daddy says I should never enter your study…He says you do important stuff here and that if I mess anything up you will get really mad."
Owen frowned remembering all the times little Tommy asked to play in his study and Owen would always say, "No Thomas…I have a lot of important reports in there…You will just mess everything up"
Owen hugged Miral and said, "Its okay honey…there is nothing here you can mess up." Owen walked over to the closet and took out a large brown box. He brought the box over to the desk and put it down. Opening the box Owen took out what looked to be a homemade book. Written on the first page in crayons were the words "My Dad." Owen looked at his granddaughter, "Your Daddy made my this book for father's day when he was about seven. "
Miral opened the book and looked at the pictures. Owen looked at the book and asked, "Grandpa what does the book say."
Owen lifted Miral out of his chair and sat back down with Miral in his lap. "My Dad has a very important job. He's an Admiral in Starfleet. He goes to a lot of important meetings and he also teaches at Starfleet Academy. Sometimes he goes away on his Starship the Al Bantini. When my Dad is away I miss him a lot but I know that he is helping many people on his missions. When my Dad comes home he spends time with my Mom, my sisters Kathleen and Moira and me. I like my Dad best when he isn't too busy to spend time with me" Owen frowned.
Miral looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandpa…don't you like Daddy's book."
Owen gave a small smile, "I like the book a lot…It's just sometimes I wasn't as good a father to your Daddy as I should have been."
"Why?"
Owen didn't know what to say but he was interrupted when Maggie entered holding a tray that contained a plate of cookies and three glasses of milk. "Is everybody ready for some cookies."
Miral jumped off of her grandfather's lap and shouted, "I am."
Maggie Paris put the tray on the desk and handed Miral a glass of milk and a cookie.
Miral bit into the cookie and smiled. "Grandma…Daddy says you make the bestest cookies in the universe."
Maggie suppressed a laugh. "He did"
"Yes…Daddy said Uncle Neelix tried to make cookies a couple of times but he always but leola root in them and that made them yucky."
Owen smiled, "I'm sure you Uncle Neelix tried."
Miral took another bite and said, "He did try…but Daddy doesn't like leola root…but I do."
Maggie looked at the box on the desk. "So what are you doing?"
Miral took the book out of Owen's hand and showed the book to her grandmother. "Grandpa was showing me book Daddy made him for Father's Day."
Maggie took the book from Miral's hand and started looking through the pages. She smiled, "I remember this…Owen I never knew you kept this stuff."
Owen smirked, "You think you are the only one who treasured every present the kids ever made for you." He took out a big stack of papers and put them on the desk. "I think I have every birthday and father's day cards the kids every made for me."
. Miral looked into the box and took out a shiny statue. Showing what she found to her grandfather Miral asked, "Grandpa…what's this?"
Owen took the trophy out of Miral's hand and smiled. "Sweetheart this is a father's day present you Daddy gave me when he was twelve.
Miral touched the spaceship on top of the statue and noticed there was writing on the base of the statue. "Grandpa…what does it say?"
Owen smiled, "It says "First Place Starfleet Shuttle Races Thomas Eugene Paris."
"That's Daddy statue."
Maggie smiled at her granddaughter. "Yes it is…your Daddy was so proud of winning that race. He was the youngest person in the contest…The only bad thing about that day was that your Grandpa was unable to see the race because he was at a meeting."
Miral frowned, "That must of made Daddy sad."
Maggie nodded. "It did."
"Is that why Daddy gave Grandpa the statue"
Maggie smiled, "Well that is part of the reason….Miral do you want me to tell you what happened?"
Miral nodded.
Maggie walked over to the couch and sat down. Miral put down her glass of milk and he half eaten cookie on the desk and ran over to the couch to sit on her Grandma's lap. She turned to her Grandpa who was still holding the statue. "Come on Grandpa…you have to listen too."
Owen laughed, "I'm coming." Owen put the trophy back on the desk and then sat on the couch next to Maggie and Miral.
Maggie smiled and said, "It was two days before Father's Day and your Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Moira had a plaque made to celebrate your Grandpa's 25th Anniversary in Starfleet. They were both working part- time jobs while they were going to school so they could afford to get your Grandpa something very special and your Daddy was upset because he didn't have anything special to give your Grandpa….".
Twelve year old Tom Paris laid on his bed and doubled checked the amount of credits he had saved over the last few months on his padd and frowned. There was no way he could give his Dad anything special for Father's Day. Anything he could afford would only pale in comparison to the fancy plaque Kathleen and Moira was giving their Dad. He was about to fling the padd across the room in frustration until he was interrupted by a knock. Tom shouted, "Go away."
"Tommy its Mom."
Tom sat up and said, "Come in."
Maggie Paris sat on the bed next to her son and said, "Honey…what's wrong…you barely touched your dinner."
Tom frowned, "Mom… Kathleen and Moira got Dad such a cool present and I don't have enough credits to get him anything good."
Maggie smiled at her youngest child. "Tommy it's not the amount of credits you spend on a present…it's the thought. Both Kathleen and Moira are working so they could afford something more expensive. I'm sure if you give something from your heart to your father he would love it"
Frustrated Tom asked, "But what will that be?"
Maggie smiled and said, "I'm sure if you spend some time thinking about it you will figure out a good present." She gave Tom a kiss on his right cheek and stood up. "One more hour then to bed young men…Is that understood?"
Tom gave a small smile, "Yes, ma'am"
. Maggie just smirked at her son and left the room. Tom stood up and walked to his bookcase where he kept all his books, padds, and trophies. "Something for the heart," he whispered to himself and then his eyes roamed to his latest trophy, which he got last month. Tom smiled, "That's it."
Two days latter the Paris family had just finished dinner and had gathered in the living room to have coffee and cake. Owen was sitting in his favorite chair eating the homemade chocolate cake the Maggie had made for him. Owen finished his piece of cake and placed the plate on the coffee table. He scanned the room and smiled at his wife, his two daughters and son. "What a perfect Father's day with my whole family here."
Kathleen smiled and took a box out from behind the chair she was sitting in and said, "Wait Dad…you haven't opened your presents yet." She handed Owen the long and thin box. "This is from Moira and I."
Owen smiled and lifted the lid off the box. He saw the plaque, which had the following words written on it: To Owen Paris Congratulations On Your Twenty-Five Years In Starfleet Love Kathleen And Moira
Owen smiled and stood up still holding the plaque. He gave Kathleen a kiss on the cheek and then he walked over to Moira who also stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Girls thank you…I love this. I'll hang in up in my study."
Moira smiled, "We're glad you liked it."
Tom stood up holding something behind his back. "Dad I also have a present for you." Tom nervously handed Owen a wrapped box.
Owen smiled, "Thank you son." Owen opened the box and was surprised to see Tom's trophy in it. "Son this is your trophy…you won it."
"I know…but Dad I wouldn't of won it if you didn't take me all those times to the simulators or out in shuttles…I really want you to have it."
Open smiled , "Thank you Tom…I'll keep it in my study."
As Maggie finished the story the door opened and Tom came in. "Hi…I'm here to pick up Miral."
Miral jumped off her grandmother's lap and ran to her father hugging his legs. "Daddy…I missed you"
Tom bent down and picked up his daughter. "I missed you too sweetie…did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa."
"Yeah…they told me all about when you gave Grandpa the statue for Father's day."
Looking confused Tom asked, "Statue"
"Yeah Daddy…the statue you got when you won the race…I'll show you…put me down."
Tom put Miral down on the floor and she ran to the desk and picked up the statue. "This one Daddy."
Tom walked over to the desk and took the statue out of his daughter's hands. "Oh…this is from the shuttle race I won when I was twelve." Tom smirked, "I was two years younger then anyone else in the race and I still won by three seconds."
Maggie smiled, "You were so happy that you won because that was the first race you ever entered that had older children it in."
Owen smirked, "They had to let you race older kids because you kept beating all the kids in your age group."
Tom nodded and turned to his Mother, "I remember that I gave it to Dad because you told me I should give him something from my heart…I know that Dad was too busy to come to most of my races but I thought if I gave him the trophy it would bring him closer to my races."
Owen smiled, "It did son."
"I'm glad you kept it…I thought you might of gotten ridden of everything I ever gave you after Caldik Prime."
Owen smiled, "Everything you and your sisters ever gave me were important to me…I just didn't display it all over the place like your Mother did."
Maggie frowned, "Owen Paris…your impossible sometimes…but I love you."
Owen kissed Maggie on the lips and said, "I love you too, dear."
Miral giggled, "Mommy and Daddy do that all the time."
Maggie laughed, "Come on Miral…let's pack you things."
Miral nodded, "Daddy I made you something but it's a surprise…you can't look."
Tom laughed, "I promise Miral…I won't look."
Tom and Owen watched Maggie and Miral walk into the other room. Tom turned to his father, "Miral reminds me so much of B'Elanna."
Owen smiled, "She reminds me so much of you."
Tom laughed, "Was I that inquisitive"
"Yes…and it doesn't get any easier as she grows up…but she's worth it and so were you."
Tom frowned, "Even after all the bad times."
Owen smiled, "Tom when you have a child you love them no matter what…Even when they make mistakes…We both made mistakes over the years but the greatest day in my life came when you came back into mine…That was my greatest Father's Day present ever."
"I'm glad you are back in my life too…I may not always liked you but I never stopped wanting you to be part of me life…Happy Father's Day, Dad."
"Happy Father's Day to you, son."