"B'Elanna?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Would you explain to me why you made these modification?"
"Because they increase efficiency by 1.7%." B'Elanna growls at me.
"B'Elanna, you need to learn to control your temper. I was asking because I wanted to understand your process. It was a brilliant solution, and I wanted to figure out how you arrived at your results. You need to stop fighting me."
B'Elanna and Harry Kim have been working under the tutelage of my father, Chakotay and myself for close to one year. In six weeks, they will both join me for a three month stint on Voyager. I think they are both more mature and capable now than either of them were the first year of Voyager, but they still have a lot to learn. While Harry is finding it difficult to create a broader comfort zone, B'Elanna is still struggling with her temper.
"Yes, Captain." B'Elanna sighs to me.
"B'Elanna, I made you a member of this family. As a member of my family, I only have your best interest at heart. I want you to accomplish more than I have and make a name for yourself."
"Yes, Captain." B'Elanna says again, only this time awe filled due to my obvious maternal protection. Being an adult it is hard for her to, for the first time in her life, have a parental figure interested in her life as she is.
"Harry, you and B'Elanna run sims for her modifications and check for every contingency. If either of you think of anything else, bring it to my attention. I'm here to guide you, so keep me apprised of your progress."
"Yes, Captain." they answer at the same time.
"My mom is expecting you both to be beamed over by eighteen hundred. If you miss Kole's birthday she won't let you forget it, not to mention how Kole will feel if you don't show up B'Elanna."
B'Elanna's blush is surprisingly vibrant against the tan of her cheeks.
"You know he named all his dolls and action figures B'Elanna, don't you. Boy, girl, humanoid, or animal, they are all B'Elanna."
"The Admiral and Commander didn't tell us that yesterday, no," Harry says trying to avoid giggling.
"It's a pretty recent development, but it sounds like it's going to stick for a while."
"I'll be sure to get him anything other than a doll, Captain." B'Elanna quips.
As Harry and B'Elanna exit the room, they excitedly discuss the shuttle project they were assigned to by my dad.
….
I arrive home at seventeen hundred in order to shower and change before guests start arriving for Kole's birthday party. This year he wanted his theme to be fossils (which Chakotay has been bragging about since the issue was brought up).
Outside, the backyard is set up with fake fossil digging sites for the children, various party games and every single one of Kole's favorite foods.
With two sets of grandparents, two aunts, and two parents who have been waiting for years for Kole, it's hard to find a balance between rottenness and sweetness. Kolopak and Yatzil have spent more time on Earth during the last three years than they had their entire lifetimes before, and my momma watches him three days a week while I'm at work and she is free of classes.
My shower is quick, and I take even less time to dress. I am ready within 20 minutes of arriving home. I immediately go down to the kitchen to offer my assistance – which my momma and Yatzil summarily dismiss. For thirty minutes I make my way around the property ensuring that everything is in order.
The party is set to begin at 1800 hours, and considering the fact that most of Kole's playmates are children of Starfleet officers, I am not surprised when the guests begin arriving at precisely 1800.
When everyone has arrived, the party consists of roughly 20 children and 50 adults. Kole is leading the dig in full archaeologist gear that Chakotay gifted him with when he woke up. He is occupied for thirty minutes until B'Elanna and Harry show up. Before B'Elanna has had time to put her gift on the table, Kole is running into her arms, hugging her, and dragging her off to his dig site.
I see some of my Voyager crew intermingled throughout the party, and I feel a sense of home that I remember feeling in the quiet days of the Delta Quadrant. My life is so much more than it was there, but the aspects I truly love about my life now, I owe in full to my time there. Second chances are rarer than generous Ferengi, but I have been blessed with one that has given me so much.
In a few years, the Federation will be facing the greatest adversary they will most likely ever face. With the knowledge I have, I feel confident that we will be prepared, but the Borg are ruthless.
These thoughts swirl through my head until I am pulled back to the party by a tug on my leg. The rest of the evening passes with laughter and mirth – and a significant amount of dirt.
When the presents are open, Kole names each gift B'Elanna, much to Torres's chagrin and the other guests' amusement. Kole doesn't realize what everyone is laughing at, but B'Elanna does. And that makes it even funnier.
I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. Or Harry. Or Tom. Or the myriad other 'Delta Quadrant' crew who I have somehow finagled into working for me here in the Alpha Quadrant. Mostly though, I am glad I could come back and have my father and Chakotay in my life.
