While the wound in Kes's heart was still present, the heaviness of Eugene's sacrifice was instantly healed by Tal's news and she just couldn't seem to stop smiling at Tal or the Capt. "Capt, is Tom on duty right now?" Kes asked.

Janeway nodded in response, "He is, but I think we can make an exception for this, do you want to tell him here or somewhere else?"

Kes looked from Janeway to Tal and then smiled, "If you don't mind, I think we should tell him in a special way, in Sickbay." Janeway just smiled and nodded at her. Kes still holding Tal's hand stood and walked with her out the passage way exit and entered a Turbo-lift.

Janeway walked to the replicator and placed her glass back in it then commanded "Recycle." She turned and walked out the door onto the Bridge. Looking about the Bridge, she turned to Chakotay as she sat down, "Anything to report Commander?"

Chakotay smiled, "Nothing Capt., everything is normal, on course for Earth and traveling at warp 7.8."

After several minutes the intercom chirped and Kes's voice came across "Lt. Paris, report to Sickbay please."

Tom looked up confused then looked back at the Capt, and Chakotay. Janeway nodded, "I think we can spare you for a bit Tom. Janeway to Kes, Mr. Paris is on his way."

Janeway's smile was about to sprain her cheeks as Tom entered the Turbo-lift. Chakotay looked at her, speaking quietly "Capt? What's going on?"

As the lift doors closed Janeway leaned over and whispered, "Tom's about to find out he is going to be a Grandfather."

Chakotay sat back with a shocked expression on his face; he then leaned back in, "Capt?"

Janeway laughed, "Crewman Celes is pregnant with Eugene's child."

A smile curled on his lips and then erupted into a laugh, "Think we could turn on the Sickbay monitor so we can watch?"

Janeway laughed, "Don't tempt me!"

Tom entered Sickbay and saw Kes standing next to a biobed with Tal sitting on it, seeing Kes brought back the pain of the loss of Eugene. He began steeling himself as Kes turned towards him, "Thanks for coming Tom, the Dr. is in the galley and Tal came in with an upset stomach, I'm not sure I am reading this right and wanted a second opinion."

Tom nodded, "No problem Kes, always glad to lend a hand." He replied forcing a smile on his face. Taking the tricorder Tom reset it then said, "This shouldn't take long Ms Celes." Tom ran the tricoder down, picking up the same readings Kes did about an hour earlier. Slowly Tom's arm came to a stop at her abdomen, tapping a few controls and checking again. Kes was about to leap out of her skin, she was struggling to keep the smile off her face, watching her was keeping Tal's nerves normal, but she was having a hard time not breaking out laughing. Tom started to turn towards Kes and she quickly tilted her head down a bit to look at the tricorder as she tried to get the smile off her face. Tom pointed at one of the readings, "Is this the reading that you wanted my opinion on Kes?" Kes could only nod and Tom looked back at Tal, "Congratulations Ms Celes, you're going to have a baby."

Kes stepped up closer to Tom and linked her arm through his and looking up into his eyes, "Congratulations Tom, you and I are going to be Grandparents!"

Tom looked at Kes like she just transformed into a Borg, "Kes, that isn't funny."

Kes got up in Tom's face, "I'm being serious, Eugene and Tal created a child; our grand child is now growing inside of Tal.

Tom could see Tal was now nervous and while Kes's expression was a bit stern, her smile still tugged at the edges of her mouth. He started to speak, then stopped, his eyes closed for a second, then opened as he said "Wait" then his mouth closed again then looking at Tal, "You're not kidding with me, you and Eugene, you-you", "You're going to have Eugene's baby?"

Slowly nodding her head Tal replied, "No kidding Mr. Paris, Eugene is the father."

A slow smile erupted on Tom's face and he hugged her tightly to him, Kes stepped up and placed her arms about them both, Tom looked at Kes, his eyes red and a few tears sliding down his cheeks his smile broaden as he placed an arm about Kes and hugged them both tightly. "Just call me Tom, rank doesn't mean anything to family." Tom said finally.

Tal smiled and hugged them both tighter, "Only if you call me Tal from now on." Tom and Kes laughed, which got Tal to laughing as well.

Tom pulled back, "Perhaps we should go someplace more comfortable and talk?" Both ladies looked at Tom and nodded.

As Tal slid off the bed Kes looked up, "Computer, activate EMH."

With an answering chirp, the crackle of an energy matrix came alive and the Dr. looked at the 3 of them, "Please state the nature, oh yes, were you pleasantly surprised Mr. Paris?"

The 3 of them started laughing again as Tom nodded, "Yes I was Doc, and thank you for the use of the facility."

The Dr. nodded then looked at Tal, "I've sent you a nutritional guideline and scheduled regular prenatal appointments, but do not hesitate to come see me any time you have questions or concerns. And don't forget to replicate prenatal vitamins immediately."

Tal smiled as Kes hugged her again, "I will Dr. thank you."

"Tal, if you need anything, at any time I'm here for you." Tom told her as they moved out the Sickbay doors.

The trio made their way down the corridors of Voyager, laughing, smiling and hugging as they went. They entered into the Galley still carrying on, which had everyone turn and look at them. Tom just waved at everyone as they made their way to the corner table, Kes gestured for Neelix to come over, Tom held Tal's chair as she sat down as Kes took Neelix's hand and pulled him over and took a seat next to Tal and Tom sat down on the other side, so Neelix took the final chair.

"My, you three seem to be in great spirits today and I must say it is wonderful to see." Neelix said as he smiled at them broadly.

Tom looked at Neelix, "And why shouldn't we be, it's not often we find out we're going to be Grandparents, or parent in Tal's case."

Neelix's mouth dropped as he sputtered a bit, "What marvelous news!" Then something seemed to hit him, "Wait, you mean, Eugene is the father? But, how is that possible?" And just as quickly as the first hit he was hit again, "Oh who cares, congratulations Tal, and to you two as well. Let me go whip up something in honor of the news."

As he started to get up, Kes kissed his cheek and smiled at him, "Thank you." Neelix's heart warmed at her smile and touch and he moved off into the kitchen.

Tom leaned in as he spoke, "You know Tal, after the initial shock of Eugene and coming to grips with it, I inappropriately began avoiding Kes," he took Kes's left hand with his right, "and I have to say, I am really sorry for that. While I didn't want to endure the pain of what could have been anymore, it was still so wrong to shut myself off from you, I should have leaned on you and allowed you to lean back, I hope you can forgive me." Kes could only smile back and nod her head at Tom. "Now I find myself hungry for some more information about Eugene, how did you two meet?"

Kes smiled at Tal as she looked at them, "Well, actually we met here in the Galley; it was pretty packed with everyone trying to figure out the interference with the scanning beam they tried to find you two with. The only other table had Mortimer sitting at it and I really didn't want to subject myself to him, so I came over and asked if I could join him. It seemed like he was kilometers away and I think it kind of shocked him. But we sat and talked a little about you two, I explained I really didn't know much about you as we didn't really socialize."

Neelix walked up with a bottle and some glasses, "I thought you might enjoy some apple cider, since alcohol is on the no-no list." He sat the glasses down and poured them their first glass and went back to the kitchen.

Tom lifted his glass, "To Tal and the baby."

Tal could only smile as Kes lifted her glass and then clinked her glass into the others saying "To Tal and the baby!"

After a small sip Tal continued, "I told him about some of your Holo-deck programs and he seemed interested so we went down and I ran Sandrine's for him. We had several glasses from the bottle you have Sandrine keep for you and man, for senthyhol it really had some kick to it."

Tom kind of laughed, "I think maybe I better change that program. As a joke I programmed that bottle so if anyone else ordered it, it would be the real thing."

Tal just stared at him for a moment then started laughing, "Well maybe if it hadn't been real I might not be pregnant now." Kes began to laugh with her and soon Tom followed suit.

Tal took another drink, "We decided to try a different program when I saw your Martian Earth View program, so we decided to try it, he was so cute when he asked what a Martian was," she giggled while Tom and Kes laughed. "So the program started and he almost fell when the scene changed. The computer had to explain the car to us of course; we had it highlight Earth so I pointed it out to him and he leaned down and looked up my arm towards Earth when he told me he liked my perfume. He turned his head back and kissed me and things continued from there." Tal was a bit red at this point and both Tom and Kes chuckled and thanked her.

Neelix arrived about then with a sweet concoction and served them a large piece each, "Are you going to keep this a secret for now?" Neelix asked.

Tom looked at Kes, who then looked at Tal. "I think I want to for right now, if that is okay?" Tal responded.

All 3 nodded then laughed as Tom said "I'm sure the Dr. will blab first."