Tom

ooo

I wake up to the smell of coffee and the sounds of Kathryn trying not to bump around the kitchen. When I stumble back from the bathroom, I see two mugs and a plate of doughnuts on the coffee table.

"Ever see New Manhattan?" she asks between nibbles of doughnut.

"Mom took us to see the holiday stuff when I was a kid. I don't remember much. You?"

"Not since I was a teenager. Feel like exploring? I understand the Old Manhattan museum is well done."

ooo

It has been a nice day. The city is bustling, with people and traffic crowding the streets. We meander through it all, stopping at various stores, museums, and food stands. I'm amazed — and grateful — by how well we travel: B'El and I would have been fighting before the ferry docked.

We stop in a large bookstore; force of habit takes me to the children's section, and I pick up a book at a display.

"Miral likes puppies?" Kathryn's voice comes from over my shoulder. I laugh. "She adores them, though she's still very attached to Toby the Targ." I glance at the book again, then sigh and put it down to Kathryn's puzzlement.

"I'd just get told off if I sent it," I tell her quietly. "I gave up my clients when Miral was sick; we spent so much time at Medical. And that's why I couldn't get full custody, or even joint custody, even though I was the primary parent." I didn't bother to hide my anger with that last sentence.

"But you haven't found work," she finishes.

"Been contacting old clients, making inquiries, but it's slow. Some of my subsidy's already going to child support. B'Elanna thinks I should get any job to increase it, and snipes about it every time I talk to Miral." I pause for a moment. "Maybe she's right, but my business was just getting somewhere when Miral got sick. If I don't work on it now, I'll never get it back."

Kathryn nods and squeezes my arm before she retrieves the book. "Well, it's past time I paid attention to my goddaughter. Do you have the ship's correspondence code?"

ooo

Kathryn

The next month rolls in, and Karlo, one of the more successful artists in the area, announces a party. Phee, who's coming in early, announces that Tom and I have to go with her.

"I can move to the couch," Tom offers. I note that he's not offering to leave, which is fine by me.

"I doubt she'll be spending the night with us unless she and Nico are on the outs."

He frowns. "Who?"

"Nick Lorenzi, who goes by 'Nico.' Her partner." Though I'm not sure how accurate that is. "He's a sculptor, works in metals,"

How do I explain this? "Phee nearly got engaged while we were gone. Unfortunately, the bastard was cheating on her. She met Nico at an exhibition in Indianapolis. Took up with him to get revenge, I suppose. There was quite a scene with the ex." And I got the blow-by-blow account when I got home. "She and Nico have been together for a couple of years now."

ooo

Tom

The party is at Karlo's studio near the pier — one of several old buildings repurposed by the arts community. Phoebe leads us into the crowd toward a tall fellow waving in our direction. "That's Nico," she says as she pulls my arm. "I'll introduce you."

Nico doesn't look happy, and I'm getting uneasy. This guy is nearly 2 meters tall, and his frown, paired with his dark hair and goatee, makes him look fierce. I'm wondering if he's part Klingon. Fortunately, Phoebe lets go of me to jump into Nico's arms; Kathryn steps up and hooks her arm through mine.

Phoebe whispers into his ear, and he relaxes a little. "Hey, Kathryn," he calls, and I pick up a bit of a drawl, which is drowned out when someone turns up the music.

"Nico, this is my friend, Tom Paris," Kathryn yells over the din. Nico's expression relaxes even more, and he lets go of Phoebe to shake my hand. "Nice to meet you," he says, then motions at a small stasis unit at his feet. "Want a beer? I bring my own; can't stomach what Karlo calls liquor."

We grab beers, and Nico leads us to a spot outside. It's a bit squeezed; Kathryn is practically in my lap, not that I'm complaining. Nico starts talking, and I'm right about the drawl; he hails from Louisiana.

"How are the trees?" Phoebe asks him.

"Coming along," he begins, then grins at my puzzled look. "I'm doing an installation sculpture for a new office building in Wisconsin," he explains. "Officially, it's a Woodland Tableau. It's really a group of trees for the main lobby."

"He does wonderful abstract sculptures, too," Phoebe says proudly, and Nico chuckles. "My hobby …"

He's interrupted by Draso, who has a fellow in tow. He, too, is into colorful clothing, though I think he uses Neelix's tailor.

"Hello! Hello! Draso enthuses. "Karlo, you know everyone else, but this is Kathryn's friend, Thomas. He's the holographer I told you about." Karlo opens his arms, and for a moment, I think he's going to hug me. "I am glad to meet you! I need an expert holographer to brighten my new paintings."

"Brighten?" I ask, and he launches into a long explanation. Best I can tell, he's created a fusion of sorts — holographic backgrounds used as an extension of a painting, or maybe multiple extensions of a painting. "I ask him various questions about his material and decide it might not be too bad.

"All right, so you'd need me to re-code those holograms? As for the setup, understand that I've done them, but I'm not a holo-engineer. I'd have to see the space, check lighting …"

"Of course! Why don't you come by tomorrow? You can look at my work, I can look at yours, and we can decide on how to place the emitters …"

Draso clears her throat. "Karlo, my darling, why don't you let Thomas and I work on the details. We can handle all the technical parts that you hate. Of course," she says sweetly, "I will take a larger sales commission so that we can pay Thomas. But you can go on creating your wonderful art."

Karlo falls for it. "Draso, what would I do without you?" Draso smiles, and I clear my throat.

"I will come by tomorrow with my portfolio," I remind him. "If we agree, Draso and I can talk about holo-emitters. I look over at her. "My attorney insists on looking over contracts before I sign."

"As does mine, my dear," Draso replies brightly. "Give me a call or drop by when you're ready to talk."

"Do you understand what he's proposing?" Kathryn asks Phoebe and Nico, who both nod. "It's been done, but Nico might take it to another level," Phoebe offers with a brief explanation. She looks over at me. "Don't know how long you plan on staying, but this sounds like a long-term gig."

"Don't worry about Draso," Nico adds. "She's a good businesswoman, and from my dealings, a fair one." Phoebe nods in agreement. "She is fair. And it's a good thing for Nico. He's extremely talented, but from what I hear, not so good with finances. She's doing you a favor, Tom; she's making sure you'll get paid."

ooo

"So," Kathryn opens as we walk home. "You may have a job."

"Maybe," I agree. "I've set up holodecks; taken classes. But I'm not an engineer." I shrug. "If nothing else, maybe I can cut a deal to do the coding."

ooo

Kathryn

I'm half awake when I hear movement in the living room. Then I hear a soft whine from Molly. Probably Tom, I decide.

I'm drifting back to sleep when I hear footsteps, and feel the mattress move.

Survival instinct kicks in: I grab the club I keep under the bed and flip over to face the intruder. It's Phee looking at me, wide-eyed. "Holy shit, Kath! It's just me. I wanted another hour of sleep."

I put the club on the nightstand. "You're lucky I didn't grab my phaser. Did Nico kick you out of bed?" I whisper grumpily.

"He had to leave for Wisconsin," Phee retorts. "But the real question is why I'm in your bed and Tom isn't."

"That's not why I invited him. And I didn't invite you in here, either."

"Fair answer, but since you swear that you didn't indulge with your hunky first officer, I'd think you'd want to catch up." She crooks an eyebrow at me. "Or was there someone else out there?"

"If it makes you feel better, the answer is yes, occasionally," I hiss. "Now, can I go back to sleep?"

Phoebe's eyes light up. "Someone else on the ship?"

"No!" I growl. "I met them along the way. All very long stories. Now, can I please go back to sleep?"

"Well now, you do have an experimental streak," Phoebe chuckles. "Someday you can give me the details."

I finally pull the covers over my head. I'm not about to explain Michael Sullivan. And I should warn Tom to keep his mouth shut about that.