Tom lost control of the shuttle and watched as it headed for the rock formation. As it headed for it, Tom saw his life pass before his eyes.
Tom was eight and his father was taking him to his first flight simulation. It was his birthday, and this was his present from his parents. Tom looked up at his father. "Is this really happening?"
Owen smiled down at his son. "Yes, Tom."
Tom bounced all the way to the place. He waited while his father gave them his name. Tom and his father and followed the attendant to the room. The attendant showed them how to work the control before leaving them.
"Tom," Owen held the chair out for Tom. Tom jumped in the chair. "I think you are ready," Tom nodded. "Go ahead."
Tom stared at the controls before putting hands on them. The screen turned on. On the screen Tom was looking at space. He pushed a few buttons and he started to fly. He went around spaceships, comets, stars. He flew very well for his first time. He couldn't hide the smile from his face.
The memory changed and Tom was seventeen just about to turn eighteen. Tom was waiting to see if he got into Starfleet. He knew that his father wanted him to go to, but Tom didn't know what he wanted to. All he knew was that he was going to fly. He was a good flyer and Starfleet would make him a great one.
"This came for you," Tom's sister Sarah handed him a PADD. Tom nodded before taking the PADD to his room. He opened it and saw that it was an acceptance letter from Starfleet Academy. He got in. Tom fell on his bed and let out a sigh, his father will be happy about this.
Tom waited until his dad was before showing his parents that he got in. His father slapped him on the back. "Congratulation, son,' All Tom could do was smile.
He took the blame for everything. He told them a story that wasn't true. He didn't know what his father would say about this. He didn't know even what to think what his mother thought about this. Or what his sisters would say about this. Tom felt that this was somewhat of his father's fault, making him join Starfleet.
"Your sentence will be honorably discharged from Starfleet," Tom nodded there was nothing else he could do. His rank was pulled from him. He stood up and walked out, he didn't even look at his parents.
"Tom Paris," Tom turned to see a golden skin man behind him. There was a tattoo over his right eye. Tom sunk the ball in the pocket before answering the man.
"Who is asking?" Tom took a sip of his drink.
The man raised an eyebrow. "I'm Chakotay and I need a pilot. I was wondering if you wanted the job."
Tom took another sip of his drink. Tom had missed flying and would love to do it again. It was better than staying at Sandrine's. "All right you got yourself a pilot." Chakotay smiled before shaking Tom's hand.
He was working under the hot sun of New Zealand when he saw a Starfleet caption make her way over to him. She told him about needing him to make he way through the badlands. Tom didn't think long it was a way to get out of this place.
He never thought that he would be in Delta quadrant and be Chief Helmsman. He only had one friend that was Ensign Harry Kim. Harry had made friends with the Chief Engineer; she didn't like his guts because he led Janeway to the Maquis.
"You can do it, B'Elanna," Tom said as he helped B'Elanna up.
"I feel so weak," B'Elanna cried. Tom knew that she stronger with her Klingon side, but she had to be just as strong in her human. Tom liked her human side. This was the day that he started to fall in love with her, but all he could be her friend.
"I love you," B'Elanna said. If Tom wasn't in space dying with his arms around the woman he loved, he would have laughed. This was the moment that she would say those words.
The words he wanted to say died on his lips when they were picked up. While he was sickbay, listening to the doctor all he could think about was that she loved him. He wanted to tell her the same, but she was gone before he could tell her the words.
"Are you sure you both want to do this?" Captain Janeway asked them as they stood in front of her desk in her ready room. She traded a glance with Chakotay.
Tom smiled at B'Elanna. "Yes," They both said.
"Alright, when?" Janeway asked.
"Now, if you can," Tom said. "I got a yes out of her. I don't want her to think about it." B'Elanna laughed. Chakotay and Janeway traded a look.
"Alright," Janeway smiled and started the ceremony. Tom agreed to her husband, and she agreed to his wife. It was a light kiss when they when pronounce husband and wife.
A father!
Tom couldn't stop thinking about that B'Elanna was pregnant with their child. He didn't see problem that she would be quarter Klingon. It was part of who they were going to be. It was going to be a girl. Tom hoped that she looked like her mother, even if her mother didn't want her too.
He held on to B'Elanna's hand was she pushed their daughter into the world. Her screams filled sickbay. The doctor smiled up at them. "Your daughter had a set of lungs on her," The doctor placed the baby on B'Elanna's chest as he finished up with B'Elanna. Tom ran a finger along her ridges.
Tom leaned over and kissed his wife on the forehead. "She is beautiful."
Tom walked around their quarters trying to get a crying Miral to sleep. He loved his daughter, but Tom needed his sleep. He looked over to his bed to see that his wife was sleeping. He hated her right now. He wondered how she could sleep through all this.
"Miral can you please go to sleep, Daddy needs his sleep," He knew that she wasn't hungry. She had just eaten an hour ago and Tom didn't want to wake B'Elanna just because he thought Miral was hungry. He knew that she didn't need to be changed because he had just check that. He held her up to his chest and started to hum a nursey rhyme that his parents use to sing to him. Before he knew it she was asleep. He smiled as he placed her in her crib.
"Daddy," Miral came running at his legs as he came in their quarters.
Tom picked up his two-year-old daughter. He looked over and saw that dinner was on the table. He knew that B'Elanna had left engineering early today, but he didn't know why. She smiled at him when he caught her eye. He went over and kissed her. Miral didn't like her parents kissing that she hit Tom on the arm. He made a sound and placed his daughter in her chair.
"Your daughter has your strength," Tom touched his arm where she hit him. B'Elanna only smiled as she took a seat. Tom took a seat next to his daughter. "I thought today we were to eat in the mess hall," He looked down at what was in front of him.
B'Elanna just cut up the meat for Miral. "I just wanted tonight to be special. I have something to tell you later."
Tom was trying to figure out what B'Elanna was going to tell him as he put their daughter to sleep. After dinner B'Elanna was called to engineering and that left Tom to clean up, bath their child, and put said child to bed. Tom told Miral a bedtime story as she curled into him. He loved these moments. When he knew that she was asleep he put her in her bed. He stood by the door watching her sleep, he was watching his daughter that he didn't hear the doors open and B'Elanna entered until she said.
"How would you like to do this again?"
Tom turned to his wife. "You are putting her to bed tomorrow."
B'Elanna laughed and pulled him away from their daughter's room. "No, I mean about having another baby," She placed his hand on her still flat stomach.
Tom looked from her stomach to her eyes. "Really," He said. B'Elanna nodded. "I would love to do all over again with you." He placed a kiss on her lips.
"Tom, I need you and Harry to be careful tomorrow," Tom looked up from helping Miral with picture.
Tom stood and made his way to the couch. He saw the worry in B'Elanna's eyes. He could tell that she didn't want to do this alone. He placed a hand on her round belly and felt their son kick his hand. They had about a month before he was born. Tom couldn't wait to meet their son. "I will be."
Tom woke with a start. He took a breath before looking over on the bed to see his wife and his youngest daughter sound asleep. He took another breath before getting out of bed. He headed for the bay window and looked out in the night sky. That dream really shook him.
"Everything okay?" Tom felt a pair of arms circle his waist. He took a hand and kissed it.
He turned to face his wife. "I had this really strange dream," He explain to her the dream. "The scary thing is I don't think I didn't make it. I left you to raise our children by yourself."
B'Elanna raised her hands and placed him on his face. "We knew what we were doing when we decided to have a family on Voyager. There might have been a chance that neither one of us making it."
"I know. It was still scary," He leaned down and kissed her just to make sure that she was real, and this life was real. B'Elanna moaned. Tom knew that he had her. He broke the kiss and looked over at their bed and smiled. "I would love to make sure this is all real, but we have a four-year-old in our bed."
B'Elanna smiled, took his hand and led him back to bed. "I don't have class until noon and the kids have to be at school by eight," She climbed back in bed.
Tom crawled into bed next to her. "You are evil," He whispered in her ear.
B'Elanna turned one more time to face him. "I can tell right now that you are very real," She moved her butt into his groin. Tom let out moan.
"See, evil," He put an arm around her and closed his eyes.