"Are you sure you don't want me to stay until Tom get home tonight?" Julia asked her daughter-in-law.
"Yeah," B'Elanna sighed. She was twenty weeks pregnant with her third and last child.
Tom's holonovel was coming out in a week and his publisher wanted Tom to do a book tour for the new book. He was gone for month, and he was to return home tonight after his last interview. Julia, Tom's mom had come to stay with B'Elanna to help with the kids.
Julia nodded. She looked from B'Elanna to her two active grandchildren, who were playing in the family room. Miral jumped on her brother and Xavier let out a cry. B'Elanna turned to her children. "Miral, we don't jump on our brother," B'Elanna said in a quiet voice.
"Ok, Mommy," Miral turned to the screen that was on. "Daddy on the screen," Miral pointed to the screen. Julia and B'Elanna traded a look before heading over there.
Tom was sitting on a couch with a TV anchor. B'Elanna sit on the couch and picked up Xavier so he could see his father. "Daddy," He smiled. B'Elanna could tell that the children missed their father.
"Yeah," B'Elanna whispered in his ear. "Miral, do you want to sit by Grandma?"
Miral nodded and climbed in her grandmother's lap.
"Good afternoon, I'm Laztau Tumel and with I have Tom Paris, author of a new holonovel, The Adventures of Captain Proton," The audience clapped. "So, Tom tell me how this idea came to be?"
Tom smiled. It was a charming smile. B'Elanna wasn't fooled by that smile. He would use that smile to get out of missing a date. B'Elanna looked over and saw Julia shake her head. B'Elanna smiled because she knew the smile too.
"It was an idea that came to me while I was on Voyager," Tom said.
"You were on the crew of Voyager when it was in Delta Quadrant," Laztau stated.
"Yes, I was Chief Helmsman," Tom smiled. "When we had some down time, I would create holoprograms and Captain Proton was one of them."
"So, you first created Captain Proton on Voyager," Tom nodded. "What made you want to give it to the world?" Laztau asked.
"I knew that I wanted to share it with my children one day and thought that there would many people that would love this story," Tom his most winning smile.
Laztau returned his smile. "I only did the first few chapters, but I'm already loving it. I think you got a hit here."
"Thank you," Tom said.
"You mention children, how many do you have" Laztau asked.
Tom eyes shine when he said. "Two and my wife is pregnant with our third," Tom faced the camera. "Hi, Miral and Xavier."
Miral started to jump up and down on her grandmother's lap. "Daddy said hi to us," She pointed to her brother.
"He did," B'Elanna returned her daughter's smile. B'Elanna turned back to the screen.
"This is going to be a best seller," Laztau said, "It will be out next week." Laztau turned to Tom. "Thank you for coming."
"It was my pleasure," Tom smiled.
"Around of applauds for Tom Paris, author of The Adventures of Captain Proton," The audience clapped as the screen went black.
Miral turned to B'Elanna. "When is Daddy come home?"
B'Elanna smiled. "Tonight."
"Yea," Miral jumped off her grandmother's lap. "I'm going to color a picture for Daddy."
"I'm sure he is going to enjoy it," B'Elanna set Xavier down next to Miral before pulling out paper and crayons for them.
"B'Elanna, I'm going to pack," Julia said.
B'Elanna stood and followed Julia out of the family room. "Thank you for staying. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Julia looked over to the kids. "I always enjoy spending time with my grandchildren and you," Julia reached over and hugged B'Elanna.
B'Elanna let her go and watched her head downstairs to the guest room to pack. B'Elanna went back to her children to see what they were doing for Tom. Xavier was just making lines on the paper.
"Mommy," Miral held up her picture. "I drew our family for Daddy, so he can always remember us," B'Elanna saw four stick figures. "This is Daddy," Miral pointed to the tallest person. "This is you," She pointed to the next tallest person. "This is me," She pointed to the person that was next to B'Elanna. "And this Xavier," She pointed to the smallest person. "I can't draw my baby sister because she not here yet," B'Elanna saw something else on the page.
"What is that?" B'Elanna asked.
"A dog,'' Miral smiled. She has been asking for a dog lately because someone in her class brought their dog in as show and tell. "Can we get one?"
B'Elanna gave Miral a look. "We talked about that, and it was a no."
"But Mommy," Miral whined.
B'Elanna opened her mouth to say something when she saw Julia come out of the basement. "Go and say goodbye to Grandma," B'Elanna pointed to Julia. Miral jumped up and went to say goodbye to Julia. Xavier followed her. B'Elanna followed her children. "Thank you for staying," B'Elanna thanked her again.
"Are you sure you got this until Tom gets back?" Julia asked again.
"Yeah," B'Elanna walked Julia to the door. There was a transporter waiting to take Julia home. B'Elanna hugged her one more time before watching Julia leave. She closed the door and saw Miral was sitting on Xavier. "What are you doing?" She yelled.
Tom walked up the path to the house. He smiled because he missed his family over the past month. He stopped at the door and could hear Miral crying over something and B'Elanna telling her no. Tom opened the door to his family. They didn't notice him at first. He dropped his bag on the floor and Miral and B'Elanna both looked at him.
"Daddy!" Miral shouted and ran to his legs. Before he could pick her up and hug her, B'Elanna handed Xavier to him.
"Change him," Were the first words that B'Elanna said to him since he has been gone. B'Elanna looked at Miral. "You need to pick up your cup and plate," B'Elanna placed her hands on her hips.
"No, I want to show Daddy my picture," Miral started for the family room.
"Miral, you can show him after you put your cup and plate away," Tom could tell that B'Elanna was done with Miral.
"No, picture first," Miral picked up a picture on the coffee table.
"Miral Paris, I asked you several times to pick up your plate and cup even before Daddy came home," B'Elanna went over to Miral.
Tom leaned down. "I think it is time I changed you," Tom headed for the stairs.
Tom came back down to see that Miral was in a timeout and B'Elanna was watching her like a hawk. He glanced at the table to see the plate and cup where still on the table. Tom went to sit on the couch with Xavier. Miral was giving him a pleading look, but Tom knew to ignore it. Miral always wanted the parent that wasn't punishing her. He started to play with Xavier.
"Your time is up," B'Elanna said after a couple of minutes. Tom looked up at them. "Now what are you going to do?"
"Give Daddy's his picture," Miral smiled.
"No," B'Elanna raised an eyebrow.
Miral sighed and went to pick up her cup and plate and take them where they needed to go. After she done, she ran to the family room and picked up the picture that was on the end of table. Xavier followed his sister and picked up his own picture. They brought the pictures over to Tom.
Tom saw the stick family and smiled at Miral. "This is beautiful," He said. Miral beamed. He took the picture from Xavier. It was a lot of blue lines going all over the place. "This is great, Xavier," Xavier smiled at his father.
"No, its not," Miral saw her brother's picture.
'Miral," Tom warned. Tom could see the tears in Xavier's eyes. "Do you want to go back in time out?" Miral shook her head. "Then tell your brother you are sorry," Tom watched as she said she was sorry to her brother. "These are both great," Tom held up the pictures. "I'm going to put them on my desk downstairs." Both children smiled. "Now can I get hug?" Tom placed the pictures down and held out his arms. Xavier and Miral hugged him. Tom took in their smells and touches. He had missed them.
He looked over their heads to see that B'Elanna was wiping a tear away. He smiled at her. He let go of the children and watched them settle on each side of him. They told him everything that happened to them while he was gone. He loved the sound of his children's voices. He kept trading looks with B'Elanna, who was smiling. Tom wondered if it was time to put the kids to bed so he could have some alone time with his wife. He hasn't held her in his arms yet and he so wanted too. He wanted to place his lips on hers. He looked down at her round belly and thought that his daughter was growing in there. He looked back up to see that B'Elanna raised an eyebrow at him. He could only think that B'Elanna wanted him too.
Before Tom knew it, they were putting the kids to bed. He didn't know how he got to put Miral to sleep, but she wanted to him to read three books. Tom had to put his foot down on book four. He tucked her in and kissed the top of her head. She was asleep before he closed the door to her room. He glanced across the hall to see that Xavier was sound asleep. Tom made his way downstairs again.
He found his wife standing at the kitchen counter with a cup of something hot. He made his way over to her. He stood behind her. "That better be decafé," He whispered in her ear.
B'Elanna turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And what are you going to do if it isn't?" Tom reached for the cup and poured it out. He leaned down and kissed her. B'Elanna tighten her arms around him. Tom wrapped his arms around her.
Tom broke the kiss and started to trail kisses down her neck. "Are any of kids sleeping with you?" He asked.
"No," B'Elanna gasped as she felt Tom run his finger along her breast.
Tom smiled and took her lips again for a heated kiss. He broke the kiss and pulled out of her arms. He took her hand and pulled her to the stairs. He led her upstairs to their bedroom closed the door behind her. Tom pulled her close. "I missed you the most."
B'Elanna laughed. "Don't let Miral hear you say that," Tom didn't say anything as he took her lips again.
They didn't speak for several hours.