"Tom Paris," Tom heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw an old friend. It took him a minute to remember who it was.

"Mark Webster," Tom said. He had gone to the academy with him. They had some classes together and were friends before they were assigned to different ships.

"What are you doing here?" Mark was talking about the Starfleet Command. "The last I heard you left Starfleet."

Tom smiled. It had been some years since he left Starfleet. He was working on his next Captain Proton adventure "I was talking to an old friend." He had come to have lunch with Janeway.

Mark nodded. "What are you doing Friday? I am getting together with some old friends, and you are more than welcome. You can tell us some stories about being in the Delta Quadrant."

Tom smiled. He didn't know that to say. "I'll have to check with my wife to see if we have anything planned."

"That is right. You have a wife and children," Mark said. There was something in his voice that Tom didn't understand what it was. All Tom did was nod.

"Where are you meeting?" Tom asked. Mark told him the place. It was somewhere Starfleet officers went to have a drink or two. "I might see you there," Mark nodded.

"See you there," Mark walked away from Tom.

"Please tell me that we have something planned on Friday?" Tom asked when he entered the house. He hugged the children as they ran into his arms.

B'Elanna looked up from the PADD she was reading in the family room. Tom made his way to the family room as best as he could because he was holding one child and the other two were on his legs. B'Elanna laughed. They disengaged when they got to the family room and their toys. "Not that I can think of. Why?" B'Elanna asked.

"After my lunch with Janeway, I ran into an old academy friend and he is getting together with other old friends on Friday," Tom took a seat next to her and kissed her.

"Go, you might have fun," B'Elanna leaned against him.

"I have changed since my academy days, you never knew me in those days," Tom smiled.

"No, but they could have changed too," B'Elanna looked at the children when she heard a scream from them.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. He knew that she was right. "Alright."

"Daddy," Selena said. Tom looked down at Selena. "Can you help me with this?" She held up a container of toys she wanted to play with. He looked at all the other toys on the floor. He knew it best not to question her and opened the container.

Tom entered the bar. He looked around for Mark. "Tom!" He heard his name being shouted from across the room. He looked that way. He saw four others with Mark. Tom tried to remember their names, but nothing came to his mind. He made his way over to them. The Andorian pulled a chair from another table. Tom took his seat. "You all remember Tom Paris."

The other four nodded. Tom saw that they were all wearing their Starfleet uniforms. Few of them were lieutenants, another two were lieutenant commander, and only one was a commander. If he remembered, they all said that they were going to be captains one day. Tom knew that he wasn't a captain but if he had stayed in Starfleet he could have been.

"Tom, let me introduce everyone again for you," Mark grabbed Tom attention again. "This is Shar Th'rosrihr," Mark pointed to the Andorian. Tom nodded his head his way. "Next to him is Eric Whitmore," Tom looked at the only commander in the group and he could tell that this man had seen some things and that might be why he was a commander and not the others. "Samblid Priaaaha," Tom nodded to the Trill man. "And last but not least Nick Jorden," Mark hit him on the back. The two aliens were lieutenant commanders, and the two other humans were lieutenants.

"Drinks," Mark yelled towards the bar before getting up and getting drinks for all of them. Tom took a beer. Mark came back and sat down. He looked at the others. "I can't believe that I got the old gang together again. It has been over twenty years since we last saw each other. What has each of you been up too?" Mark asked.

Tom heard their stories about being in Starfleet and how they got along in it. He noticed that Eric didn't say much when it was his turn. All he told them was what ship he was commander of. Tom had to wonder what his story was. He noticed that none of them were married or had any children. He was the only one. He twisted his wedding ring that B'Elanna had placed there over ten years ago.

"Tom, why did you quit Starfleet? I thought that you would have a woman on every planet?" Mark asked.

Tom tried to smile but he had changed a lot since he was twenty. "I wanted to be closer to my family."

"That's right," Nick said. "You got married and have a couple of kids," He said it that like why would Tom ruin his life like that.

"Yes, my wife and I have three kids," Tom took a sip of his beer.

"Did your wife trap you with a baby?" Mark laughed.

"No, I asked her before we almost died," Tom was trying to figure out how long he had to be here before he could leave. He looked around and realized that some of them hadn't grown up. He felt that he and Eric were the only ones who had. Tom glanced at them and wondered if they had any scares or did they coasted through Starfleet.

"Why would you ruin your life with getting married?" Mark asked.

Tom was ready to snap but he took a breath. "I don't think that I ruin my life," He hissed. He stood up and held out his beer. "I'm going to get another," The rest of the group nodded. He made his way to the bar and had to wait for the bartender.

"I'm sorry about them," Tom turned around and saw Eric standing next to him.

Tom glanced at the table. "It's not your fault that they didn't grow up," Eric nodded. "I feel that you and I are the only one that grew up because we had too," Eric smiled that Tom just remembered that he used that smile on women and would go home with them most of the time.

"We did, if heard what ships they been on than you will know," Eric said.

"Do you think that they would miss us if we left?" Tom asked. Eric shook his head.

Tom walked out of the bar with Eric on his heels. They found a little quiet place where they could talk. They took a seat at the bar and ordered two beers. "What changed you?" Tom asked Eric.

"I'll tell you as long I see pictures of your wife and kids," Eric said. Tom only smiled. "You first," Tom took out his PADD and started to show Eric pictures of his family. "You have a beautiful family."

"Now your story because everyone knows my story about being in Delta Quadrant and coming home in seven years," Tom laughed.

Eric laughed before he lost his smile. "I was just made lieutenant and was put on a mission with the first officer. We got in a battle with an enemy and we lost the first officer. We didn't know who was in charge with most of us being ensigns and lieutenants," Eric took a breath as he thought about that day. "I don't remember how it happened, but I had command. I started to give orders and we got out of that battle. I made sure that we brought the first officer's body back because he had a family to say goodbye to him." Eric took a drink of the beer in front of him.

Tom placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to continue if it hurts too much. I understand," Tom closed his eyes as he thought about his time on Voyager.

"No, I can continue. After we came back to the ship, I had a meeting with the captain. He told me that I showed true leadership down there. He asked if I ever thought about being captain one day. Since I left the academy, I haven't really thought about it. I told him that and he smiled. He told me that he thought that I would make a good captain one day. He promoted me and when it was time, he made sure that I took the command test," Eric gave a half smile. "I lied to the others about being a first officer on my ship. I was just made captain of another ship."

Tom smiled. "That is great. A toast," He held out his beer. They touched beers. "One never knows what life holds for them. We both had a captain that saw something in us and made us do better. "If it wasn't for Janeway I don't think that I would have met my wife or have the family I have today."

"Captain T'Ker saw something in me, and I thank him every day for it," Eric took another drink.

"I think that whenever we are in town, we should get together because it would be nice to have a friend who grew up," Tom smiled.

"I can agree to that," Eric finished his beer. "I have to go; I have to leave for my ship in the morning."

Tom nodded and finished his beer. "I should get back home," They stood. "I left my wife alone with our children. Someone might be dead.

Eric laughed. "Your wife or one of children?"

They walked out of the bar. "That is a good question because it could be either."

Eric laughed. "Have a good life," Eric said like it would be the last time they saw each other.

"You, too," Tom said. Tom watched his friend head for Starfleet Command where he was staying. Tom headed home to his family.