B'Elanna entered her quarters with the flowers and dinner. Miral and Gabby both came up to her. "Mommy, where did you get the flowers?" Gabby asked.
B'Elanna handed dinner to Miral. "Your father," B'Elanna went and put the flowers on the coffee table.
Gabby ran to her father, who was trying to get James in his highchair. "Daddy, why did you get Mommy flowers?"
Tom looked over Gabby at B'Elanna. "Because I love her," Tom smiled.
"Okay," Gabby ran to her seat. Tom looked at B'Elanna taking her seat.
After dinner, the kids helped clean up before going to play before bath time and bed time. B'Elanna came up to Tom. "I'm going to talk to Miral about Seska."
Tom nodded. "I think that is the right thing to do," He picked up James before heading to the couch. "When?"
"Tonight," B'Elanna followed him to the couch.
"When you are giving the others their bath," B'Elanna sat down next to him. "Did the kids do their homework and practice their lines?"
"Yeah," Tom leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment.
"You know that they'll he here in 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1"
"Mommy, Daddy," Gabby came out of her room. Tom opened one eye and threw B'Elanna a look.
"Yes, Gabby," 'B'Elanna looked at her youngest daughter.
"Miral is telling me to be quiet and I'm not being loud," Gabby had a face of innocence on.
"B'Elanna and Tom knew not to believe. "Why don't you play out here while I talk to Miral?" B'Elanna stood and headed for the girls' room. Gabby smiled before running to her room to grab her toys before B'Elanna made it to the room. Gabby almost ran into B'Elanna as she exited. B'Elanna entered the girls' room to find Miral at her desk with a PADD. She looked when she heard the door.
"Are you going to yell at me?" Miral asked.
"No," B'Elanna took a seat on Miral's bed. Miral raised an eyebrow. B'Elanna had to wonder where she got that look from. "Ask your sister and then if she doesn't listen come and tell me or your dad about it and we'll take care of it."
"Okay," Miral turned back to her PADD. She thought they were done.
"Miral, I wanted to talk to about Seska." B'Elanna folded her hands in her lap.
Miral looked up at her mother. "About what?"
"As you know Seska was my friend, I would even say my best friend. I didn't know that she was Cardassian, and she would betray us. She wasn't very good person."
"I know, Mom," Miral gave a weak smile. "When I got the part, I looked her up in the database. I'm sorry you lost a good friend."
"I don't know if she was a good friend when she told me to stay away from your father," B'Elanna smiled.
Miral's eyes widen. "She told you to stay away from Dad," B'Elanna nodded. "Maybe it was a good thing that she is gone," B'Elanna laughed. "I wondered what happened to her son?"
B'Elanna shrugged her shoulders. She never thought about what happened to Seska's son. He would be about the same age as Nomi Wildman. "Probably flying in space as his father's son, knowing nothing about his mother."
Miral nodded. "Didn't worry, Mom. I'll play it like the person she was."
B'Elanna nodded. Didn't know what to make of her daughter's words. Either her daughter was going to be a very good actress, or something was going on with her daughter. B'Elanna stood, walked over to Miral, and kissed her on the top of her head. "Don't forget who you are."
"Yes, Mom," Miral smiled up at her mom.
B'Elanna nodded. It was all she could ask for. She left her daughter and went back to the living area to find Gabby and James in their father's lap watching a movie. Tom had his eyes closed but had an arm around each child. B'Elanna smiled, Seska was wrong about Tom and B'Elanna couldn't ask for a better husband or father for her children. She was ready to make her way to them when she heard.
"Commander Torres to engineering."
B'Elanna moaned as she turned to see Tom with one eye opened. He mouthed. 'Go,' B'Elanna nodded and left their quarters.
B'Elanna entered Engineering to find two ensigns standing by a part of the engine. "What seems to be the problem?" B'Elanna asked.
"This stopped working and we can't get it working," One of the ensigns said.
"Shit," B'Elanna swore. They needed this part to help fly the ship. She had repaired this equipment many times. They were going to need a new one and that might be hard to find. B'Elanna knew it was going to be a long night. "Alright let's get to work," B'Elanna sighed.
They spend most of the night fixing the part. Once the thing was fixed, B'Elanna let out a yawn before heading home. She entered her quarters to find it dark. She knew the kids were asleep and would be up in a few hours. B'Elanna went to her room to see Tom and James sleeping. B'Elanna made her way to the bathroom. She took a shower before getting into bed next to Tom.
B'Elanna woke to an alarm going off. She moaned. She pushed off the blanket when she heard. "Sleep," She opened one eye to Tom standing over her, holding James. "I'll get the kids to school," Tom leaned down and kissed her.
B'Elanna woke to quiet. After Tom told her to go back to sleep, she didn't hear him get the children up and out the door for school. B'Elanna took the moment to lie in bed. She hadn't done that in a while. Even on her days off, the kids were either up or had to be at school. Once the kids were up, there were things that needed to be done around their quarters.
She knew she couldn't lie in bed all day. She had to make a list of all the things they were going to need to run the ship. If they don't find these parts they are going to have to find a M-planet to land and find a life there. She was going to have a meeting with Janeway to discuss what to do.
B'Elanna got out of bed and headed for the shower. Once she got out of the shower and dressed. She pressed her comm badge and called Engineering. She told them that she would be working from her quarters today and to call her if they needed anything.
B'Elanna made her way to the workstation in her quarters and started working. She drew up a plan that might help them finding the parts they needed. She knew in the long run the parts would only do so much before the ship started to fall apart around them. The ship wasn't meant for this long of a haul. It has been in service for sixteen years. The ship was only good for maybe ten years. B'Elanna knew that Janeway wouldn't be too happy about what B'Elanna was going to tell her. It was why B'Elanna wanted to come up with a sound plan before she set up a meeting with Janeway to give her the bad news.
In the afternoon, B'Elanna received a message from Tom asking if she wanted to pick up the kids from school. She replied no and the kids had practice for the play after school. He could pick them up after and bring dinner home for them. He replied that he had it and B'Elanna went back to work.
"Mommy," B'Elanna looked to see Gabby running in their quarters. B'Elanna moved her chair back to let Gabby into her arms. B'Elanna looked up to see Tom and their children. Tom was holding James and dinner. Miral and Dexter had two PADDs in their hands.
"Mom," Miral and Dexter came up to her. "We had practice for the first time and a lot of people didn't know their lines."
"Well," B'Elanna stood up. "You still have several months to learn your lines," She made her way to Tom and James. James put out his own arms for her to take, she took him from Tom.
"Come and sit at the table," Tom placed dinner on the table. All three children came and sat at the table while B'Elanna put James in his highchair.
"How was your day?" B'Elanna asked after everyone was settled.
Tom moaned. "Boring, spent of the morning doing reports and doing the pilot schedule. Spend some time talking to Harry about life and children. Tuvok had to put his two cents in on how we are raising our children. After him, Chakotay and Janeway put their two cents in."
B'Elanna let out a laugh. She looked over at the kids to see them talking before she turned back to Tom. "Everyone is a critic until they have children."
Tom glanced at the children before replying. "Can you see Janeway or Chakotay as parents?" B'Elanna choked. It would be hard to see the commander and the captain as parents. Tom smiled. "How was your day working from home?"
"Mom," B'Elanna decided to ignore her child. "Mom," The child called again. B'Elanna looked at Tom, who was trying not to laugh. "Mom!"
"A third time," Tom smiled.
B'Elanna turned to the child. "Yes, Dexter."
"Tell Miral that she is wrong," Dexter said.
B'Elanna wanted to roll her eyes but resisted. She smiled. "What is Miral wrong about?"
"That she is your favorite," Dexter frowned.
"Do you want to know who my favorite is?" B'Elanna asked.
"Yeah," Three voices said.
"Miral is my favorite eldest daughter, Dexter is my favorite eldest son, Gabby is favorite youngest daughter and James is my favorite youngest son," There were moans all over the table.
"Daddy who is your favorite?" Gabby asked.
Tom choked on his water. B'Elanna chucked. Tom threw B'Elanna a look. "I don't have a favorite I love you all the same," The moans around the table were heard.
"Mom and Dad don't know what they are talking about," Miral smiled.
"Miral," B'Elanna warned her daughter. "Stop it," Miral stuck her tongue at her brother and sister. "Miral Paris, go to your room, now," B'Elanna pointed to the girls' room.
Miral smiled as she got off her chair and headed for her room. B'Elanna traded a look with Tom. The room was quiet until James banged his spoon against his tray. James started laughing and it made Gabby laugh, then Dexter, B'Elanna and Tom started laughing too.
After dinner, Tom sat down with Dexter to do his homework while B'Elanna put on a movie for the younger kids. After that she went to Miral's room. "You can come out if you want to," Miral stepped out of her room to find B'Elanna there with her arms crossed. "Clean up your plate and get started on your homework," Miral headed for the table. B'Elanna watched for a second. Miral didn't seem to care that she was sent to her room for misbehaving. B'Elanna didn't like it. B'Elanna watched as cleaned up and pulled out her PADD to her homework. B'Elanna made her way to her younger children.
B'Elanna looked over her PADDs as James slept in her room. Tom had gotten called away for moment and that left B'Elanna putting the kids to bed. She knew that she had everything ready for her meeting with Janeway. She would request an appointment with the captain tomorrow.
"You never answered my question," Tom said. B'Elanna looked up to see that Tom had entered the room. He was looking down at James.
"What question?" B'Elanna set her PADDs down.
"Did you enjoy your day working from home?" Tom walked over and took a seat next to her.
B'Elanna sighed. "It was okay. I liked that it was quiet, but the work I was doing was not fun."
Tom gave a confused look. "What were you working on?"
B'Elanna picked up one of the PADDs and headed it to Tom. "The ship isn't going to make it back to Earth."
Tom moaned and looked at the PADD. "Janeway isn't going to be very happy about that."
"I know. I wanted to have everything ready before I show her."
Tom nodded. "So, long do we have?"
B'Elanna knew what he was talking about. "Three or four years to either find a way home or find a livable planet."
Tom looked across the room before looking back at B'Elanna. "Our kids might have a place to run that is not a ship," Tom smiled a little.
"I know, there might be some good out of this," B'Elanna smiled too.
"When do you talk to Janeway?" Tom asked.
B'Elanna sighed. "I'm going to make an appointment with her tomorrow, so the next couple of days. Sooner rather than later. We need to start making plans."
Tom nodded. He understood where his wife was coming from. They made it this far; they could make it a little farther before having to settle down. Tom was a little happy about that. James and the others could have a place to run. Maybe the ship falling down around them might be a good thing.
"I wish you the best," Tom leaned over and kissed her. "Time for sleep," Tom stood and held out his hand for B'Elanna to take. B'Elanna took a moment before taking Tom's hand. Tom pulled her up and led her to the bathroom. They changed and settled in bed. "Goodnight," Tom mumbled as he pulled B'Elanna close.