Tom was bored as he sat at the helm. All he saw were stars. He let out a yawn. He didn't sleep well last night. James decided that sleeping through the night was hard. Between him and B'Elanna were up all night, trying to get him to sleep. They took him to the doctor and the doctor found nothing wrong with him. Tom just wanted it all to end, so he could sleep. He didn't think B'Elanna was having a great time of this either and she had a whole department to run. They would give anything to sleep.
Tom let out another yawn as a ship came spending past. It woke him up quickly because another ship went by. "What the hell?" Tom mumbled.
"What was that, Tom?" Chakotay asked as the other ship went by.
Before Tom could replay, Harry cut in. "Sir, we are coming up to some kind of space station."
Before Chakotay could say anything, Tom stopped the ship in front of what looked like a space station. There were different levels and had an arm reaching out, some were empty, but most of them had ships on them.
"Get the captain," Chakotay choked out at Tom.
Tom ran from his station to the captain's ready room as he heard Harry say. "They are hailing us."
Tom didn't even ring the chime as he entered the ready room. "Captain, you are needed on the bridge," Janeway didn't even say anything as she followed Tom back to bridge.
They got to the bridge to see a strange face on the viewscreen. There was a mean look on their face. Chakotay had a smile in his face pacing in front of the viewscreen. "Our captain will be here soon," Chakotay looked up and saw Janeway standing next to him. "Captain, meet Yezas, owner of the space station, he would like to know if we would like a dock."
Janeway looked between the person on the screen and Chakotay. Chakotay leaned closer and whispered in her ear. Tom didn't know what was being said. Janeway smiled at the screen. "We would love a dock."
"Chakotay and Tom take a look around the space station and see if there anything we need," Janeway said to them before looking at the others in the room. "Start making a list of things you are going need. Depending on what Chakotay and Tom say will depend if we let the others on the station or not. I think the children should stay on the ship while we are here."
None of the parents at the table disagreed with Janeway. Chakotay and Tom stood to head out of the ship and on the station. Chakotay and Tom both knew what they were doing as they headed off the ship.
Once they left the dock of the station, they were hit with lights and white walls. There were shops everywhere and people walking about, talking to each other. Tom got in a few words before Chakotay turned to the left. Tom followed him. As they walked, Tom looked up and saw three different levels. The levels got darker as they got higher. Tom had to wonder what that meant. Tom also saw shops selling different things from parts for ships to food. The smell of the food was overwhelming.
Chakotay and Tom came to the center of the station to see an information wall behind a counter, where two people were giving directions to people asking to find products. Tom and Chakotay stood from the counter looking at the wall to see if they could read it, but with the language barrier it was hard. They let a couple of people get in lone before getting in line themselves. They didn't have to wait long before they were at the front.
"How can I help?" One of the people behind the counter asked.
"Sorry," Chakotay gave them a charming smile. "This is our first time here and we were wondering where we can find parts for our ship and other necessities."
The person pulled out a PADD. "All parts are on level two. Anything else is on level one," He handed him the PADD.
"What is on level three?" Tom asked.
The person glanced around before saying. "Things not of an appropriate nature."
Tom knew right away what they meant. It meant shady dealing and anything you can't find on level two or one. They weren't going on level three.
Chakotay held up the PADD. "Thank you," The person nodded. Tom and Chakotay stepped out of line and headed back to the ship.
"I think we should make a list of all we are going to need senior officers of each department can go on the station," Chakotay said. Tom and Chakotay were in the ready room where they were telling Janeway what happened.
"I agree," Janeway looked between Chakotay and Tom. "I don't know what to make of this station just yet. Let the senior staff know," Janeway looked at the PADD that Chakotay brought with him.
Tom smiled at his commanding officers when they didn't say anything for a moment. "I should grab dinner and head home," he stood, both Janeway and Chakotay told him goodbye and left the ready room.
Tom entered the mess hall to find three out of his four children there. "Dad, Daddy," Miral and Gabby said. James wabbled over holding his arms out for Tom. Tom picked him up.
"What are you guys doing here?" Tom asked.
Miral and Gabby shrugged their shoulders. "Neelix just picked us up from school today," Miral said.
Tom looked around for his oldest son. "Where is Dexter?" Thinking that maybe B'Elanna had to work late and had Neelix pick up the kids.
"B'Elanna didn't say," Neelix came over with their dinner. "She just asked me to pick up these three," Neelix smiled at the children.
Tom nodded as he took the food. He hoped everything was alright with Dexter and he wasn't in sickbay or anything. He didn't want to worry about the other kids. He would call B'Elanna when he got the other kids home and eating dinner.
"Let's go home," Tom said and led the kids out of the mess hall.
The kids ran in before Tom, Tom was ready to yell at them when he saw B'Elanna sitting on the couch with her arms crossed. Miral and Gabby glanced at Tom to see if he knew what was going on. The girls decided to head for their room, they didn't want to be here. Tom set dinner on the table before saying.
"Is everything okay?"
B'Elanna looked from Tom to the boys' room. "I caught your son in the Jeffery's tube with Jack."
Tom didn't like it at all. Ever since Jack's dad died, Dexter has been hanging out with him. It seemed they had become friends. It felt that every other day those two were getting in trouble. They were getting messages from Dexter's teacher. Tom opened his mouth to say something, but B'Elanna started speaking again.
"I'm done dealing with him," B'Elanna stood and went to the table to see what Neelix had given them for dinner.
Tom sighed and knew it was on him to deal with their son. He made his way to the boys' room and saw Dexter sitting on his bed with his PADD in his hands. Tom hoped that he was working on homework.
"That better be homework, Dexter," Tom said. Dexter put the PADD down. Tom knew he wasn't doing homework. Tom picked up the PADD and saw that he was playing a game. "Do you know how much trouble you are in?" Tom asked.
Dexter gave a cocky smile. "A lot," He said in a voice that had Tom raise an eyebrow. Tom wanted to slap that smile off him right away, but B'Elanna and he decided never to hit their children. Dexter needs more than a punishment; he needed talking too. Tom knew his son was a better person than this. Tom placed the PADD on the desk and took a seat next to Dexter.
"What is going on with you?"
Dexter shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing," Dexter mumbled.
"Nothing," Tom nearly shouted. He took a breath before he started yelling at his son. "You have been getting in trouble at school. Your mom just found you in a Jeffery's tube with Jack."
"We wanted to see what was in the tube," Dexter said like it was no big deal.
Tom gritted his teeth. "You know that the Jeffery's tube are off limits, you could have been hurt."
"We weren't," Dexter crossed his arms.
Tom was getting frustrated. He looked away and took a breath. "Dexter," Tom started. He didn't know where to go with this, but he had to try. He doesn't remember if this happened to him as a child and how his father reacted to it. "Ever since you became friends with Jack, you have been getting in trouble. At first, your mother and I thought that you could be good influence on him so we let you hang out with him. Now I am not so sure. I think it is time you stopped hanging out with Jack."
"You can't tell me who my friends are," Dexter shouted.
Tom wanted to shout back but kept his cool head. "No, I can't but I can tell you I know you are better than this. You used to follow the rules. Your mom and I put them in place because we don't want anything to happen to you."
"What is my punishment?" Dexter asked without looking at Tom.
Tom wondered if Dexter heard a word he said. "You are grounded for a month. You go to school and come home. No seeing Jack at all."
"Fine," Dexter sighed like that was no punishment.
Tom bit his tongue and stood up. Dexter stood and was ready to follow Tom out of the room. "Where do you think you are going?" Tom asked Dexter.
"Out there for dinner," Dexter pointed to the door.
"I think not," Tom pointed to the desk. "Take a seat there and I will bring you dinner," Dexter took a seat at the desk. Tom watched him for a moment before leaving the room.
Tom saw the others eating and a had a seat for him and Dexter. Tom took Dexter's plate and glass and headed back to the boys' room. He set the plate on the desk. "Enjoy," Tom said before he left the room.
Tom finished get ready for bed in the bathroom before heading to the bathroom. B'Elanna was already in bed, reading a PADD. She didn't look up at he came in.
"What are we going to do about Dexter?" B'Elanna asked.
Tom sat on the bed. "Sell him. I don't know."
B'Elanna laughed. "I'm serious."
Tom sighed. "I know, when I was in there with him and I felt, he wasn't listening to me."
"We can only try," B'Elanna said.
Tom leaned back on the bed. "I hope something changes."
B'Elanna sighed. "We just have to let him know that he can't get away with this behavior."
Tom agreed. "We'll think of something." He glanced at the PADD. "What are you doing?"
B'Elanna glanced at him. "Making a list of things, I hope to find at the station," Janeway had went a message about the station to all the heads of the departments.
"Do you want to forget we are parents and Starfleet Officers?" Tom reached for the PADD.
B'Elanna moved the PADD out of the way. "That is what made us parents."
Tom smiled before leaving forward. "You enjoyed every moment of it."
B'Elanna laughed. "Now I'm paying consequences of those moments with a son, who knows better but not doing so."
Tom reached for the PADD again and pulled it out of B'Elanna's hand. Before she could protest, Tom kissed her.
"Tom," B'Elanna broke the kiss.
"What?" He reached for her shirt.
"Not tonight," B'Elanna went to pick up the PADD.
Tom knew that he could get B'Elanna in the mood, but there was a knock on the door. Tom and B'Elanna traded a look before Tom got up and went to see who was at the door. The doors opened and Gabby was standing there with her lips trembling. She looked up at Tom with her big brown eyes.
"I had a bad dream, can I sleep with you and Mommy," Gabby gasped at each word. Tom sighed and moved out of the way. Gabby can running in and jumped in bed next to B'Elanna. Tom followed the doors were closed. He crawled in on his side of the bed and looked over Gabby at B'Elanna, who smiled.
"What was that forgetting about us forgetting we are parents?"
"Shut up," Tom mumbled before turning off his light, but not before he heard his wife laugh.