The Admiral’s Daughters By Diane Klepper (Author’s Note: This story is part three of “The Admiral’s Family”. This story is set right after Voyager comes home. The names of Tom’s sisters are taken from Jerri Taylor’s novel Pathfinder. I gave Tom’s mother the name Maggie because I can’t find an official name for her. All the characters in the story belong to Paramount. I’m just borrowing them.) Kathleen Paris walked into the attic of her parent’s San Francisco home and looked for the trunk her mother wanted. Maggie Paris had a tendency to save everything that was special to her and that included everything any of her children or grandchildren made for her at school. Owen always teased her about that by saying that one day they would have to move out of their home to make room for Maggie’s collection of children’s artwork. Kathleen smiled at that memory. It felt so good to hear laughter and see smiles in her parent’s home. The last eight years has been hard on the entire Paris family. Tom’s dismissal from Starfleet and his conviction and sentence to New Zealand for being a member of the Maquis had been hard on everyone. The events had been extremely hard on Owen who told his wife and daughters that Thomas was not a member of their family anymore and he didn’t want his name to be spoken around him. Kathleen, her sister Moira and their mother knew that Owen didn’t mean it and hoped that within time Owen and Tom would be able to come to some sort of understanding, but when Voyager went missing and everybody was assumed dead the whole family mourned the loss of Thomas Eugene Paris. Kathleen smiled at the memory of the phone call she received from her father on the day he found out that Tom was still alive. The whole family was overjoyed to hear that Tom was still alive but it was also bittersweet because he was still many years from Earth. Kathleen prayed that her parents would be alive when Voyager made it home with Tom at the helm She opened up the old trunk and kneeled in front of it. She started rummaging through the trunk. She took out a holo- photo album and began looking at the pictures. She smiled as she saw herself, her sister Moira, and her brother Tom age from babyhood to adulthood. She remembered when she was little her mother was always taking pictures of her and her siblings to send to their Dad through subspace whenever he was on away missions. She frowned when she saw a picture of her brother and the Admiral on the day Tommy graduated from Starfleet Academy. That was on of the last happy memories she had of her baby brother. A few months later after he told Starfleet and their father about what really happened at Caldek Prime everything was different. The last time she saw Tommy was on the day she visited him when he was in the holding cell before he was transferred to the New Zealand Penal Colony. Tom Paris sit on the cot in his prison cell staring at the force field. He knew the guards would come any minute to take him to his new home. His court appointed lawyer told him that his eighteen month sentence in a Federation Penal Colony wouldn’t be that bad. He told him they have a program that helps former inmates get jobs once they are released back into society. Tom laughed at that thought. He knew that nobody would ever let him fly again and whenever he was on the ground too long he became restless. Maybe I could get a job washing shuttles. That’s the closest I’ll ever come to flying one, Tom thought. So lost in thought didn’t hear the force field being lowered or hear footsteps entering his cell. “Tommy?” Tom looked up and saw his sister Kathleen standing there. She was nicely dressed in a blue dress when her long blond hair up in a bun. He could she see had recently been crying because her cheeks were puffy but she gave him a small smile. He frowned at her and stood up straightening his gray prison jumpsuit. “Kathleen what are you doing here?” “Tommy I had to see you. We are all worried about you.” Tom laughed, “You, Mom and Moira are worried but I bet the Admiral couldn’t care less if I was alive or dead.” Kathleen said angrily, “You don’t mean that…Dad is hurting too. He loves you.” Tom sarcastically said, “Yeah then why did he say I’m no longer his son.” “Dad didn’t mean that. He was upset. You just have to give him time to cool off.” Tom turned away from his sister and stared at his cell wall. He said in a soft voice, “Kath…you sound just like Mom.” Kathleen grabbed Tom arm and turned him around so he faced her. “Thomas Eugene Paris…. you are not a quitter. I expect you to serve your sentence and then come home to us. Is that clear little brother?” Tom gave a little smirk. “I see you are still bossing me around.” Kathleen smiled. “Hey that’s part of the job description of a big sister. I’ll visit you every chance I get.” Tom frowned at his sister. “Kathleen I don’t want you to visit me at the penal colony.. I don’t want you to see me there.” “Tommy…” “No Kath…I need you to take care of Mom and Moira. You were always the strong one of the Paris siblings.” Kathleen looked at her brother trying to keep the tears from falling. “I’ll make you a deal…I’ll watch over Mom and Moira if you promise to come home after your sentence is over.” Tom turned away from his sister. “That’s not my home anymore. The Admiral made that quite clear the last time we spoke.” Kathleen smiled at him. “Then you can stay with me or Moira. I’ll even pick you up. Is that a deal?” Just then the force field came down and two security guards came in. The first man was tall and thin. He had dark brown hair and was holding a phaser. His partner was shorter and had black hair and he was holding a pair of handcuffs. The first guard said, “Paris your transport is here. Time to go to your new home.” Kathleen watched as the guards handcuffed Tom’s hands behind his back. She looked at her brother try to keep a stiff upper lip but she saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. As the guards led him away she said, “Tom…I’ll see you in eighteen months.” Tom gave his sister a small smirk. ”It’s a date.” Kathleen woke up from her memories when she heard a voice say, ”Kath…where are you?” Kathleen smiled at the sound of her sister’s voice. “I’m in the attic Moira.” A minute later Moira Paris came into view. “Mom said you were up here looking for some old photo albums.” “I am…What’s going on downstairs?” Moira smiled, “Mom has our husbands busy helping her move furniture to get rooms ready for Tom and his family.” Kathleen smiled, “Mom told me that she is getting Tom’s old room ready for Miral and that she is getting the guest room ready for Tom and B’Elanna. What are the kids doing? It’s way too quiet down there.” Moira giggled, “Dad is telling them stories about their Uncle Tom.” Kathleen smiled, “That’s good. That should keep all of them busy for the rest of the afternoon.” Moira looked at what Kathleen was holding. “Have you found the photo albums Mom wanted.” “Yes. She talked to B’Elanna over the comm. and she promised to show her some of Tom’s old baby pictures.” Moira smiled. “I’m sure Tommy is going to love that… I still can’t believe he is home.” “Me too…I can’t believe Tom has a half Klingon wife.” “You know what Grandma Paris always said.” Kathleen and Moira said simultaneously. “It takes a strong woman to tame a Paris man.” They both laughed. Kathleen smiled, “Dad was always so embarrassed when Grandma said that.” For a minute Kathleen was quiet. ”Moira do you ever feel guilty about Dad putting all that pressure on Tom to be the next great Paris and pretty much letting us choose our own careers.” Moira frowned at her sister. “It’s funny when we were growing up there were times I use to resent all the time Dad would spend with Tom on the simulators at the Academy…there were times that I wanted to scream at him that I was his child too and that just because I didn’t want to go into Starfleet didn’t mean I didn’t want his attention.” Kathleen smiled at her sister. “I felt the same way too…but there were times I saw Tom come home from the simulators with such a sad look on his face because Dad spend the entire lesson yelling at him and complaining about his work habits.” Moira frowned. “I use to hear him cry in his room at night. He would never cry in front of Dad…but a lot of nights I heard him crying through the walls.” Moira’s mind wandered back in time: Moira climbed up the stairs carrying a plate with a sandwich on it. Studying always made her hungry so she decided to take a break from studying for her Alien biology test and go downstairs to make a sandwich. She passed her little brother’s room and she thought she heard crying. She knocked on the door, “Tommy are you okay?” A hushed voice said, “I’m fine. Go away.” Not believing him for a minute Moira knocked again, “Tommy let me in.” “No…Moira I’m fine. Please just leave.” Moira frowned and said, “Tommy if you don ‘t let me in I’ll get Dad.” All of a sudden Moira heard footsteps running and then the door opened halfway. Moira walked inside the room and saw Tommy standing by the door wiping his face with his right shirt- sleeve. With terror in his eyes he pleaded, ”Please Moira…don’t tell Dad. If he found out I was crying he will get mad.” Moira looked at her nine- year old brother with compassion in her eyes. “Tommy I won’t tell Dad…but why were you crying.” Tommy walked over to his bed and picked up a padd and gave it to his sister. Moira looked at the padd and frowned. “You got a C-minus in a Geo-Science test.” “Yeah…Dad is going to be so mad.” Trying to cheer him up Moira smiled, “Tommy its only one test.” “You don’t understand…Dad told me that if I don’t get all A’s this semester he won’t let me spend two weeks with Charlie and his family at their summer house.” “Tommy I’m sure if you talked to Dad…” Tommy frowned. “You don’t get it Moira…Dad doesn’t listen…he just yells.” “Maybe you could talk to Mom.” Wiping tears from his eyes Tommy said, “She always agrees with him. Mom always says that Dad loves me and that he pushes me because he knows I can do better. Moira you and Kath have all the brains in this family. Can’t he see I’m doing my best…besides I don’t need to know Geo-Science to become a pilot.” “When is your next Geo-Science test?” Tom frowned, “Next week?” Moira smiled at her little brother, “What if I tutor you? Maybe we can bring your grade up enough so Dad lets you spend two weeks at Charlie’s family summer house?” Tommy gave a little smirk, “You mean that Moira?” “Sure…we Paris’s have to stick together.” Tommy hugged his sister and said, “Moira you pretty cool for a big sister.” “Moira” Moira turned and saw Kathleen staring at her. Moira gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry my mind was wandering.” “I’ve been thinking about Tom all day too...For four years we thought he was dead and not only is he coming home but he's bringing with him a wife and a baby." Moira giggled, "Can you picture Tommy changing diapers?" Kathleen laughed, "I still remember the time he was two years old and climbed out of his crib wearing only a diaper and ran downstairs during one of Dad’s dinner parties.” Moira smiled, “I remember that. Mom and Dad were so embarrassed. Mom just grabbed Tommy and ran upstairs with him while Dad apologized to half the Admirals stationed at Starfleet command.” Kathleen smirked, “Yeah but even then he was able to charm half the people there with his smile.” Moira smiled, “Yeah he did always have the Paris charm. He may look like Mom but he is so much like Dad.” Kathleen nodded, “I know…they are both are so stubborn and become obsessed with what they are doing at the time.” Moira smiled, “Just don’t say that to Tom or Dad…they will both deny that.” Kathleen picked up the photo album, “Come on Moira …let’s go upstairs before our kids get too many ideas from some of their Uncle Tommy’s adventures.” Moira smirked, “I agree….I think one Tom Paris in a family is enough.”