The BLTS Archive - Episode Additions, Scenes and Codas
EndGame: What Matters
by Julie Evans (Juli17@aol.com)

---

I was disappointed that we didn't get to see Tom  when he saw his
daughter for the first time.  This is my  version of that scene.  A
very short vignette, set  immediately after the conclusion of
"Endgame."

Archiving:  Okay to archive to ASC, PT Collective website,  and BLTS.
All others please ask author for permission.

Disclaimer:  Star Trek and its characters are the property  of
Paramount/Viacom.  I am borrowing them for fun only not  profit.

---

Just when she thinks she can stand it no more, it's over.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant, you have a healthy, beautiful  little
girl!"

B'Elanna falls back on the biobed, trying to catch her  breath after
that final push.  She's never considered  herself particularly
susceptible to pain.  Her earlier  groans were mostly a method of
expression, a way to relieve  the tension inside her.  But during the
past few minutes,  she meant it wholeheartedly when she screamed.

A loud wail erupts, and B'Elanna raises her head.  She  can't see her
baby past her raised knees, and at the moment  she doesn't have the
strength to move them, but the doctor  smiles.

"Your daughter certainly has a healthy set of lungs,  Lieutenant.  Not
that that's any surprise either."

"I want to see her."

"Just give me one minute to finish cleaning her up, and  she'll be all
yours."

B'Elanna lets her head fall back again.  She feels a little
lightheaded, and not just from the physical exertion.  She  has a
daughter.  She's a mother now, and Tom is a father.   He should be
here--he wanted so much to be here, but they'd  needed him to fly the
ship.  He had to keep Voyager safe,  to keep her and their baby safe,
and get them all home...

The doctor's voice brings her back to full awareness.

"Little one, I think it's time to introduce you to your  mother.  We
should also let your father know about your  arrival, don't you think?
Sickbay to the bridge."

B'Elanna pushes herself into a sitting position, eager and
immediately impatient as she reaches for her baby.   She  stares in
amazement at the small swaddled form the doctor  places gently in her
arms.  Her daughter stares back, eyes  wide and barely focusing, tiny
hands fisted, fine dark hair  wispy above her faint forehead ridges.
Her small red mouth  opens and she lets out a soft gurgle.

"Doctor to Lieutenant Paris.  There's someone here who'd  like to say
hello."

B'Elanna hears the doctor's announcement distractedly, and  she knows
Tom is on his way.  She brushes her fingers over  her daughter's
cheek.  It is softer than anything she's  ever felt.  Her daughter
emits another soft gurgle in  response, and waves one fist, her eyes
never leaving her  mother.

The feeling that hits B'Elanna is like a sucker punch to  the gut.  It
isn't painful at all, but the power of it  steals her breath away.
This tiny, exquisite being came  from her, and Tom.  They made her.
And she is perfect, in  every way.

B'Elanna looks at the doctor, who is beaming delightedly.   Her
exhaustion is gone, and she feels exhilarated.  It  wasn't so bad at
all.  She'd willingly go through ten times worse for this moment.
Twenty times.

She smiles down at her daughter again, thoroughly enchanted  and
hopelessly in love.

Moments later Tom Paris crashes into sickbay, literally.   He smacks
one shoulder into the edge of the door that just  slides open as he
rushes through, but he doesn't even  notice the sting.

"Well, Lieutenant Paris, that's certainly the quickest  you've ever
responded to a summons to sickbay."

Tom barely acknowledges the doctor's dry comment.  His eyes  are on
B'Elanna, and their baby cradled in her arms.  He  nearly knocks over
the tray at the end of the bed, but he  makes it to his wife's side
without actually destroying  anything.

B'Elanna smiles up at him, and it strikes Tom that she  looks radiant,
despite the fact that her face is slicked  with sweat, and her hair is
damp and matted.  He smiles  back.  He smoothes a hand over her hair,
and kisses her  quickly but soundly on the lips.  Only then does he
look at  his daughter--and his heart leaps immediately into his
throat.

She is beautiful.  Her deep blue eyes focus on him, and her  tiny bow
mouth is slightly open, as if she is about to  speak.  He touches her
silky dark hair.  Then he grazes his  fingers gently over her brow
ridges and lets his fingertips  rest against her cheek.  Her skin is
warm and velvety soft.

"Hello, Miral," he says when he can finally speak.  His  voice is
husky with emotion.  "You're gorgeous."

"She does make a good first impression, doesn't she?"

Tom nods at the doctor's pleased observation.  He speaks  again to his
daughter, "Welcome to Voyager.  And welcome to  the Alpha quadrant."
He glances at B'Elanna.  "Sorry it  was a rough ride."

B'Elanna shakes her head.  "I barely noticed.  I was  otherwise
occupied."

Her tone is light, and Tom thinks it must not have been too  hard on
her after all.  Damn, but he'd wanted to be here  with her.  "You
okay?"

"Fine.  The doctor was great."

Tom looks at the doctor, who shrugs with his usual easy  acceptance of
praise.  "Thanks, Doc."

"You're welcome, though it was your wife who did the hard  part."

B'Elanna's arms tighten fractionally around their daughter.   "Piece
of cake."

Tom smiles B'Elanna's protectiveness, and at her choice of  words,
echoing one of his frequently used idiomatic  phrases.  Then he looks
at Miral again.  She is staring  fixedly at him.  He strokes her cheek
gently, and as he  does the ship's comm beeps.

"Attention everyone, this is the captain.  In case you  haven't
noticed..."--there is a hint of dry amusement in  Janeway's voice--"we
made it through the transwarp aperture  to the other side.  I know
you're all feeling a little  stunned at the moment.  I certainly am.
Welcome as this  development is, it happened so fast that it's hard to
take  in all at once.  But what you're seeing through the windows  is
true.  We're in the Alpha quadrant, and we're  approaching Earth.

"You can relax for awhile yet.  When we arrive at Earth  we'll be
remaining on Voyager for a day or two, while the  ship is examined and
we receive an initial debriefing.  But  we've waited seven years, so
what's another day or two?  It  will give us time to pack our things.
Then, once we're  given our clearance, we'll all be reunited our
families and  friends again.

"In the meantime, enjoy the view, and..."--there is a brief  pause,
and a slight catch in Janeway's voice as she  finishes--"welcome
home."

Tom can't hear the applause, but he is sure it is happening  on every
deck of the ship.

"We'll have a lot to pack," B'Elanna murmurs.

And then some, considering everything they've collected for  Miral's
arrival.  But all that is secondary to Tom right  now.

"You won't be doing it anytime soon," the doctor says  sternly.  "I'm
not releasing you to your quarters this  evening.  I want to monitor
you and your baby in sickbay  overnight."

B'Elanna uncharacteristically doesn't utter a word of  protest.  She
just continues to smile at Miral.

"I'm staying here too, Doc."

Equally uncharacteristically, the doctor doesn't react to  the resolve
in Tom's voice.  He simply nods.  "I assumed  you would, Lieutenant.
Though you'll miss our arrival at  Earth.  No doubt it will be quite
an experience after seven  years, to look upon Earth as we enter
orbit, and to see San  Francisco up close again.  I wonder if there
will be any  kind of celebration to welcome us."

"Our arrival is unexpected, Doc," Tom reminds him.  There  won't be
time to arrange any fireworks, and though he knows  he'll get a warm
welcome from his family--including his  father--that expectation isn't
occupying his thoughts at  the moment.  He watches Miral's eyes close
sleepily as she  nestles a little closer to her mother.  One of her
hands  twitches and he gently presses a fingertip against her open
palm.  Her hand closes into a tiny fist over his finger.   She has a
surprisingly strong grip.

"Besides, right now there's only one thing I want to look  at," Tom
says unequivocally.  Then he glances at B'Elanna's  rapt face. "Two
things."

The doctor squeezes Tom's shoulder briefly.  "In that case,  I'll
leave you three to bond.  I'll be back shortly to  check on B'Elanna,
and on my goddaughter."

Tom nods absently, and the doctor's footsteps retreat.  He
immediately settles himself on the bed next to B'Elanna and  puts his
arm around her shoulders.  "Happy?"

She looks at him, a smile still etched deeply on her face.
"Completely.  You?"

"Are you kidding?  This is hands down the best moment of my  life."
And it has absolutely nothing to do with being in  the Alpha quadrant;
that's just the side event of the day.   It has everything to do with
the two people in this room  with him.  He doesn't care where he
lives--on Voyager or  somewhere planetside, in the Alpha or the Delta
quadrant-- or what job he does or position he holds, as long as
B'Elanna and Miral are with him.  It has taken him nearly
thirty-seven years to figure out what really matters in his  life, but
his priorities have never been clearer than they  are right now.

After several moments, B'Elanna shifts next to him, and she  gently
transfers Miral into his arms.  "Lieutenant Paris,  your daughter."

Tom cradles his daughter close to his chest.  She is light  as a
feather.  He's waited so long for this moment, but the  waiting has
been worth every second.  Holding her feels  more wonderful than he
could have imagined.  She sleeps on  undisturbed as he studies her.
She is so like her mother.   He looks up, and Miral's beautiful mother
smiles fondly  back at him.  He brushes his lips over hers.  "I love
you."

B'Elanna's smile turns complacent, telling him she knows  that very
well indeed.  "Me, too," she returns, and then  she rests her head on
his shoulder.

Together they watch their daughter as she sleeps.  Soon  enough the
rest of the universe will come into play, but  for this moment nothing
exists except the three of them.   Whatever does happen when they have
to acknowledge that  universe around them again, and deal with all the
changes  this day has brought to their lives, it will still--it will
always--be the three of them.

And that is what matters.

---

The End