Some notes:
 
     The name Benjamin comes from a story by JoAnna, 'Love Is Blind'.  It's the name of B'Elanna's brother who died when he was a baby.  The name K'Ehyla is actually Kayla.  I made it up and gave it a Klingon spelling.  The name Azure Kathryn is because the baby's eyes are blue and because I wanted a more original name than Katie Paris.  The title of this story comes from a song by Elton John.  It's on his album, "The One".

P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T! P/T!

Dedication:  This is dedicated to the Parisites for being my friends.  You guys are awesome and I'm really glad I met you all.  This is also dedicated to Robbie and Roxann for bringing the characters of Tom and B'Elanna to life, and to the writers for creating such good characters.

Disclaimer:  Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres and everything else in the Star Trek universe is owned by Paramount.  The words, ideas, Benjamin Paris, K'Ehyla Paris, Azure Kathryn Paris and Bosworth are all owned by me.  There is a tissue warning on this story depending on how emotional you get, so have them ready when you read.  You've been warned.  Comments, good and bad, are welcome and appreciated at: Mara_J_Antilles@hotmail.com
 

The Last Song
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By: Claire Daniels, (c) 1997

 
Prologue
***************************************************************************
 
   Tom looked up at the window of the study.  He was standing outside his family's home.  Voyager had made it back to the Alpha Quadrant and he had decided to visit his father and try to mend things.  He hadn't brought B'Elanna or the kids with him.  He figured this was something he had to do alone.  He rang the bell and was greeted by a well dressed butler.
 "What may I do for you, sir?" the butler asked.
 "I'm here to see Admiral Paris," Tom replied.  He knew his father had retired, but he used his title anyway.  It didn't sound right to him without it.
 "Who may I tell him you are?"
 "Tom Paris.  I'm his son."
 "Wait here," the servant instructed him, then went off to announce him.
    Tom waited, fidgeting nervously.  He wondered what his father would say.  He looked up as the butler approached.
 "Right this way," he said and led him to the study where Owen Paris was seated at a big oak desk.  He looked up as Tom was led in.
 "Thank you, Bosworth," Owen Paris said.  "You may leave us now."
 "As you wish, sir," Bosworth replied, closing the doors on his way out.
 "Thomas," his father said in a cool tone, "it's been a long time."
 "Yes, it has," Tom agreed.
 "I heard you were able to keep your commission."
 "Yes.  Captain Janeway made a recommendation to Starfleet Command."
 "You're what...a Lieutenant Junior Grade?"
 "Yes," Tom replied.
 "I would have expected more from you, Thomas.  If you hadn't been booted out of the Academy, you'd be a Lieutenant Commander by now."
 "It's always something with you, isn't it, Dad?  No matter what I do, it's never good enough.  I was the first person ever to break the transwarp barrier, but that doesn't matter to you, does it?  All that matters is what rank I am and keeping up the Paris tradition.  Well, I'll tell you what you can do with the Paris tradition.  You can shove it down your throat and choke on it for all I care!  From now on, you don't have a son.  This is the last time you will see me.  I will never set another foot into this house.  I don't want to hear from you ever again."  Tom turned smartly on his heel and exited leaving Owen Paris staring after him.

***************************************************************************
 

    That had been two years ago.  He had kept his promise.  Tom hadn't seen or spoken to his father since.  His life had changed a lot in the past two years and his father knew nothing about it.  Benjamin and K'Ehyla were now seven, and he and B'Elanna had just welcomed the newest addition to the their family into the world.  Azure Kathryn Paris was two months old with her mother's dark hair and her father's azure blue eyes, hence her name.  They had chosen Kathryn for Kathryn Janeway, the woman who had brought them together.  In fact, she and Chakotay were Azure's godparents.  They had also both been promoted.  B'Elanna was a Lieutenant Commander and Tom had achieved the rank of full Lieutenant.  He was snapped out of his reverie when he received a subspace transmission from Starfleet Medical.
 "Paris here," he said, "go ahead."
 "Mr. Paris," a redhaired woman in a medical uniform said.  "I'm Beverly Picard.  We've been trying to reach you."
 "Is there a problem?" Tom asked.
 "Yes.  Your father is here and he's very ill.  It doesn't look good."
 "What's wrong with him?" Tom asked, wondering why his voice suddenly felt as if it were going to crack.
 "His heart's giving out.  We tried to do a transplant, but he wouldn't agree to it.  There's nothing else we can do for him and you're listed as his next of kin, so we contacted you.  He doesn't have much time, Mr. Paris.  If you're going to see him, you'd better do it soon."
 "Thank you for notifying me."
    Beverly nodded and cut the transmission.  Just then, B'Elanna came into the room.
 "What's wrong?" she asked, noticing that he looked pale.
 "It's my father," Tom replied.  "He's dying."
 

 
 "I'm sorry," she said as he joined her on the couch.
 "I don't know how to feel," he said.  "Right now, I'm just numb."
 "What are you going to do?" B'Elanna asked.
 "I don't know."
 "I think you should go to him."
 "I don't think I can do that, B'Elanna."
 "If you don't resolve this, it will eat you alive."
 "If I didn't ever see him again, I'd be a happier person."
 "I don't believe that.  You regret what happened the last time you saw him.  I can see it in your eyes."
 "You're right.  I regret it and I'm not sure I can fix it, but I have to try just one more time.  What kind of example am I setting for the kids if I don't?"
 "Speaking of the kids, why don't we all go with you?  I think that he might like to see them just once."
    Tom nodded as B'Elanna curled up next to him and laid her head on his chest.  She hoped he and his father would be able to resolve things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday you came to lift me up
As light as straw and brittle as a bird
Today I weigh less than a shadow on the wall
Just one more whisper of a voice unheard

Tomorrow leave the windows open
As fear grows please hold me in your arms
Won't you help me to shake this anger
I need your gentle hands to keep me calm
 
"The Last Song" - Elton John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

 
    Owen Paris lay in his bed, thinking about all the things that had happened in his life.  The one he regretted the most was his alienation from his son.  He knew it was too late to fix that now, he'd lost Tom forever.  He looked up as he heard the door to his room open, figuring it was an attendant coming to see if he was still alive.  He was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him.  He thought his son was standing in the doorway.  Owen blinked, but the vision of Tom was still there.
 "Thomas?" he whispered.
 "Yes, Dad, it's me.  This is my wife, B'Elanna and these are your grandchildren: Benjamin, K'Ehyla and Azure."
 "Hi, Grandpa," Benjamin and K'Ehyla said in unison.  Both of them walked to the bed and gave him a hug.
    K'Ehyla handed him a bouquet of flowers.  "I picked them myself," she said proudly.
 "They're beautiful.  You're a vision.  You look just like your grandmother.  And you," he said to Benjamin, "you're quite a handsome young man."  Both of them smiled shy smiles.
 "Mr. Paris-" B'Elanna said.
 "Dad," he corrected her.
 "Dad.  Would you like to hold your granddaughter?"
 "Yes. I would like that very much."
    B'Elanna handed Azure to him.  She stirred slightly then opened her eyes.  Owen felt his own eyes misting over as he held his granddaughter in his arms.  He never dreamed that he would be surrounded with family like he was at that moment.  He had done so many things wrong in his lifetime, he had been certain he would be leaving this world alone.  He looked down at Azure.  She gurgled and smiled up at him.  He smiled back down at her and planted a light kiss on her forehead before handing her back to B'Elanna.
 "I'm sure your father and your grandpa have a lot to talk about, so let's give them some time, hmm?" B'Elanna said.
    Benjamin and K'Ehyla each kissed Owen and B'Elanna smiled warmly at him as she escorted the children outside, leaving the two of them alone.
 "Mommy," Benjamin asked, "what will happen to Grandpa?"  They were sitting on a bench in the hall outside Owen's room.
 "Well, your grandpa is very sick and there isn't anything the doctors can do for him."
 "Will he die?" K'Ehyla inquired, her blue eyes shining with tears.
 "I'm afraid so, Doodlebug."
 "I don't want him to die," K'Ehyla said, a tear sliding down her cheek.
 "Me neither," Benjamin added, his own eyes tearing now.
 "I know, Tiger," B'Elanna said, "but there are some things that we can't control.  What's important is that you remember that your grandpa was nice to you and he loved you."
 "What are Daddy and Grandpa talking about?" K'Ehyla wondered.
 "I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it needs to be said."
    The four of them sat in the hall waiting for news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things we never said come together
The hidden truth no longer haunting me
Tonight we touched on things that were never spoken
That kind of understanding sets me free

"The Last Song" - Elton John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

 "So it looks like it's just the two of us now," Tom said.
 "Thomas," his father said, "there are some things I need to tell you."
 "There are things I need to tell you, too," Tom said taking a deep breath.  "When I was a kid, all of my friends did things with their fathers.  They went fishing, they played catch, their fathers went to their school plays and baseball games and their fathers were proud of them.  I was so jealous because we didn't do any of those things.  I know that the incident at Caldik Prime let you down. I screwed up, Dad, and I know that I've disappointed you more times than I can count.  We butted heads most of the time.  Nothing I ever did was good enough to please you and I figured it never would be so I stopped trying.  But I didn't hate you, I hated myself for not being able to live up to your standards.  All I ever wanted was for you to be proud of me."
 "I've always been proud of you, Thomas.  You stood up to me and you spoke your mind.  You had guts, you still do.  I know that you will go far," his father said.
    Tom looked at him in shock.  "But you always-"
 "Expected more?  Yes, I did.  I wanted you to keep pushing ahead.  I wanted you to be the best you could be, so you could have more than I did when I was your age.  I wanted you to go as far as you could, but I pushed you too hard.  I never stopped to think that you might not want to go as far as I wanted you to.  For that I am truly sorry."
 "I'm sorry too, Dad.  I know I've hurt you, and I never meant to.  I just wanted you to be hurt because I was."
 "I understand.  B'Elanna is a beautiful woman.  She's a good wife and mother.  I can see why you love her so much.  You take care of her."
 "I will," Tom promised.
 "Your children are beautiful.  I know you'll do a better job raising them than I did raising you."
 "I don't think I turned out that bad," Tom said, his expression a joking one.
 "You turned out well, Son, but it's not because of anything I did.  It was all you."
 "I'm not so sure about that," Tom said, then his expression turned serious.  "I know I haven't said it as often as I should have, but I love you, Dad."
 "I love you, Son," Owen Paris said as his last breath left him.
    Tom wiped away the tears that had found their way down his cheeks and sat for a few moments listening to the silence that filled the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Cause I never thought I'd lose
I only thought I'd win
I never dreamed I'd feel this fire beneath my skin
I can't believe you love me
I never thought you'd come
I guess I misjudged love
Between a father and his son

"The Last Song" - Elton John

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End

Back to My P/T Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page