CHANGE OF COMMAND
Part nine: Together Forever

B'Elanna ran to her apartment building, excited and out of breath. She
couldn't believe what Kes had just told her, and couldn't wait to tell
Tom. 
As she slowed down to catch her breath, she spotted Harry walking towards
her. 
"Harry!" she called out as she ran towards him with a smile on her face.
"B'Elanna. What is it?" he asked as she got nearer to him.
"I just got back from Starfleet Medical." she began, as she tried once
again to catch her breath.
"And?" he asked
"Tom and I are going to be parents!" she exclaimed.
"B'Elanna, that's great! Have you told Tom yet?" he asked.
"No, I'm going to surprise him tonight. Oh, god, Harry, I didn't think
I'd be able to have kids. But Kes just told me! I'm one month pregnant!"
"What?! What's this about you having a baby?" Illie announced as she ran
towards her father and B'Elanna. B'Elanna only nodded and smiled at the
young girl. Well, Illie wasn't so young anymore. She was one and a half.
That girl was growing up so fast. It had only been three months since the
Kim's had shown up in San Francisco, and Illie had already matured
drastically. She was one of the smartest students in her class, having
inherited her intelligence from her father, and her curiosity and desire
to learn more from her mother.
"Well, congratulations." Harry told her as he hugged her. 
**************************************************************
"Tom? Tom? Is something wrong?" B'Elanna asked. She was so eager to just
blurt out the news when he walked in the door three hours after she'd
told Harry, but there was something about the look on his face that told
her he didn't want to be bothered.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired." he answered.
"Tom, you've barely said a word since you got home. Now, what is wrong?"
she asked again as she sat down on the couch beside him.
"I've been assigned to Voyager." he admitted.
"So? What's wrong with that?"
"Starfleet won't allow you to come with me." he explained to her.
That news hit her like a rock. Tom was going to be off in some strange
galaxy while she sat at home pregnant.
"Tom. Um...I know this might not be the greatest time to say this,
but....I was at Starfleet Medical this afternoon." she finally spoke up.
"And?" he answered, not seeming to care.
"We're going to have a baby!" she exclaimed, trying to seem excited. Tom
did the excitement for the both of them. He jumped up and hugged her,
picking her up and twirling her around. It was like he didn't even
remember that he wouldn't be here for most of it.
"Tom? You're going to be on Voyager." she said. He sat back down on the
couch and sighed.
"I'd actually forgotten that. Look, we'll figure out something. I promise
we will." he looked her straight in the eye.
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The next day, Tom stood outside of a house that he'd once called home. He
walked inside, and went into the room where a man sat at a desk, reading
a PADD.
"Dad?" Tom began.

TO BE CONTINUED
You guys are hating me now, aren't you?

Legal shtuph: Paramount is everything, I am nothing in comparison. They
own almost everything, I own close to nothing. They are powerful, I am
mediocre.