LKNB 9 'Wind Beneath My Wings'

          lauren35@juno.com (Lauren E Taylor)


Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything, everything, I wish I could be
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle
'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings
"Wind Beneath My Wings" Bette Midler, from the movie 'Beaches'
*********************************************************************
        Janeway looked around at the four other officers still gathered
on the holodeck, telling stories of a lost friend. She couldn't help but
think of the impact Tom had  on all their lives. Chakotay wouldn't be
here today if it wasn't for Tom. Erica and Harry would have never found
each other, and B'Elanna would never have become a wife, or a mother. It
was amazing to realize even how much Tom had changed in the five years
that she knew him. It was hard to believe that the Starfleet criminal
she'd met five years ago, was the same husband and nervous father-to-be
she'd talked to just yesterday. Now he was...no. It was to hard to think
about. She told herself to look back on the good times together, and not
dwell on how the future will be without him.
        Tom looked on at his friends. They had no idea that he was there,
watching everything they did. Hell, he had no idea *why* he was even
there, and that bothered him. Was he going to be like this forever, on
the outside of everyones lives, being a true observer? He didn't want to
think about that. He watched as the captain joined in on everyone's
stories, laughing and joking with everyone else. God, this was hard. He
looked to his side where B'Elanna was laying down on a lounge chair,
seeming to be lost in her own little world. He missed her. It had just
hit Tom last night that he would never be able to hold his baby, rock it
back to sleep, or even just talk to the baby. That hurt him the most.
        B'Elanna was lost in her thoughts. She remembered the last time
everyone was gathered on the holodeck because of Tom. Their wedding. She
layed back in the chair, closed her eyes, and began reminiscing.
*********************************************************
        B'Elanna stood in front of the mirror in Erica's quarters. She
was wearing a white dress, not too fancy, and she was scared to death.
"You look great." Erica told her reasurringly.
"I can't do this. I don't know if it's right. Should I be giving my life
away to Tom?" she said to Erica, and herself.
Erica took B'Elanna's hand, and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Yes, you can do this. You love Tom, and you want to marry him. All
you've talked about since he proposed was this day, and now it's here. I
know you're a bit nervous, but that happens to everyone. I'll never
forget how nervous all my sisters were on their wedding days." Erica
explained to her with a smile on her face, "Now, come on. I'll go in
before you, and sit down with Harry, and I want to see you walk down that
aisle, and say your vows, and walk away B'Elanna Paris." 
        The two women walked out together, towards the holodeck. Erica
went in first, and B'Elanna caught a glimpse of the room as the doors
opened. The beach resort was running, but all characters had been
deleted. Chairs were placed in rows with an aisle between them. B'Elanna
saw everyone there, Chakotay, Harry, Neelix, Kes, the doctor, and
practically the whole engineering crew. At the front stood Captain
Janeway, wearing her dress uniform, with her hair down. And just in front
of her was Tom. B'Elanna's heart started racing as she prepared to walk
in. Everyone turned as they heard the doors whoosh open to see B'Elanna
Torres, soon to be B'Elanna Paris, walk down the aisle. She made it to
Tom, and gave him a smile as she grabbed his hand. He returned the smile,
with a wink, and turned to look at the captain.
        Everything after that was a blur to B'Elanna, until the kiss. She
remembered that vividly. Sure, she'd kissed him tons of times, but it was
different now. Now, she was kissing her husband, not her boyfriend or
fiancee, but her husband. She kept going over those words in her head all
through the reception afterwards. She danced with everyone that night,
and had never been happier in her life. Erica caught the bouquet and...
"B'Elanna!" she heard someone call out to her. She opened her eyes
groggily, and blinked a few times. The person calling her name was Harry.
"What?" she said, seeming a bit annoyed.
"You fell asleep. The captain and Chakotay already left, and Erica and I
were just on our way out. We thought you should be woken up, so you
weren't in here by yourself." he smiled down at her.
*God, he was a good friend* B'Elanna thought to herself.
"OK, I'm getting up." she told him as she got out of the chair slowly. As
she stood up, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She froze.
"Is something wrong?" Erica asked her, her voice full of concern.
The pain came again, this time worse. B'Elanna looked up at her two
friends, who had panic written across both their faces.
"I think this baby's coming sooner than we thought." B'Elanna managed to
say.

TO BE CONTINUED 
Don't you guys love me now?

Legal junk. Paramount owns everyone but Erica. The almighty Erin owns
Erica. I own story.