Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager doesn't belong to me.  It never
did, it never will.   It belongs to Paramount

Archive: Sure, just tell me where.

Author's note: Just to let you know that in this story the HOW
things happen is not as important as the WHY things happen.

Synopsis: Can Tom fulfil the promise that he made to himself?

***

I don't know what possessed me to go along with this mad woman.
Still in a blink of an eye, I wasn't on Voyager anymore.  What
was I expecting to accomplish by following her?  I sincerely
doubted that *I*, of all people, could ever change the past.
Could I still be believing in that promised I had made to myself
so long ago?  Could I still care after all what had happen?

I felt Danya's hand pull away from my face and I immediately
stood on my feet.  My eyes quickly adapted to my dark
surroundings, revealing to me what I had already suspected to
find. We were in the family house.  The one I had lived in until
my Dad had throw me out.  The one I had wanted to leave ever
since *THIS* fateful night.

Along with this realization, my mouth went suddenly dry.  I felt
a sickening knot fill my throat.  I felt so tensed and nauseous,
I feared that I would throw up right there in the living room.

Danya grasped a hold of my shoulders and shook violently.

"Pull yourself together," she ordered me in a harsh whisper.  "My
associates and I will be there shortly.  We have to get your
family out of the house."

I instinctively looked over the staircase leading to the second
floor.  I brought my breathing under control.  I looked back at
my companion with a renewed faith.  Maybe I could change the
past after all.

She smiled at me.  A beautiful and friendly smile.

She nodded.

Without wasting anymore time, we went upstair.  I quickly ran
through the hall and pushed open my parent's bedroom door.  Mom
and Dad were sound asleep oblivious to the drama that was about
to happen.  I bit my lower lips and made my way to Dad's side of
the bed.

"Ad -- Captain Paris, wake up," I said in a low voice.

He moaned in his sleep.

I would need to more assertive.  God, why was I so nervous?  I
was a trained Starfleet officer after all.  I could do this and
I had to do it professionally.  Yet, I realized that the son in
me took over when I heard myself say:

"Dad, you have to wake up," I shook him and finally was rewarded
by his sleepy eyes flicking open.  "Sir, you and your family
are in danger.  We have to get out of the house, now."

"What?" he asked confused.  He looked around quickly searching
for something for someone.

"My son?  Where's my son?  I heard him call me," he said
worriedly.

Dad was genuinely concerned for me.

I swallowed hard as I reminded myself that Dad was actually
worried about the child that I used to be.  It was feeling that I
haven't seen in  his eyes in such a long time that I took it at
heart regardless.

"Your son is all right, Sir," I replied.  *I am right here,* I
wanted to add, but couldn't.  "I don't have time to explain.  We
have to go."  I turned my attention to my Mom.  "Elisabeth, wake
up."

I moved away to let Dad get out of the bed and made way to my
Mom's side.

"What's happening?" she asked as she was so rudely awaken.
"The children?"

"The Children are being tended to.  I don't have time to
explained, Ma'am," I answered her as I pulled her out of bed.
"We have to leave."

Her eyes met mine and she gasped.

"Tom...? Is it really you?" she asked.

My mouth went dry and I fought back tears of joy.  Could Mom
really know who I was.  Of course she could, she always loved me.

I stopped her delicate hand from reaching my face despite the
fact that I was yearning for her touch.  Instead, I pulled her
towards me and protectively sheltered her with my body.  I put a
finger in front of my month ordering her to be silent.

With a phaser that he had found in a drawer of the bedside table,
Dad was by our side in a matter of seconds.  He was fully alert
now.  The Starfleet captain and father was ready for a fight.  I
was as in awe by his demeanor as I was as a little kid.

I would have given the world to be as proud and assertive, to be
more like him...

"The power is totally out," he informed me.  "The transporter
won't work."

"That's why we have to get out of the house," I replied pressing
them out of room.

As we enter the hallway we all saw Danya standing in font of my
room.  She pushed my younger self to the floor and held up her
phaser.

"NOOOO!" cried my mother.

There was no time to say anything, no time to explain as Dad
lifted the phaser and took aim.  To the drumming of my heart in
my ears, marking the precious passing seconds, I pushed Mom out
of the way and threw my arms around Dad's. My weight brought both
of us tumbling to the ground.

As he fell, he lifted his arms in a last desperate move to kill
the threat to his beloved son's life.  When he hit the ground,
his arms folded backwards bringing the phaser level to my eyes,
where it went off....

I watched as the red laser came toward me and could not help but
think how beautiful a phaser hot looked from that angle.

Then... there was darkness

***

TBC

Thanks to Louise for Beta reading and getting me out of a major
hole!

Copyrights @ January