Author's note:  Kathryn is a dog person, but I've always thought of 
B'Elanna as a cat person.  Maybe it's me....maybe it's the fact that I 
adore kitties....I don't know....just a random thought....
Also, I named Alyssa after Alyssa Williams, one of the kids who went to 
the day-care center I worked at over the summer.  When I thought of 
Alyssa Paris as a child, the Alyssa I knew immediately came to mind.  
'Lyss, this one's for you.

Beloved B'Elanna, Part 10 - Acceptance
by (the one and only impatiently-waiting-for-Scientific Method Gaelic 
Parisite who also digs DS9) Cheile

Dedicated to (obviously) Robbie and Roxann


        2:35 a.m.
        Most of San Francisco, except for the all-night clubs and a few 
bars, was quiet.  In the residential area, it was even quieter.
        The Paris house was dark and silent.  In one of the guest rooms, 
Alyssa and Robert lay asleep.  In the room next door, Jennifer and 
Nicholas were also asleep.  In the nursery, baby Calvin lay on his 
stomach, curled in a fetal position.
        In the room across the hall from Alyssa and Robert, B'Elanna lay 
beneath a soft quilt, sound asleep, raven-dark hair strewn across the 
pillow.  Tom lay on top of the quilt, also sound asleep, one arm wrapped 
lightly around B'Elanna's waist.
        At Alyssa's feet was Snow, the family cat, sprawled on his back, 
dead to the world.
        But downstairs was a single faint light.  One person was still 
awake.
        Admiral Owen Paris sat in his office behind his massive desk, 
leaning his head on one hand.  He was regretting what he had done 
earlier that day.
        Again, it replayed in his mind--the argument he'd had with Tom, 
Alyssa bursting in, seeing the girl, looking into her dark tear-filled 
eyes, hearing her cry because she was hurt--and he was the cause of that 
hurt.
        He hadn't realized what had happened to her until Tom had come 
to him earlier in the evening.  With fury in his eyes, he had told Owen 
just what B'Elanna's life had been like--how she had been treated, the 
hell she had had to live through, never truly accepted, always being 
overlooked, treated like an outcast, feared, hated.  And then when she 
finally found what she wanted, it was ruined.
        *"By a know-it-all, biased, egotistical bastard like you."*
        Tom's words echoed in his mind.  Horrible words, but they were 
the truth.
        Owen buried his face in his hands.  *What have I done?*

*

        9:04 a.m.
        B'Elanna was slowly drifting from deep sleep into wakefulness.  
She was vaguely aware of something brushing along her cheeks, over her 
brow ridges, across her lips.  It was light and soft, but it also 
tickled.  With a murmured sigh, she turned, only to have it persist.
        "Wake up, 'Lanna."
        "Mmm."
        "C'mon, my beautiful one.  Open those dark eyes."
        "Mmm?"
        The ticklish sensation began again.  Slowly, she opened her 
eyes.
        Tom hovered above her, already dressed, his cerulean eyes 
dancing with mischief and a grin spread across his face.  He was holding 
a rose in one hand and as he lightly brushed the petals along her cheek, 
she realized that had been the tickling that had awoken her.
        "Awaken, my love, and greet the day."
        "What time is it?"
        "Past 9."
        "I slept that late?"  She sat up.  "You should have woken me 
up."
        "You needed the sleep," he said softly.  He leaned his forehead 
against hers.  *Especially after yesterday*, he silently added.
        B'Elanna heard what he didn't say, knew he didn't want to bring 
up what had happened the day before.  And she really didn't want to 
think about it.
        "Well, you're going to have to move so I can get up," she 
teased.
        "Yes, dear," he grinned.  He got up, handing her the rose.  "Jen 
was out in the garden this morning and I had her get this for you."
        B'Elanna took the rose, a light blush creeping into her cheeks.  
"How sweet of you."  She leaned over to kiss him.  "Now, out, so I can 
get dressed."
        He returned the kiss, then left.

*

        Later that day, while Tom was upstairs searching through the 
attic with Jennifer and her husband Nicholas and Robert was teaching his 
physics class at the Academy, B'Elanna sat by herself in the den, Snow 
in her lap.  Lightly, she ran her hand along Snow's back and he purred 
contently, delighted with this new person who, when she wasn't spending 
time with his second favorite member of the family, would spend time 
paying attention to him.
        It was on this scene that Alyssa came into the den.  She perched 
on a chair, and was silent for a minute before finally speaking.
        "I don't mean to intrude, B'Elanna, but I wanted to ask you 
something."
        "About what?"
        "What was your childhood like?"
        B'Elanna snorted.  "It's a time I'd rather forget.  Everyone 
called me a freak, just because I was different."
        "I'm sorry," Alyssa said softly.
        B'Elanna shrugged.  "What can be done about it?  It was years 
ago."
        "My childhood was--interesting," Alyssa began.  "I had both 
parents, but everyone in school thought I was spoiled simply because I 
was the daughter of an admiral.  During the summer, at day-care, it 
wasn't so bad.  In fact, I liked day-care better than school."  Alyssa 
rose and went to one of the cabinets, removing a photo album.  She 
brought it back, sitting next to B'Elanna.  Turning to the middle, she 
pointed to the first photo, of a small, blond, freckle-faced little girl 
with a happy grin.  "Doesn't look much like me now, does it?"
        "It sort of does."
        "I was eight, going on nine then.  Tom was six and just starting 
first grade.  I wouldn't say he was a troublemaker, but he had the 
energy of a Badlands plasma storm!"  She shook her head.  "Could he ever 
frustrate the teachers!"
        "And this was your group?"  B'Elanna indicated another picture.  
It was a group of about 16 children between the ages of seven and nine. 
Alyssa was easy to spot--her blond hair, pink dress, and cheerful face 
standing out.
        B'Elanna studied the other children.  Most were human, but there 
were a few of different species, including, to her surprise, a Vulcan 
boy.
        As if reading her mind, Alyssa laughed.  "That was Nathan.  We 
were all startled when we learned his name.  His cousin, who was 3/4 
human, named him."  She then pointed to four boys standing together.  
"That's Matt, Kiefer, Adam, and Robert.  Adam was the practical joke 
master, Matt the athlete, Robert the troublemaker and Kiefer the wacky 
one.  Kiefer's parents named him after the 20th century actor Kiefer 
Sutherland."
        "You had a Betazoid in your group?" B'Elanna asked, noting the 
high brow and chocolate eyes of one girl.
        "That was Chelsia.  She was born on Betazed.  Her parents 
brought her here when she was six.  And this was Alexandri Houston, who 
we called Lex."  She pointed to a girl with light brown hair.  "Her mom 
worked with Dad."
        "Were they twins?"  B'Elanna indicated two girls with white 
blond hair and similar faces.  But the taller had sky blue eyes, while 
the other, a little shorter and dressed in lavendar, had brown eyes.
        "Oh no.  Jackie and T.J. just happened to look a lot alike."
        "Which one's which?"
        "Jackie's the blue-eyed one, T.J. the dark-eyed one.  They were 
best friends, but Jackie was a little shy while T.J. was fearless."
        B'Elanna's eyes moved to the next child in the picture.  "A 
Bajoran," she said in surprise.
        "Her name was Alesina Laikyn.  We only met her parents 
twice--they were undercover fighters in the Resistance, and Laikyn 
stayed with a friend of the family.  Then her mother was captured by the 
Cardassians.  Her father's group tried to liberate the camp she was in.  
They didn't succeed.  Nearly all the prisoners and all the resistance 
group died, including Laikyn's parents."
        "How terrible."
        "She was never very happy after that."  Alyssa shook her head, 
then motioned to the next two children.  One was a small black girl with 
her hair in seven braids.  The other had blond hair, dark eyes and an 
impish grin.
        "That's Lynette and Tiffany.  Tiffany was like Tom, boundless 
energy, while Lynette loved to sing.  And then there was Kendreck."  She 
indicated a Ktarian boy.  "He was Laikyn's greatest comfort after her 
parents died.  And lastly was Elyse.  She was half-human, half-Betazoid.  
She inherited the blond hair and blue eyes from her mother."
        B'Elanna looked to the next page, which included several 
pictures of Alyssa with a young woman about nineteen years old.  She had 
brown hair that hung to her shoulders, blue eyes of a similar shade to 
Tom's and wore an onyx ring on her left pinky.
        Alyssa followed her gaze.  "That was Ruby.  Ruby DuBois, my 
group's leader--my favorite leader, in fact.  She was like my other big 
sister.  She was the one who started calling me Lyss, which was where 
Tom picked it up.  Since that summer, he hasn't quit calling me that."
        "'Lyss, are you talking about me?"
        Alyssa sighed in exasperation.  "Go away," she teased.
        Tom walked in, grinning at his sister.  "Considering my fiancée 
is in here, I don't think so."  He sat down on the other side of 
B'Elanna.
        Alyssa watched the two for a minute as they exchanged a few 
looks and a tender kiss.  She saw the pure joy on B'Elanna's face, the 
light in her brother's eyes.  *She is definitely right for Tommy.  Why 
does Father have to be so damned biased?*
        Jennifer came in at that minute, cradling Calvin.
        "So, is the little dictator awake?" Alyssa teased her sister.
        "Oh, stop it, 'Lyssa," Jennifer retorted.
        Tom shook his head, unable to hold back his grin.
        "May I see him?" B'Elanna asked.
        "Of course," Jennifer said.  "Though I'll warn you, he can 
sometimes throw an awful fit when he's a mind to."
        "I'm used to that," B'Elanna answered.  "I deal with fits all 
the time.  Computers with an attitude problem, stubborn warp 
engines...."  She threw a smug look in Tom's direction.  "Your brother."
        "Hey!"
        Alyssa and Jennifer both burst out laughing.  B'Elanna was 
giggling.  And finally Tom had to laugh, too.
        "You know, I could say the same thing about you," he shot back.
        Jennifer carefully handed the baby to B'Elanna.  She took him, 
holding him close.  Calvin opened his blue eyes and stared up at his 
soon-to-be aunt.  She smiled at him, lightly touching his soft cheek.  
Feeling the touch, Calvin reached out a small hand and took hold of her 
finger.  She turned to smile at Tom, who smiled back and leaned over, 
resting his chin on her shoulder as she talked to Calvin, a soft smile 
lighting up her face.
        *They look so right together.  And they'll have such beautiful 
children.  Why can't Father put aside his prejudice--just this once?*, 
Jennifer thought.
        Calvin eventually fell asleep and Jennifer went to take him back 
to the nursery.
        "Here's one of my favorite pictures of Tommy," Alyssa said, 
passing the photo album to B'Elanna.
        The picture was of Ruby DuBois hanging the six-year-old Tom 
upside down by his ankles.  He was yelling and Ruby was laughing.
        "Hey!  Where do you get off showing that picture around?!" he 
cried as B'Elanna started to giggle again.
        "'Cause I can," Alyssa said smugly.  She turned the page.  "This 
one's better."
        In the second picture, Ruby had him thrown over her shoulder, 
young Alyssa laughing in the background.
        "No fair," Tom grumbled.  "Showing those embarrassing pictures 
to 'Lanna--"
        "It's either these or your naked baby pictures."
        "Don't you dare!"
        The moment was broken when Jennifer returned.
        "Tom, Father wants to see you," she said hesitantly.
        "I don't care.  I'm not at his beck and call like I used to be."
        "He wants to see B'Elanna, too."
        B'Elanna was stunned.  Admiral Paris wanted to see her?
        "Why?"  Tom's voice was harsh.  "So he can get some satisfaction 
out of insulting her to her face?  From making her cry?!"
        "I don't think that's his intent," Jennifer protested.
        "Like hell it isn't."
        "Just try to talk to him," Jennifer suggested.
        "Why should I?"
        Jennifer shot Alyssa a look that plainly said "Do something!"
        "For me, Tommy," Alyssa said.
        Tom sighed.  "All right."
        He turned to B'Elanna.  "Come on, 'Lanna.  His Majesty requests 
our presence."  His voice was thick with sarcasm.

*

        Outside his father's office, Tom exchanged one final glance with 
B'Elanna, then touched the door chime.
        "Come in."
        Just before he opened the door, B'Elanna reached over and took 
his hand, lacing her fingers through his.
        Unlike the last two times Tom had seen his father, Admiral Paris 
wasn't working on something.  He was leaning his head on his hands.  
Five minutes that seemed to pass like an eternal stretch went by, before 
he lifted his head to look up at them.
        His son, defiance and barely contained anger glittering in his 
blue eyes.  The girl, her dark eyes expressionless, her hand in Tom's.
        "I used to think that I could always make the right decision," 
Admiral Paris began.  "But after yesterday, I have determined that I was 
wrong.
        "I stayed up until four this morning trying to find some 
possible reason to justify what I'd said.  And I came to the conclusion 
that I couldn't find one.
        "Which is why I wanted to apologize."
        Tom blinked.  Had he heard right?
        "Yes, you heard me right.  I'm sorry."  Admiral Paris rose from 
his chair and moved in front of his desk.  It was several seconds before 
he raised his gaze to meet Tom's.  "I was wrong to say those things to 
you yesterday, Tom.  I'm sorry, and I truly mean it.
        "You're my only son--I don't want to lose you.  Forgive me, 
please."
        Was he seeing things--or did his father have tears in his eyes?
        Slowly, hesitantly, the admiral held out his arms.  Tom released 
B'Elanna's hand and stepped forward, allowing his father to hug him.  
And slowly, Tom hugged him back.
        They stayed that way for several minutes, then finally 
separated.  It was then that Admiral Paris turned toward B'Elanna.
        "My dear, can you forgive me?  I wasn't thinking rationally and 
I said some cruel things."
        B'Elanna nodded.
        He stepped forward, hugging her lightly.  And with that hug, 
B'Elanna felt that now she was really a part of the family, that she was 
truly accepted.

To be continued......

Legal B.S.  Paramount's characters, my story.  Alyssa, Jennifer, Robert, 
Nicholas, Calvin and the cat belong to me.  Copyright '97, by Cheile.  
Comments?  Suggestions?  Flames?  Questions?  You can reach me at 
cheile@hotmail.com