The Chief Medical Officer: One Shots: Star Trek Voyager

What if: Natalya and Tom were estranged

Tom and Natalya are husband and wife but estranged and going through a divorce due to Tom's stint in prison and lying to everyone, his wife included. 

Trigger warning: Attempted suicide, if that's a trigger please don't read. 

Dr./Lt. Natalya Zarale was going through a divorce with her estranged husband and high school, Starfleet Academy sweetheart Tom Paris, the reason was because he was in prison was because he worked for the Maquis because he was cashiered out of Starfleet for killing his crewmates but then he lied and falsified reports about it and even lied to his wife's face about what happened and where his injures came from.

Now Natalya was the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Voyager, she was 27 years old, a mother, soon to be divorcee and best friend to Harry Kim not to mention 1/2 Human 1/2 Cardassian.

Natalya and Tom's eldest child, a girl named Eska Amanda Paris was living with her mother and baby brother Heles James Paris named in honour of his deceased maternal grandfather and paternal uncle, the two children never saw their father.

Eska remembered him more than her brother given that she was ten years old whereas her brother was two years old, it turns out Natalya was pregnant with him when Tom was sent to prison for working with the Maquis.

When Harry walked into the sickbay "uncle Harry!" exclaimed Eska running to her godfather who hugged her tightly, Harry crouched to Eska's level "would you mind taking Heles off your mother's hands, she's needed on the Bridge" said Harry, Eksa nodded and took her brother from her mother.

"Harry what's going on?" she asked, Harry didn't say anything and led her to the Bridge where she saw Kathryn Janeway, the Captain and her maternal first cousin (Natalya's mother had a sister who married Admiral Janeway and they had Kathryn Janeway except Kathryn is older than her cousin by about eight years) "Nat, so glad you could join us, if you could follow me into the briefing room with Harry" said Kathryn "Kath, what's happening?" asked Natalya when she saw her soon to be ex husband Tom and his lawyers, Natalya sighed "so you've found where I am, how wonderful" remarked Natalya sarcastically. "You're stuck with me for three weeks Dr. Zarale, I want to see my children for those three weeks, I want sole custody for those three weeks, Dr. Zarale" said Tom coldly, Natalya was shocked he never called her 'Dr. Zarale' before even when they split up it was always Nat or Talya "so was calling me Nat and Talya, all an act then?" she asked sitting down "for the children" replied Tom "fine, three weeks your sole care, three weeks only" said Natalya leaving after being in there for at least 15 minutes.

Natalya left for the Sickbay, she grabbed her daughter and son "Eska, your father is going to be looking after you for-" Natalya was cut off by a massive blast making them all fall to the floor "what was that?" Eska asked, Natalya tapped her comm. badge "Dr. Zarale to the Bridge, what's happened?" Natalya got no response "Computer, Bridge" she said hoping the turbolift was still working, luckily it was.

Natalya stumbled out the Turbolift, she kept her children in there and sent them to Deck 4 section 3-C, where their quarters were before it automatically went back to the Bridge "what's going?" Natalya asked "we're not sure, all we know is that we are 70'000 light years from Federation space" said Tom "and the lawyers are back there meaning-" Natalya trailed off when Tom showed her white papers, their divorce papers "signed, sealed and delivered all it needs are your signatures" said Tom "NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE TALKING ABOUT YOUR DIVORCE!" yelled Kathryn, the two looked at her, Natalya and Tom looked at Kathryn and nodded.

It turned out it be a lot more than three weeks for this mission it would be seventy years, a lot of time to iron out the issues, it turned out Kathryn had the authorisation to accept the divorce but Natalya hadn't signed them, they were sitting on her private desk in sickbay, she often found herself question whether or not she wanted a divorce.

When her children were safely in Voyager's 'childcare' it was basically cargo bay three stocked with things for children and they were looked after by crewmembers who had children back on Earth, she joined Harry in the Mess Hall when she was Tom enter, closely followed by Megan and Jenny Delaney, identical twins when Harry got up "hey, I thought we were eating lunch together" said Natalya, Harry looked uncomfortable "plans changed" said Jenny, when Natalya felt Megan looking at her "so your the ex wife" she said "I never thought you were a Cardassian" said Megan, Natalya raised an eyebrow before looking at Tom who was looking at Megan the same way he used to look at her, feeling angry and betrayed by more than one person Natalya stood up suddenly without so much as a sound and left the Mess Hall.

Natalya headed to the Bridge to talk to her cousin who seemed to be busy with something, the Maquis hated her for being half Cardassian as did some of the crew so she was alone in the world, not knowing Tom still had a lot of love for her, Harry had changed his plans, Kathryn was discussing a secret 28th birthday part on the holodeck for Natalya, Natalya knew her daughter didn't like being a 1/4 Cardassian and started to distance herself from it over what Natalya didn't know was that Seska a (secret fellow Cardassian) Bajoran member of the Maquis had told Eska and Heles to accept their heritages human and Cardassian.

So Natalya headed to her quarters where she started running a calming bath when something caught her eye, a Cardassian dagger that she accidentally left out, when she got an idea, quickly recording a message, she turned the dagger on her stomach and stabbed herself, Harry found her moments later "Kim to transporter room 2, I need an emergency onsite beam to Sickbay from deck four section 3-C" said Harry, Natalya lightly shook her head, Kes was in sickbay and activated the EMH, Harry went and notifed Tom first who stood up deserting Megan, he headed straight for Sickbay while Harry got Kathryn, Natalya wouldn't tell any of them why she tried to kill herself so the EMH kicked them all out when Natalya grabbed Tom's hand "I'll tell you and only you" she said softly, Tom nodded and listened very carefully.

After hearing what Natalya had to say, Tom broke off his brief relationship with Megan and Kathryn tore up the divorce papers, at their vow renewal wedding when Heles was 6 and Eska was 14, Harry made a very Harry remark "so it only took getting stuck in very deep space to get you two back together, if I'd known that I'd've tried to get you two stationed on the Phoenix for a few months" Natalya snorts sarcastically while Tom laughs.

Harry was right of course, it took getting stuck in very deep space for Tom and Natalya to reconcile their differences but once they did, Natalya and Tom were more in love than ever.

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I have made it my mission to have at least one 'what if' situation in my one shot book.