Pale, golden hands. Enclosed around her neck.
"I could break your neck without any effort. Would you prefer that?" A voice spoke. Sam felt herself shake her head. She couldn't see the face, but
something seemed familiar about this...She felt a piercing pain somewhere where she'd never been touched, as she was pressed hard against the
ground, causing her even more pain as the wounds on her back opened. Sam tried to scream, but the hands tightened.
"Yesss...You weren't lying...oh well...he wouldn't be able to feel it anyway. But I do..." The voice moaned in pleasure. Sam choked back the tears, but
it only seemed to arouse him further. And anger him. He back handed her, hard. She bit her lip, trying not to scream, but he took it as a sign of
pleasure.
"That's my girl..."
Sam woke with a gasp. She opened her eyes, and the memories came back. Sitting up, she looked around. Sam sighed. She hoped Data had
not been present in that one...
She got up from her bed, and went to the bathrrom. Her reflection in the mirror surprised her as she turned the light on.
This is crazy...she thought. Or is it? I don't even know what my life was before I came here. For all I know, I could have hit my head, and gotten
amnesia, and Q felt bad and decided to reverse time and give me a second chance...
She sighed and went to the replicator for a glass of water.
As she sat down on the bed, she thought back to when she and Data had finally talked. It felt strangely comforting, being with him. And,
looking back, she realized that she missed him. Smiling slightly, she remembered how patient he'd been, and how he wasn't angry with her for
avoiding him.
"Computer..." She called.
"Where is Mr. Data?"
"Commander Data is in his quarters." The computer replied. Samantha set her glass down and got up, putting on a dressing gown as she
stepped out into the corridor.
Data didn't activate his dream program that night. He decided to give himself a break, a chance to take in what he'd already learned.
Partly because he was afraid of what he would find. It was tempting, though. Every time he looked at the paintings he'd done of Samantha, he
was tempted. Every time he recalled one of the memories, he was tempted. But he didn't.
Data now had several paintings he'd finished. His favorite was her smiling down at him, her hair surrounding her face as she pinned him
playfully down. Her eyes lit up in this one. His second favorite was her sleeping. Lying on her left side, with her arm tucked loosely under her
cheek, her right hand draped over her stomach. She looked peaceful when she slept.
He enjoyed watching her sleep. That much he remembered clearly. Sometimes, he would remind himself that she was safe on the ship, which
meant whatever had happened before, would not happen again.
The sound of the door startled him out of his musings.
"Enter," He called, wondering who was visiting at this hour. The doors opened and he couldn't hold back the slight smile as Samantha stepped
in the room.
"Hi..." she smiled shyly back.
"Good evening. Are you alright?" He cut to the chase, concerned. Samantha sighed.
"Yeah...just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." She noticed Spot had jumped up on the console.
Data gave shake of his head and gently scooted the cat onto the floor.
"Not at all. Please, sit." He stood, offering her a seat on the sofa as he sat next to her. It was quiet for a while, before Samantha spoke.
"You know...I'm actually starting to like it here." She said. Data tilted his head slightly.
"Your friends, the other officers...they're really nice. Especially Deanna, and Mr. Worf."
"Ah. Counselor Troi would not be doing her job if she were not being nice." Data said, smiling still. Spot jumped up on Samantha's lap, startling
them both. Data watched, nervous, as the cat sniffed Samantha's hand.
"You're a lovely girl, aren't you?" Samantha said softly. Almost instantly, Spot's demeanor changed. She rubbed her face against Samantha's
hand, wedged herself next to her, and started purring. Samantha giggled softly, cooing at her as she tickled her forehead.
"She does not act like this around others," Data said, still surprised. Samantha shrugged.
"I have a feeling I was a big animal lover before all this..." She said. Data nodded.
"Forgive me if I am being rude, but...is there a reason you came here, other than being unable to sleep?" Data wanted to make sure she was
really okay, and not just putting on a brave face. Sam looked up at him, her smile gone.
"I...had a nightmare. I can't really remember it now, but it terrified me. You're the only person I feel comfortable with now." She got up, and
began pacing, biting her nails.
"I have these nightmares often...probably every night, or most nights." She said. Data got up, her pacing making him nervous.
"Counselor Troi has warned me about them..." He offered. Samantha nodded. She stopped in front of the couch, and plopped back down,
staring at the ceiling. Data sat back down next to her. He reached out and gently took her hand in his, letting her know he was there for her.
She turned her face to look at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. When she spoke, Data detected a familiar quiver in her voice that meant
she was close to breaking down.
"I woke up, not knowing where, or who I was, and I didn't have a single scratch on me...And now...I'm finding out who I am, where I came
from, and how I got there, but little by little. I don't know- how much more I can take-" She broke.
Suddenly, she started crying. Data didn't even hesitate. He scooted closer, and pulled her into his arms, hugging her as she cried. Data held
her tightly, brushing her hair away from her face.
"I don't understand! What is going on?! I...I can't bear the thought of being away from you, but I want to run...What-?"
"Shh...It is alright. I will not hurt you..."
"I know! But I'm still frightened..." She turned her head up to look at him and sniffled. Data lightly touched her cheek, despite the onset of
more memories. It seemed to calm her down; her breathing slowed, and her eyes closed, her face leaning into his touch.
"There was another reason I came here..." She said softly. Data nodded, encouraging her. She loosened her grip on his waist, which
disappointed him, but said,
"Now that I'm not afraid of you anymore, I was wondering...if I could stay here with you, instead of Counselor Troi?"
Data thought for a moment. He didn't know how far they'd gone in their previous life, or if they had gone that far. But the look in her eyes was
one he'd swore he'd seen before, and could not refuse.
"Of course." He said, holding her close to him again. She sighed in relief and rested her head on his chest.
Data watched her as she slept. Counselor Troi's warnings about her nightmares caused him alarm, and he wanted to make sure he...what? He
Didn't betray her again? She'd already let him know that she didn't mind him touching her. In fact, his touch seemed to clam her, even while
she slept. Gently, Data ran his hand up and down her back, trying to let her know he was still there beside her.
He thought back to the memories they'd uncovered. They both retained the exact same ones, respectively. They'd pretty much determined
all of what happened. Or at least they thought they had. The feelings were still there, for both of them. Data still did not understand why he
was feeling these emotions, despite not having his emotion chip installed.
His hand gently stroked the curve of her lower back, through the thin fabric of her shirt. He frowned, feeling something on her skin, just
under the hem. Gently, he probed lower, just under the hem. A raised line on her skin. A scar.
He sat, on his knees, holding Samantha in his lap. She was covered in blood. A dagger, about eleven inches long, was protruding from her lower back.
Her eyes held nothing but a ghost of a smile that had been wiped from her face all too early.-
He pulled his hand away. That was the last, final touch that was needed. He remembered everything. He covered his mouth, tears forming in
his eyes. He carefully removed his hand and got up from the bed. Quickly, he left, taping his badge as he did, calling Counselor Troi. She picked
up on the strain in his voice, and immediately it woke her up. A moment later, he came into her office, not even bothering to press the chime.
"Data?! What's wrong-"
"She was killed! I was holding her..." He gasped as the rest of the memories seemed to come back, full force.
He fell to his knees, Counselor Troi bending next to him. She gently touched his shoulders.
"Data..."
He told her everything. The memory he'd gotten from simply touching the scar on her lower back.
"I think you need to go and lie down, Data. Let her sleep for now; it's quite late. In the morning, talk to her."
"But...I cannot stand this memory. It seems to be the strongest one...I can still feel her warm blood on my own hands! Counselor...you do not
think...it was I who-?!"
"Data, you look at me, and you listen!" Counselor Troi grabbed his shoulders firmly and forced him to look at her. His eyes darted back and
forth, wet with orange tears.
"You did not kill her. Now, I'm ordering you. Clean yourself up, go back to bed, and sleep it off. When you two wake in the morning, then you
talk to her." She calmly took his hand and squeezed it. Data took a deep breath, and nodded.
He headed back to his quarters, still trying to steady his breathing and brush the horrible memory out of his head. The doors hissed closed
behind him, and he quietly headed for the unused bathroom.
Data washed his hands, scrubbing his face with them as well. He didn't notice Samantha was awake until she came up behind him. He jumped
slightly.
"I apologize if I woke you-" He turned to her, seeing her own tear filled eyes. She simply reached for the towel, and dried his hands, and face
with it. When she was done, her eyes still on his, she dropped the towel and threw her arms around him.
"That was one memory I'd hoped you would never remember..." She whispered, her hands stroking his cheeks as she pulled back slightly.
Data frowned.
"You...remember that?" He asked. Samantha took one of his hands in hers, kissing the tips of his fingers. She looked up at him and said,
"It wasn't you." Was all she said. She moved his hand and, to his surprise, lifted her shirt, and pulled it off. Data almost looked away, thinking
she was trying to initiate sexual contact. But then he saw the scars. Many, many scars, on her stomach, across her breasts, and over her
chest above them.
"I don't know exactly what happened, but...I know I was raped...Dr. Crusher told me not to tell you unless I absolutely had to. I
think...whoever inflicted these, and raped me, was the same person responsible for my...death." She said. Data reached out, but pulled away,
afraid she'd get offended.
"It's ok...I trust you." Sam took his hand and lightly placed it on her stomach, on the biggest scar. He gently pressed his thumb against it,
running it over the long line. After a moment, he bent and picked up her shirt, handing it to her. She put it back on, and was pulled against
Data's chest, as he held her to him. She looked up at him, A small smile on her lips.
"I was afraid you'd be disgusted with this..." She said. Data ignored her comment, shaking his head slightly. He didn't care that she had scars.
He only knew now that his feeling that he'd somehow betrayed her...was not true.
He cupped her chin in his hand, looking into her eyes as he whispered.
"I was unable to save you. That was why you were afraid of me. And why I was afraid to touch you..."
Samantha sniffled as Data held her tightly.
"I hope you can forgive me. I-"
"You didn't do anything to me! It wasn't your fault. We don't know who did it, but it doesn't really matter. We know that it wasn't you-"
"I need to know. I cannot stand the thought of not knowing who did those horrible things to you..."
Data paused, gazing at her tenderly as he traced her jaw with his thumb. He pushed the horrible thoughts from his mind, and gave in. Data
reached down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, but demanding kiss. Samantha responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. All of
the pent up emotion came flooding into that kiss. Everything felt right in that moment. Data didn't care, what was causing him to feel these
emotions. All he cared about was the woman in his arms, and making her feel safe again. And letting her know how much...
he loved her.