Data lay next to me, holding me in his arms after we made love. I felt happier and more relaxed than I could ever remember feeling. He kissed the top of my head, lightly running his hand up and down my arm.

"That was amazing Data" I said, snuggling closer to him.

"I found that very pleasurable as well. Though that was not what I had in mind when I told you to rest." I laughed out loud. Was he making jokes? "I think my desire may have gotten away from me." He said almost sheepishly.

"So you really are feeling things." I said, rolling over so I was facing him, propping my head up on my elbow.

"Yes, I am definitely feeling things. I felt pleasure, and I feel… happy… that you are with me." He tilted my chin up so my mouth would meet his and he kissed me gently.

Our kiss was interrupted by the door chime. "Damn" I cursed under my breath.

"I will see who it is, Koranna. You stay and rest." Data lifted my hand, kissing the base of my palm. Getting up off the bed he picked up a towel from my stack of clean laundry and wrapped it around his waist. He pressed the open button on the door panel. The doors to my quarters slid open to reveal Counselor Troi. I was surprised she chose to stop by at a time like this. I would have thought she could feel my insane burst of emotions from across the ship.

"Hello Counselor" Data said. A look of shock crossed her face first, but then her face broke out in the biggest grin. I think the reason why I was feeling what I was feeling clicked for her.

"Hello Data" she said with a laugh. "I was just coming to check on Ensign Martin, but it looks to me like she's in good hands."

"Yes, I am taking very good care of Koranna." Data answered.

"I can tell." Deanna laughed. "Tell her to come see me in my office sometime tomorrow, when she's less… occupied."

"I will do that Counselor." Data replied.

"Goodbye Data" She said, still laughing. Great, we were going to become the joke of the entire ship. My doors slid shut after she walked away and Data returned to the bed, the towel still around his waist.

"She seemed to get a kick out of that." I said with a smile.

"She did seem to find my being here rather amusing."

"Data, I think what she found amusing was you answering my door half naked." I burst out laughing and he cocked his head to the side to consider this.

"You may be correct." I began to laugh even harder.

"Data, I have a question for you." I said, after my laughter subsided.

"You may ask me anything, dear."

"What is the most important thing I can do for you in this relationship?" I asked. He looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Um… what was that book my mom had me read…" I paused, thinking for a moment. "Access information on the five love languages." I instructed.

"Accessing." His golden eyes flitted back and forth. "Out of all five possible choices, I think Quality Time is most important for me. It is likely that I will live much longer than you, so I desire as much time with you as you can give me."

"I never thought of that." I felt sad for a moment. Data wouldn't age with me…

"Is Physical Touch your primary love language?" Data asked me, pulling me out of my negative thoughts.

"I'm not sure, but as you've noticed, physical touch is very important to me." I smiled, taking his hand in mine.

"Yes, I have noticed." He kissed my forehead.

"Most people need at least a little bit of each love language though." Data nodded at me, clearly absorbing the information. "Data… you know couples usually tell each other things, right?"

"Yes, I am aware that many couples bond through talking."

"I feel like I don't know a lot about your past. Will you tell me about something in your past that was difficult for you?"

"Difficult for me? Do you mean something that was difficult for me to accomplish?"

"No Data. A… hardship in your life. It could be something you didn't accomplish, or a time when something bad happened."

"The closest thing I had to a hardship in my life before our argument was the death of my friend Tasha Yar. She was the head security officer here before Lieutenant Worf. We were on an away team on the planet Vagra II and she was killed by an evil entity."

"I'm sorry. That must have been horrible."

"I still feel her absence. Another… hardship I experienced was when I attempted to build another android. Lal did not function properly and I could not repair her."

"I'm sorry Data. It must be difficult being the only one of you."

"That is not true. I have a brother named Lore. His emotions are very unstable and they cause him to act irrationally. Lore has harmed many people."

"Well, you're very sweet, and your emotions don't seem unstable. I doubt you could hurt a fly."

"I am capable of using deadly force in self-defense. However, so far my emotions seem quite stable, though I am still trying to understand them."

"We humans never really understand our emotions. Most of being human is just experiencing them."

"I will keep that in mind, Koranna."

"You called me dear earlier. I rather liked that." I smiled mischievously at him.

"Then I will keep that in mind, dear" He returned my smile. "Will you tell me about a… hardship in your life?"

"Well… my childhood wasn't very good. I ran away from home at 16 to join Star Fleet. My mother would never have approved."

"Why did she not approve of your desire to join Star Fleet?"

"She didn't approve of my interest in space in general. She said my mind was up in the stars and not down on the planet where it belonged. She burned my books about space and tried to have me removed from my math and science classes. Luckily my teachers taught me in secret. She wanted me to be a good bride. It was such an… archaic view. She trained me to be a good homemaker… to cook, to sew. We didn't have a replicator. She refused to use one. She was convinced they emitted radiation that would kill us. She never even tried to understand me. My sixteenth birthday present from her was an arranged marriage, for crying out loud! She told me I was going to be married in a week… I had to get away. So… I ran away that night. I haven't spoken to her since." I felt a weight lift off my chest, a weight I hadn't even known was there. I hadn't talked to anyone about this before, and it felt good to let it out.

"You do not wish to be married?" Data asked me, frowning slightly. He looked almost… disappointed.

"Not at that time! I do want to get married eventually but to someone that I choose. I want to find love on my own. I wanted to… explore and live out my potential."

"You are on the correct ship for that end."

"That's why I was so excited to be assigned this posting! This was… everything I had dreamed of. We get to interact with hundreds of alien species and see things that no one has ever seen before! And then I met you… This is where I'm supposed to be." I placed my hand on his face, stroking my thumb along where his cheekbone would be.

"I am glad you were assigned here as well. I also feel a sense of belonging here on the ship." He turned his head to place a kiss on my palm. "You spoke of your mother, but not your father."

"My mother told me he was killed when I was two years old by a local group of Klingon thugs. I don't remember him. The only thing I have to remember him by is a locket with his picture in it. It was a gift from him for my first birthday."

"I was not aware there were Klingons on Alpha Centauri."

"That's why his death has always confused me. I never saw one, at least not until I came onboard the Enterprise. Maybe he left my mother and that's what she told me to make it easier. Maybe she didn't want me to feel abandoned." I gave Data a sad smile. "Though she isolated me anyway. I wasn't allowed to have any friends. I remember being at the Academy… I didn't know how to interact with anybody."

"I had the same problem. As I am not human, I had a difficult time interacting with the other cadets. Though I have made friends, here on the Enterprise, just as you have."

"More than friends" I grinned up at him.

"Indeed." Data took my face in his hands and kissed me gently.

"Thanks for talking with me. It's nice to learn about you. And… thanks for listening. I hadn't told anyone that stuff before."

"Of course. I will always listen to you."

I winced. A sharp pain spread up my arm where the bone had been broken.

"The pain inhibitors the doctor gave you are wearing off. You need to rest now, to allow your arm to heal."

"Will you leave once I'm asleep?"

"Only if you wish me to."

"I don't want you to go anywhere, please stay."

"Then I will stay." He gave me a kiss one the lips and then kissed my forehead. "You must sleep now." He pulled me close to him. I was more tired than I realized, beginning to fall asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. It felt good to have him lying next to me. His warmth lulled me to sleep. The last thing I remember thinking before I lost consciousness was that I never wanted him to let go.