Next Chapter! Sorry, no sex in this one, lol. Probably none in the next one, but I promise you will like the next one, it's good, even though I haven't written it yet. Don't worry, I have a plan for it, though.

The sun shone brightly over the warm sand beneath Samantha's towel. She lay across the sand, on top of several towels sprawled out. The

only sounds that could be heard were the soft whispers of the waves against the shore, and the sharp cries from the seagulls flying around in

the blue sky.

Samantha sighed, resting her arm under her head, closing her eyes. It was easy to get lost in a place like this. The warmth, the peacefulness,

it all seemed to make her forget about all of the nightmares that she'd been having. She smiled as a seagull landed next to her, curious.

"Hey little buddy. Want some food? Here ya go. No, don't be scared, I won't hurt you," she tossed a piece of bread in the bird's direction, and

he gobbled it up before giving her a look that clearly said, "Thank you" and flapping off.

Sam loved animals, that much she did remember. She had a thing for animals and children. Especially ones that were ''weak'' or disabled. She

vaguely remembered a dog, a golden retriever, who adored her, and seemed to follow her everywhere, when she was with Data.

The sound of doors opening met her ears but she ignored it. A moment later, a warm arm wound around her waist, and soft lips gently

pressed against her cheek. Sam opened her eyes. Data smiled at her, lying on his side facing her. He propped his cheek up on his elbow,

gazing at her.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he asked. Samantha sighed and kissed him.

"Nope. Not at all. Just wanted to get some fresh air, and I thought of the holodeck. Councelor Troi recommended this program for me."

"It is nice. You should be wearing sunblock, however. As I recall, you burn quite easily."

"Nah, I programmed it so the sun's UV rays wouldn't affect me." Samantha stretched out again, giggling at the sight of Data, still in uniform,

sprawled out on the towel.

"That was wise; I enjoy your skin the color it is," He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her belly button. Samantha giggled, which

encouraged Data. He replaced his mouth with his hands, lightly tickling her soft skin.

"Hey! hahaha!" She tried pushing his hands away but only halfheartedly. Data laughed and hovered over her, kissing her gently.

"I also love hearing you laugh." He smiled, kissing her again.

Samantha smiled, brushing his hair back. She lightly pressed her lips to his, her arms going around his neck. Data smiled and pulled her

against him.

It was moments like this that he cherished the most. Not the sex, but the embraces, and the smiles and hearing her laugh. Knowing that it

was he who made her laugh, made him satisfied that he was making her happy.

When he drew away, to let her breathe, he said,

"The captain wishes to have a special dinner tomorrow evening."

"Why what's up?" Sam asked, playing with the pip on his collar. Data attempted a shrug.

"He said he wants to host a 'family reunion' for...us." he said. Sam sat up slightly, resting her weight on her elbow as she leaned over his

chest.

"Us? You mean you, Dad, and me?" she asked. Data nodded. Samantha smiled and hugged him.

"I'd like that. Sounds like fun." she said.

The next day, Samantha spent most of the day with Dad, who insisted she wear a gown he had made for her.

"It would make this old man very happy to see you wear this. You look even more like an angel in it." He said as she modeled it for him. The

soft yellow silk shimmered in the light. Samantha shrugged as she watched the train of the gown trail out behind her. It was a lovely gown.

Samantha wasn't a big fan of getting ''all dolled up'' for anything, and Data never pressured her to do it, either. He thought she was already

the most beautiful creature in the universe. But Dad seemed to be very nervous about something, and kept adjusting different parts of the

dress, and her hair.

The gown, was two pieces. The first was a long, floor length dress, made of soft, pale yellow silk, with a thin layer of cream colored lace over

the bodice. this was also strapless. The next layer, was a lace ''jacket'' that had short sleeves, and went all the way down to the floor, where

it trailed behind. there were white and cream colored flowers embroidered randomly over the lace, and also formed two ribbons on the front,

where it tied to make a ''kimono" style bodice.

Samantha put her foot down when it came to her hair. She hated anyone touching her hair, so she did it herself. A simple braid, with a few

loose tendrils here and there, which were curled, held together by a pale yellow ribbon tied in a small bow.

Samantha looked in the mirror. She didn't exactly hate what she saw. But it didn't feel like her. She bit her tongue and let it go. Standing up

straight (the damn corset she was wearing was pinching her skin when she bent forward) and smoothed the front of the gown.

As she made her way to the living room, she smiled sheepishly as she saw Data standing there, his back turned, dressed in his formal uniform.

He turned and smiled at her.

"You look beautiful, darling." He said, reaching out his hand. She took it, stepping beside him.

"You do, too. I never saw your formal uniform till now, it's lovely."

They walked arm in arm to the Ten Forward, meeting Dr. Soong there at the doors. His smile matched that of his son, seeming to shed years

off his face. If it wasn't for the difference in color, Samantha swore she was standing in between two identical twins.

As they all entered the huge room, the rest of the crew fell silent, just for a moment, and then, one by one, greeted the trio warmly.

The dinner was pleasant, and fun, not at all what Samantha expected. After they ate, the music started playing, and Dr. Soong surprised

Samantha by asking her to dance. Data seemed nervous, but kissed her hand and excused himself.

"I think I must have had two left feet, I can't dance to save my life!" Samantha giggled as Dad took her waist gently.

"Ah, you were quite good, actually. Even taught my son to dance. Something I thought he'd never master. Which is saying something, if you

think about it." Dr. Soong said, half joking.

"I taught him to dance?" Sam asked, surprised. Dr. Soong nodded.

"But unfortunately, when he asked me to remove your memory, that skill was also wiped away. A damn shame too; you taught him well."

"Strange...the only thing I can remember about my-our past, other than the flashes, are the...sign language, and...my drawing. I draw when

I-"

"Get restless. I remember that as well. In fact, I have several of your drawings still."

"Really?" Samantha asked. Dr. Soong's eyes filled with sadness.

"Data may have wanted to forget you at the time, but deep in my heart, I knew that sooner or later, he'd want to remember. He'd figure it out,

and do everything he could to get the whole story. As I said, his love for you was much deeper than the love humans feel.

"And aside from that, I truly thought of you as my own daughter; I was not ready to let you go, as easily as he was."

Samantha smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Dad." Was all she said, feeling her eyes fill up with tears. Dr. Soong held her tightly, patting her back gently. Suddenly he loosened

his grip, and Samantha felt a hand on her shoulder. Dr. Soong gave her a knowing smile before stepping off to the side. Sam turned to see

Data, his hand behind his back.

Ooh, what's gonna happen next?! Come on, any guesses? Your reviews cheer me up! :)