"Grace." Lore said firmly as he looked deep into her eyes. He could tell that she was scared, but he knew he had to tell her. "You've only got thirty minutes." he said, choosing his words carefully. He did not want to have to witness her crying again.
Grace looked horrified. "What!?" She exclaimed, anxiously. She began to sob.
Lore held her chin in his hands. "Grace, the time is almost gone." He repeated what he had told her earlier.
Grace knew that Lore was correct, but she just didn't want to believe it. She had wanted their moment to last forever, but now she realised that it could not. "I know, but, I don't think I can do it. I should have destroyed the transporter device Data had given me, then he wouldn't be able to beam me back. I'd have to stay here." She knew that it was probably no use telling him this, but she had to try. She was beginning to wish that she had never even met Lore now. But, he had made her life better, so, for that reason, she realised that she was grateful that they had met.
"We've wasted five of those minutes arguing." Lore said to her, in a warning sort of tone.
Grace nodded glumly and wiped her eyes. "I know, I'm sorry." She cast her gaze to the right and, after squinting from the sunlight, she found a slightly raised bit of ground. She walked over to it, for it was only a few metres away from her, and she sat down. She patted the grassy patch beside her. "Come sit with me." She said to him.
At first, Lore didn't really want to, but then he knew he did. He sat beside her and Grace lifted his arm around her shoulders. They both knew, all to well, that they only had a few more minutes left together, and they didn't want to waste any more time. Lore sat there with Grace's head resting on his chest and he stroked her hair as she talked to him.
Lore breathed in and then spoke. "I'm sorry." He said simply.
Grace lifted her head up. "What? Why?" She asked.
He hook his head and sighed. "For all of this. For all I've done. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't stay with you."
The ensign sat up and looked at him, confused. "Shhh..." Grace said, reassuring him.
"No, Grace. I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you. Its my fault. All of it. I had delusions of grandeur. I've realised that, although Dr Soong made me the way I was, and, although he abandoned me, that doesn't mean that all people are like that." Lore said, justifying himself, to both Grace and to himself.
"Well, I forgive you then." Grace Fletcher replied as she sat in an upright position.
"I'll never forget you, Grace." Lore said shyly.
Smiling, Grace responded, "I won't forget you, either."
Lore looked deeply into her eyes and he spoke the words which he was dreading, but which he new he had to say. "There's only a few more minutes left." he said, firmly.
"How many is a 'few'?" Grace asked. Although Data was always very precise when ever he read out timings and such, Lore was the complete opposite.
"Two." Lore replied simply.
"I'm not sure if this thing needs calibrating or anything." Grace said, perplexed, as she looked down at the transporter device, which lieutenant commander Data had given her, was.
Lore leant forward and studied the small, rectangular device. "No, but," he continued, "you can't stand to near me when you're beamed up."
"Why?" Grace asked, her eyes wide.
"Because," Lore explained, "Data will have to try and get a lock on you. The Enterprise must be very far away by now."
"I suppose you're right." Grace nodded glumly as she stood up. After she had walked a few metres away from Lore, she turned back to ask him, "How much time do we have?"
"One minute, but that won't be for long." Lore replied.
Just as Grace was checking that the transporter device was safely secured; if it wasn't she might be transported into space, or in the middle of a solid wall, or even worse, her atoms would get mixed up, Lore stood up and proceeded to walk over to her.
Grace looked up to see him standing beside her. "Lore?..." She began.
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt Lore press his cold lips onto hers. She savoured every single moment of it and, once their lips were free, whispered, "I love you."
Lore stepped back from her, as he knew that she was going to be transported back on board the ship at any moment. "I love you too." Just as he said that final word, he saw Grace's body begin to shimmer in a magnificent display of white, blue and green sparkles and he stared out into the distance. She was gone.