To The Journey
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.
Chapter Fifty-Five: Too Good to Last
"My good friends, make it so." The Captain raised his glass, smiling warmly. "The bride and groom."
The group echoed the toast, raising their own glasses to the couple. Picard took a drink and sat back down, nodding to Tasha.
She stood slowly, a little apprehensive. For a moment, she wished her memory was on par with her husband's, so that she could be assured of remembering her speech. But she was only human, and wishing would accomplish nothing. She would have to rely on her own imperfect memory. "Deanna Troi," she began, "you were one of the first friends I ever had, and from the first time we met you made it clear to me that you accepted me for who I was, even though I was different. I felt like I could trust you, and you've never given me a reason to think otherwise. Will Riker, you've supported and encouraged me ever since we met at Farpoint Station fifteen years ago. You've pushed me to reach my full potential, and yet I always knew that I could reach out to you when I needed someone to lean on. I love you both, and I'll miss you as you move into this next stage of your lives, but I couldn't be happier for the two of you, and I wish you nothing but good fortune and happiness."
Again, the crowd raised their glasses and drank. As Tasha regained her seat, Data leaned over to whisper into her ear, "You had no cause to be concerned. That was an excellent speech."
The band began to play, and the android stood, extending his hand to his wife. "May I have this dance?"
She smiled as she took the outstretched hand. "Since when do you have to ask?"
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Data pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek, then reluctantly slipped his arms from around her waist. "I will be back shortly."
"Go," she encouraged him. "You've been planning this for weeks." She watched fondly as he made his way to the stage.
"What's he up to?" a voice asked from behind her as the band music began to die down.
"Damn it, Tom!" Tasha spun to face him. "Haven't you learned yet to stop sneaking up on me?"
"Bad habit," he smirked. "You didn't answer my question."
"You'll know in a minute," she shot back. "And what have you done with B'Elanna?"
"She's just feeding the baby, she'll be back soon."
Data's voice, amplified through a microphone, cut off any further conversation. "Ladies and Gentlemen...and others. In my study of Terran and Betazoid conjugal rites I have discovered it is traditional to present the happy couple with a gift. Given Commander Riker's affection for archaic musical forms, I have elected to present the following as my gift, in honor of this occasion."
"This ought to be good," Tom commented under his breath.
"Never saw the sun shining so bright," he began, meeting his wife's eyes so he would be sure she knew that while the song was meant for the couple, the emotion behind it was for her. "Never saw things going so right. Noticing the days hurrying by."
The band came in as he continued. "When you're in love, my how they fly by. Blue skies, smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see."
"Seeing as we're both missing our better halves," Tom said softly to his cousin, "wanna dance?"
She grinned at him, offering her hand. "Why not?"
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Tasha and Data stepped off the floor as the wedding guests began to disperse. As they had agreed, the Enterprise senior staff began to pull back, but didn't depart the area. The band continued to play what was ostensibly the closing music. Only one couple remained on the dance floor: Geordi La Forge and Leah Brahms, the latter of whom was beginning to realize that they were the only ones left.
"Geordi," she said softly, stopping in mid-step. "I think it's time for us to go."
He shook his head slowly. "I'm enjoying this."
She smiled. "So am I, but that's not what I meant. We're literally the last people out here."
"Okay," he said finally, stepping back from Leah but keeping a grip on her hand. "But we'll have to do this again sometime."
She laughed lightly. "I agree, but you might want to rephrase that a little bit. At least, I hope you just mean the dancing part. After all, the rest of it isn't something that we have a whole lot of control over."
A grin split his face. Perfect. "I suppose you're right. Mostly right, anyway."
"Only mostly?"
He drew a deep breath. Here goes."Well, you're right that we can't go planning this kind of occasion on any kind of regular basis. But it might be something we could do...just once. And I'd like to." Before she had a chance to consider what that statement might mean, he was down on one knee, a ring clasped between his fingers. "Leah Brahms, will you marry me?"
"Geordi -" her jaw dropped, but only for a moment, and then her face broke into a smile to match his. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."
As he slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, cheers broke out around them, and she turned to see the crew applauding. "They were all in on this?"
"You bet they were," he replied, pulling her close. "They all know how happy you make me, and they wanted to share this with us."
"You are coming home with me, though," she said authoritatively, though her smile never faded. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. How do you expect me to tell the boys without you there?"
"I don't. I've already planned for it. We have a little more than an hour before I'm expected back on the Enterprise." He stepped out of the embrace, taking her arm. "Now it's time for us to go."
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"Tasha!" Deanna called out, hurrying to get into the turbolift her friend was on before the doors closed. "Do you have a minute?"
"Sure," the blonde replied. "What's the matter?"
"I just wanted to check in with you about the second wedding ceremony," she replied. "I appreciate how supportive you've been of me, but if you're not comfortable with the Betazoid tradition, I don't think even my mother would object to bending the rules a bit."
"Funny," Tasha said with a chuckle. "I thought I heard you arguing the exact opposite to Worf just a few hours ago."
Deanna smiled too, but shook her head. "It's not the same. Worf is stuck on the idea of protocol and decorum."
"Classic Worf."
"Exactly so. Computer, halt turbolift" she added, not wanting the doors to open by chance in the middle of the conversation. "But I know it's different for you. During your wedding speech, you were recalling our first meeting at the Academy. What you said meant a lot to me, by the way. But I also remember that I told you about the Betazoid custom of naked wedding ceremonies that first night, while we were unpacking, and you seemed...uneasy, even a little fearful."
Tasha blushed slightly. "You remember that?"
"Of course. I realized pretty quickly that I'd said something that might be inappropriate. I made sure to make a mental note of it, to avoid crossing that line again. Now, knowing what I do about you, I can understand why you were upset. I don't want to hurt you."
"I appreciate that, Deanna, I really do. But you don't need to worry. You were right about my discomfort, but not quite on the mark about the reason behind it."
"What do you mean?"
"I remember that conversation too, and what took me aback wasn't the concept of nudity. It was the level of comfort and positivity associated with the idea of sexuality that also came across in that conversation. At the time, the whole concept was still foreign to me. After what I'd been through, I was still coming to grips with the idea that most people viewed sex very differently than I did." She smiled a little sheepishly. "That's, um, not the case anymore."
"So I can imagine," Deanna said with a giggle. "The way you and Data look at each other, it's pretty clear you've gotten past that particular block. So, you're sure you're okay with everything for the wedding?"
"Deanna, I'm grateful that you checked instead of assuming. But it really is okay. Computer, resume."
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Tasha watched intently as Geordi, Data, and Doctor Crusher examined the android they had found on the surface of the desert planet. "You know," the doctor was saying, "all things considered, Data, I think you have nicer eyes."
Data's brow furrowed in confusion. "Our eyes are identical, Doctor."
Tasha shook her head in response. "Physically, maybe, but they're not the same."
Will and the Captain walked in at that point, forestalling any further discussion of the matter. "So," the first officer asked, "what have we got, Geordi?"
"Well, I'd say he has the same internal mechanics as Data but not as much positronic development. The neural pathways aren't nearly as sophisticated. I'd say he's a prototype. Something Doctor Soong created prior to Data."
Data turned to the android in question. "Do you have a name?"
"I am...B4."
Picard chuckled. "B4," he repeated. "Doctor Soong's penchant for whimsical names seems to have no end."
"B4," Data asked him, "can you tell us how you came to be on the planet where we found you?"
"I do not know."
"Do you remember anything of your life before you were on the planet?" Data pressed.
"No." B4's attention then seemed to be drawn to Riker. "Why does the tall man have a furry face?"
"Number One, keep me informed," Picard said briskly. "And Geordi...reassemble him."
"Aye, sir," they both replied.
"B4," Data asked, "do you know who I am?"
"You...are me," he said after a moment.
"No," he replied. "My name is Data. I am...your brother."
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"I should've known things were going too well," Tasha sighed.
In the space of barely more than a day, the Enterprise had been diverted to Romulus, forcing Will and Deanna to postpone the second portion of their wedding, only to find even more surprises upon their arrival. They had been met by a Praetor who had turned out to be not only human, but a clone of their Captain who had been raised by Remans, a race long enslaved by Romulus. Still, Tasha had been less troubled by the fact of his existence than by the unusual amount of interest that the man, Shinzon, had shown towards Deanna. She had known men who displayed that same attention, an odd mix of fascination and objectification, and nothing good had ever come of it.
But that had had to be put to the side when something far more sinister came to light. B4, newly reassembled and with Data's memories now downloaded into his neural net, had managed to hack into their computer system. At roughly the same time, they had discovered traces of an especially lethal type of radiation hanging around Shinzon's ship. It was becoming increasingly clear to Tasha that the diplomatic invitation that had brought them to Romulus had been nothing more than a pretext. Whatever Shinzon had in mind, it wasn't peace.
And now, she was preparing to send Data onto that very ship, into the hands of a man whose motives they could not determine.
The android kissed his wife gently. "They will be again. Remember? I never saw things going so right. So long as I have you, I am confident that all will be well."
She smiled despite her worry. "I love you too, Data. Promise you'll come back."
"I will do my best."
"Promise me," she repeated. "Promise you'll come back to me - to us," she amended, bringing his hand to her abdomen, which was just beginning to swell as she approached the end of her second month. "I don't want to do this without you."
"Tasha," he said gently, "I refuse to make a promise I cannot keep. But I do promise this - I will return if I possibly can."
"Okay," she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. "I guess that'll have to do. Good luck."
"Riker to Yar." The first officer's voice, laced with panic, interrupted the moment.
"Go ahead, Will."
"Need you in my quarters. Now."
"Copy that. Should I bring a team?"
"No. Just you."
"On my way." She cut the channel and turned to her husband. "I'll see you later."
He only nodded, acknowledging what she was trying to do. Tasha kept her eye on him until she left their quarters and the door closed between them, then she turned and ran towards the first officer's quarters. As concerned as she was over Data, Will had her worried too. She couldn't remember ever hearing that panicked tone in his voice, not even during their ordeal with the Borg.
She skidded to a stop in front of the door and pressed the chime impatiently. "Will? Will, it's Tasha. Are you there?"
"Come in!"
Tasha burst into the quarters, instinctively making a visual scan for any possible threat. But there was nothing she could see, not even signs of a struggle. "Will?" she called out again. "Where are you?"
"Here."
Tasha turned to see him standing in the bedroom doorway, his face lined with deep concern and pain. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Shinzon." Will spat the name as if it tasted bad. "He attacked Deanna."
"What?" she asked disbelievingly. "Here?"
"It was a telepathic attack," he explained grimly. "Physically, Shinzon never left his ship. But in her mind, it was as real as if he'd been here. Tasha, he raped her."
"My god," Tasha whispered, feeling suddenly sick. "Where is she?"
"Through here." He beckoned her through the bedroom door. "Thank you for coming."
Deanna lay on the bed on her back, blankets pulled up haphazardly to cover her naked body. She was shaking, and as she turned her head towards the voices, Tasha could see that her eyes were full of tears. Instantly, she was at her friend's side. "Deanna? Deanna, I'm here."
"Oh, God," she was whispering over and over. "Oh, God."
"Deanna," she pressed, trying to keep her voice level, "is he still here?"
"No," she managed finally. "No, he's gone now."
Will had circled around to her other side. "Imzadi, we're here with you," he said softly. "It's okay. We've got you."
"How is that going to help?" she choked out. "He was here. He was in my mind, and no one can stop him."
"Deanna, can you tell us what happened?" Tasha asked as gently as she could.
She nodded tearfully. "It started out as a regular night. Will and I were talking about missing the wedding. We went to bed, we started to make love. Then all of a sudden, it wasn't Will. It was Shinzon, there, on top of me, inside me." She began to shake even harder. "He was talking to me. He - he called me imzadi. Oh, God." She suddenly sat bolt upright. "I'm going to be sick."
Will immediately put an arm under her shoulders and helped her stand, hurrying her into the bathroom. Tasha remained beside the bed to give her friend a little privacy. After a few minutes, they emerged, Deanna pale and wrapped in the blanket, Will still supporting her. He helped her down to the bed and sat behind her, letting her lean into his chest.
"Can you tell me the rest?" Tasha asked softly, offering Deanna her hand.
The Betazoid took it, gripping tightly. "For a moment, he turned into a Reman. Then it was Shinzon again. I pushed him, I yelled at him to get off me. Then I heard Will asking me what was going on, and when I looked, Shinzon was gone and Will was there."
"I had no idea what was going on," the first officer said sadly, pulling his new wife tightly against him. "From my perspective, one minute we were having sex, and the next Deanna was yelling at me - or what seemed from my perspective to be me. I'm sorry, imzadi. I didn't know."
"It's not your fault, Will," Tasha replied. "You couldn't know. Deanna," she added, "do you want me to call anyone? The Captain? Security?"
She shook her head. "No, please...this is humiliating enough already. I don't need anyone else knowing."
"Okay, Deanna. What you want to do about this is up to you. But Deanna, there is nothing to be ashamed of. This isn't your fault."
Deanna nodded, and then abruptly burst into tears, no longer able to bear the horror she'd endured. Will drew her even closer, and Tasha reached out to embrace her from the other side. They sat there, Will and Tasha forming a protective cocoon of sorts around the distraught woman, until she'd cried herself to sleep.
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"What happened last night?" Tasha asked Geordi the moment she stepped onto the bridge, not even bothering with a greeting.
"Exactly what we expected," the engineer replied evenly, understanding his friend's concern. "I've been monitoring him. No sign of trouble." He squeezed her shoulder. "Data can take care of himself. He's going to be fine."
"Even an android can come up against overwhelming odds, we've had so many close calls -" she sighed. "I'm sorry, Geordi. I know you're doing your best. I don't know why I'm acting like this."
"It's all right," he assured her. "You're right about the close calls; it's only natural to worry. Just remember, they've only been close calls. Data's come through each and every one, and I'm confident this will be no different. Besides, even in the worst-case scenario, he's still got the concealed emergency transporter."
The turbolift door hissed open, and Tasha and Geordi instinctively glanced over to see who it was. A moment later, they shared a look of confusion as no one emerged. "What the -" he began, turning to his instruments. "I can't find a malfunction..."
But as Tasha took a step back to get a better look, the situation became clear. Deanna Troi was in the lift, but she wasn't coming out. She was sitting with her back against the wall, knees to her chest.
"Deanna!" The security chief sprinted to her friend in record time. The Captain and first officer were only a step behind her as she tentatively reached out to the other woman. "Deanna? Deanna, what is it?"
She uncurled her body slightly, throwing herself into Tasha's arms. "He was here," she whispered as Tasha folded her into a tight embrace. "He hurt me."
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Tasha kept a hand on Deanna as Beverly scanned her. "Aside from slightly elevated levels of adrenaline and serotonin," the doctor said softly, "you're completely normal."
The counselor continued to shiver. She knew that even Shinzon couldn't inflict physical damage on her through telepathic contact, but what he had done to her in the turbolift, and the night before in her bed, was far worse.
Picard stood nearby, visibly concerned. Will and Tasha had filled him in on what had happened the night before, what they believed had likely happened again. "Can you describe it?"
"It was...it was a violation. Shinzon's Viceroy seems to have the ability to reach into my thoughts." She choked. "I've become a liability. I request to be relieved of my duties."
"Permission denied." The harshness of his words was belied by the kindness of his tone. "If you can endure more of these assaults, I need you at my side now, more than ever. The Enterprise is far from Federation space -"
But he didn't get to finish that sentence, as all of a sudden, a transporter beam took hold of him. Tasha was vaguely aware of Will yelling to Worf, on the bridge, to raise the shields, even as she lunged desperately to grab hold of the Captain. But for the second time in her life, she was only able to pass her hand through the faint shadow of him as he was beamed away. Once again, she was too late.
And...here's Nemesis! Well, part of it, anyway. Stay tuned!
Much as you see here, I won't be telling the entire story of the film in great detail, not that I did much of that with the first three movies. I'll be focusing on specific pieces (mostly the ones that are changed in some way by the timeline change) and skimming over the rest.
Regarding Geordi's proposal, I know now that it's usually considered rude to propose at someone else's wedding, but I didn't when I wrote the earlier scene between him and Tasha discussing how he'd intended to propose at that wedding, so I kept this in for consistency. I put it at the end and had the couple be in on it to mitigate that a bit.
Please review!
