Chapter Six

The more Bruce thought about it, the angrier he became. The angrier he became, the more convinced he was of foul play. He had trouble sleeping, he was so worked up.

When it came time to wake and be ready for their time in the lab, Bruce was loaded for bear. He skipped breakfast and got there earlier than normal, because he knew Lessa always showed up first.

Not this time.

When she walked through the doors, Bruce was waiting for her. Standing with his arms crossed, he was glaring even before the doors closed behind her.

Lessa was surprised to see Maddox here already. The black mood oozing out of him was also darker than normal. Protectively, she tightened her barriers, disappointed at having to do so again.

The communication last night with Data had helped the situation quite a lot. She could still sense Data, oddly, she could feel as though she was tapped into him in a minute way. It was like he had cracked open a window, just a bit. Now she could constantly sense something from him, but it was muted at least.

She had even been able to relax her barriers, some. Until coming into this room to face a sullen Maddox. She wondered what had gotten his underwear twisted, but didn't truly want to know.

"Good day, Bruce," she greeted him absently as she headed for one of the computer consoles. Bruce moved to block her path.

"If you think for one moment that I will allow you to seduce your way into a more prominent role in this project, I'll have you thrown off it instead! Don't think I can't get around Wellers!"

The sharp, bitterness in his voice made Lessa recoil. What he'd said confused the hell out of her!

"I don't know where you got the idea I was, but I can assure you, Bruce, I'm not trying to seduce you!" I doubt I'd know how, she chuckled at the very idea.

"Not me, Lessa! Data!"

Lessa was no less confused. "Okay, same deal. Not seducing him either! I'm sure he has better-"

"Don't bother lying. I saw him leaving your quarters last evening. Late in the evening for him. And the expression on his face said you two had not been discussing signal degradation!"

Lessa took a breath. But even as she did, she could see Bruce was taking this as an admission.

The only thing that happened last night that was safe for her to speak to Bruce about was the trip to the holodeck. Better that, than nothing. She gave it a try.

"You're making something out of nothing. Data was in sickbay when we were called to duty the other day. He saw how spectacularly I was failing to find the needed tools, so he helped me with memorizing where everything is there. He is the operations officer, after all! It is part of his responsibilities to see that everyone is trained properly for their jobs."

"It was very late for training, Lessa." Bruce's tone was calmer by still suspicious.

"Data doesn't sleep much, remember?" and neither do I, she mused.

"And you weren't sleeping?"

"Why would he be there if I was asleep? I guess you haven't picked up on the fact that the man is not rude, thoughtless, or inappropriate, like you're being now! I'm not sleeping with Data Soong. I don't plan on asking him to either. I highly doubt he'll ask me to either. But if he does...it won't be any of your damned business! Now can we get to work please?"

Since Maddox had no proof of his claims, he could do nothing else but agree, reluctantly.

When Data did arrive, the other two were working separately and very quiet. Once Data greeted them, the dam broke. They both began sniping at each other. In no time at all, it became full blown arguing. But this arguing was not from a place of impassioned sureness, but of bitter resentment. Before the day was at an end, the two almost came to blows.

"The field strength for the synaptic stabilizers is too high," Lessa scowled at Maddox, knocking his hand away from the console where they were entering the brain schematics. "You'll fry everything. The simulation-"

Batting back at her hand, Maddox almost growled in response, cutting her off. "You ran that simulation when you were alone. Neither Data or I saw it. You will not run roughshod over us, Lessa! Now move your hand!" He was the one sitting in front of the console, but Lessa was almost in his lap, trying to push him out of the way. When she got carried away and elbowed him in the ribs, Maddox lifted a hand to slap her, but Data was positioned perfectly to stop him. He grabbed the man's wrist in his iron grip and would not let go.

"I cannot allow you to strike her, Commander. Lessa, step back from Commander Maddox and move to the other side of the room."

She looked taken aback, but Lessa silently complied, looking a little sheepish. Once she had moved out of striking distance, Data released Maddox's arm. The Commander lowered his arm under the console, out of sight to rub the circulation back into it.

"While it is normal for us to disagree on issues, today I sense something is amiss here. Is there something either of you wish to tell me? Or each other?" Data asked. He was 97.234 percent certain there was an underlying issue causing these arguments, but he had no idea what it could be.

Now the two openly glared at one another. Maddox remained stubbornly silent, but Lessa spoke.

"I'm not telling him. It was you who made the accusation! You tell him what you accused me of!" Now she sounded like a petulant child. But Maddox's narrowing of the eyes and the tightening of his jaw told Data her remark still had teeth.

But Data was not interested in their squabble. He just wanted it resolved. He told them this.

"Are you guilty of what he accused you?" Data asked her.

"No!" Her complexion turned ashen at the thought. "I would never...do what he suggested." Lessa turned from Data to look Maddox dead in the eyes. "Never!"

"I see no indication that she is speaking an untruth, Commander. Will you take her word and let this be settled?"

The man looked like he was considering more of a fight, but changed his mind. "I will for now. But I'll be watching." The warning in his tone was clear as he drilled Lessa with his stare.

"Perhaps now would be a good time for a meal break," Data suggested. The two quickly agreed. Both left, but went different ways. Data was thankful for the peace and quiet.

The rest of their time together was strained, but Data made sure to stand between them. This kept any further fisticuffs from occurring.

Today it was Maddox's turn to straighten the lab, so Data and Lessa left him to it. The fact that they left together, talking did not please Maddox at all.

Since Lessa had mentioned she was not having dinner with her friend this evening, Data invited her to join him and Geordi in the lounge.

"I have a better idea. Call Geordi and tell him to meet us in my quarters. You can have some tea, and I'll make him and I dinner. I love cooking for people. I'll pick his brains for his likes and dislikes then make him a feast!" Her eyes beamed with delight at the very thought.

Data complied, pleased with her idea. Having his new teammate, who he hoped was becoming a friend, get along with his established friends was a positive.

Geordi was thrilled with the idea and agreed to meet them there as soon as he was free.

Once the android and the girl of unknown origins made it to her quarters, Data asked the question he had been waiting to ask all day.

"Why are you keeping in telepathic contact with me, Lessa?"

She had been heading for her kitchen, but at his question, Lessa stopped in her tracks and stared at him dumbfounded.

"What do you mean? You can still...is the window cracked open for you too?" Her lilac eyes were wide, showing her genuine surprise with his admission. Her phrasing was confusing, but Data was reasonably sure he understood her meaning.

"It is not like last night, but I have retained a sense of you. It is very minute, but it is undoubtedly you."

When Data came over to stand before her, she looked up at him with wonder. "Wow. I thought it was just on my side. Since then I've had the same small sense of you, but I'm not doing anything consciously to cause it. I could tell where you were all day. I even felt some flickers of your emotions today. But I couldn't tell who they were directed towards."

Data nodded. "I felt your anger even before I reached the lab. I quicken my progress there due to this awareness." It had been a strange but not wholly unpleasant sensation, though he would have preferred to sense something other than fury.

"You're not alarmed by this, but you do feel slightly invaded. Accurate?" she asked, trying to determine if this light contact was giving her the correct information.

"It is a little disconcerting to not be the only one in my own head, but...yes, perhaps 'slightly invaded' could be an accurate description." Data paused to see what he could glean from his sense of her. "This was not your intention. You are surprised by this occurrence. Has this happened with someone else? Do you still feel 'punched' by me?" While he did not like the mental image that word conjured, he did enjoy the amused grin it inspired.

"When you're here, closer, focused on me like this, I hear more. It's not like the punching I was experiencing before, more like this cracked window is opening a little more, with periodic breaking. Like when Bruce and I were having our melt down. I was blocking him, but I knew he almost hit me from the horror I felt coming from you."

Feeling the need to connect to her, Data lightly touched her arm. It was not quite enough, however. "Do you wish to tell me what the issue is between you and the Commander?" he asked, gently. Instantly, Data could feel the embarrassment and anger. He was fairly certain the anger was not directed at him.

"No. Maybe one day, but it really did upset me, as you obviously saw." Her eyes had been aimed at the floor for this, but she slowly raised them to look him in the eyes. "Data? Do you think I've acted in any way inappropriately towards you?"

While he had not expected this question, her soft toned discomfort was apparent. He gave the question his full consideration. Reviewing every moment they had spent together, he only came up with one item.

"On Britta III, when we happened upon each other near the village. We should not have been speaking, but the moment I made a note of this, you instantly complied. As such, the infraction could only be considered minuscule." While accessing the information, Data's focus had been inward. Coming back to look down at Lessa, he saw her smiling, but also looking away. Since she knew he was watching, her eyes darted a look at him before she turned, slightly flushed, away.

"Walks outside at night can be very relaxing. With good company, they're even better. Does Geordi eat salads?" she asked, changing the subject to something less personal.

Data knew his friend did, and told her so. The man in question turned up five minutes later to verify this fact.

Geordi had been astonished at the invitation to dinner, but having spent only a sparse amount of time in the presence of this girl and Data, he was looking forward to seeing how they were getting along. Geordi knew Data had been spending some time alone with her. They had built her kitchen together and worked in the holodeck. But his android friend had been uncharacteristically closed mouthed on the subject of this young woman. Data did not indicate a problem, but he didn't admit progress either.

This dinner invitation gave the chief engineer the opportunity to learn by observation. So he intended to watch carefully.

The cook was animated, delightful and very good at this craft. Geordi even begrudged the tastes Lessa indulged Data with, it was so good. But the expressions on the young woman's face when she lifted the fork to the android's lips was just as telling as the one in Data's eyes.

Geordi was relieved. Lessa liked Data too, that much was obvious! Data couldn't take his eyes off her, so it was a damned good thing. The fruit compote they had for dessert Data asked to share in. Lessa's eyes sparkled with complimented delight as she handed the android his own dish.

Geordi couldn't wait to ask his friend if they were formally dating yet. Data could be reticent in this area. His past and the recent encounter with the Borg Queen had seen to that.

As the men took their first taste of the dessert, Lessa waited with anticipation.

"I know this fruit," Data announced, his eyes showing the familiar movements as he looked up what information he had on the item in question. "I find no name...ah! It is the fruit you had me pick from the tree on Britta III, yes?" Data asked Lessa.

Geordi had no idea what Data was talking about, But Lessa most certainly did. The knowing smile she gave the android spoke of secrets shared.

"The tasba tree. It's too bad it was already dark when we picked the fruit. It gives the most wonderful illusion of a tree on fire with the bright red and orange leaves. I love that tree. It's considered almost holy by the town."

Lessa proceeded to tell her guests of the young lovers that legend told of and the tree they used as their secret meeting place. The lovers were from rival cities, Lessa explained, so when their affair was discovered they were exiled by both. They married and founded their own town, presumably the one where Data and Lessa had run into each other. The rival cities were soon broken and abandoned. The new town thrived so it was named for the young lovers.

"What's the name of the town, Lessa?" Geordi asked, between delicious bites.

"Pel i' Saji. In the local language it just means Pel and Saji, but I always thought her name should be Isaji. I think it's prettier." She shrugged, laughing at herself. "Of course, her name could have been Pel, for all I know!"

The men helped Lessa clean up from the meal and then left her to her rest after thanking her politely for her gracious hospitality.

Walking alone, the man and the android were deep in thought for a moment, until Geordi asked Data to come to his quarters for a moment. Once there, they sat for a silent moment since Geordi was still searching for a way to bring this subject up. Dealing with the Borg Queen had been a trial for Data. He was recovered, but it had only been five months ago. The more serious Geordi's communications with Leah Brams became, the more determined he was to see Data actually find someone to have this same type of relationship with. He was Data's best friend. And this was something he felt driven to do. Emotional awareness was still new to the android, but Data was a quick study...mostly.

At times, Geordi couldn't even tell if Data had his chip activated. But Counselor Troi had warned the android that he would never become a fully emotional being if he kept turning off his chip. After that, Data had resolved himself to leaving it on if at all possible. This sometimes irritated people, but Deanna had given everyone a stern lecture that unless they wanted to be asked to turn off their emotions, they had better not ask Data to.

With the certainty that this was what he was hoping for, Geordi plunged in.

"I think she likes you. Do you like her, Data?" Geordi asked, leaning forward, eager for the answers.

Data was silent for too long. He would open his mouth to speak, give a little shake to his head as though arguing himself out of that response and close his mouth again.

"Data!"

"I am still uncertain," the android finally admitted, in a rush. "She is...complicated. More so than I previously believed. I do promise to tell you as soon as I know myself, Geordi."

Geordi sighed with disappointment. "Okay. You two really seemed to be getting along to me, Data. You should ask her out. With the war boiling over, we all need distractions more than ever."

Geordi was correct, of course, but that did not mean the opportunity presented itself easily. As though the war had ears and could hear Geordi mention it's heating up, it did exactly that for them the very next day.

They made orbit of the second planet they were to deliver relief supplies to at 0324 that morning. The Jem'Hadar followed them in. It was only three of their smaller ships, but one managed to make it through the atmosphere to the planet and crash landed, causing deaths and destruction in its wake.

The damage to the Enterprise was minimal, so two full medical teams were slotted to beam down to provide assistance with the wounded planet side.

Dr. Hitoshi stayed aboard the Enterprise, while Doctors Crusher and Selar were to beam down. Riker, Data and Mathison were on teams to beam down first to secure the areas prior to sending the medical personnel.

There were two areas that sustained the most injuries. These were the ones the Enterprise crew focused on. As the Jem'Hadar ship had come down, it had fired on a small neighborhood, ending in a school. Many children were hurt along with their teachers.

Data's team was to center here.

"I'm sending Selar your way, Data. She can handle the kids better. It takes too much out of Beverly, but don't tell her I said that," Riker said over the Coms.

"Agreed, Commander." Data and his team, including four from security. Lt. Mathison, the chief of security, was already organizing a safe place to gather the wounded for triage. It was not an uncommon thing to use a school gym for this type of emergency situation. So it was again, here.

Just after Dr. Selar's team of medical personnel were beamed down, a second team from security was called for to help in directing the wounded their way.

"It's a high school, so it's not little kids, but that doesn't make it any easier," Mathison noted to Data as they moved to assist a teacher and a student coming in together. The teacher was being supported by the football player sized male student. The student had an injury to his arm, but the teacher was bleeding from a head wound that was obscuring his vision. He was slightly incoherent, causing Data to call for him to be seen immediately by the closest person in a medical blue shirt.

Lieutenant Bryant Kyle, junior grade, came over to help them see to the two newest patients, when Mathison and Data heard a commotion outside.

The lone survivor of the crashed Jem'Hadar vessel had made it back to the area with a weapon and was taking pot shots at anyone he saw milling around the area.

Phasers drawn, the two men plus others outside were screaming for the civilians to get to cover or inside if they could. Using the pillars supporting the entrance of the building as cover, the enemy managed to take down Ensign Darshan before Mathison got a disabling shot in. Data swiftly made his way over to the Jem'Hadar, disarmed him and broke his neck. It wasn't pretty, but it was efficient.

Seeing to the civilians and Ensign Darshan, they found him with a frightening looking injury to his midsection, but alive. The android carried him inside as Mathison covered his six.

Once the threat was eliminated, it wasn't long before all of the officers assigned to cover them were recruited to assist in helping the wounded instead. The trained medical professional handled the seriously wounded, handing over the anything not life threatening to those less experienced. Data, who had read of and participated in many such minor procedures fell right in. Mathison was not nearly as comfortable.

"It's a bandage, not a bow tie!" Lessa was admonishing the security chief. She came over to help fix the mess he was creating.

"And I'm a gunslinger, not a sawbones!" Mathison quipped back. The security chief smiled and shrugged at the man whose leg he had been trying to tend.

When Lessa finished the new bandage, it looked much more professional. She tried to explain her process to the chief, but did not seem to be getting through.

"I think I prefer her handling, if you don't mind," their patient concluded, apologetically.

Mathison grinned, not insulted at all. "I don't mind, since I can't say I blame you. Think I'd like some handling from her myself." With a suggestive smile, the chief went on to ask Lessa's name, likes and dislikes and anything else he could think of while getting in her way as much or as little as he thought he could get away with.

Data watched all this with disturbed interest. With Lessa nearby, the light connection they now shared allowed him greater knowledge of what she was feeling.

Flattered, flustered, embarrassed, pleased.

While Mathison was no Commander Riker, he was gaining a smooth reputation around the ship. Plus, Riker was toning down his wilder ways. Data suspected he would admit and submit to his affection for the counselor in the not too distant future.

Data liked Mathison. He had since he had met the man. He was jovial, friendly, always upbeat and quick with a joke or smile. While the head of security position usually made the holder a stern, severe and serious person, (like Tasha Yar and Worf before him) this did not apply to Greg Mathison. The man never seemed serious.

The fact that he was treating his...flirting...yes, it was indeed flirting...did he just touched her hair? This, Mathison was being serious about, even if he was teasing and joking with Lessa. The casual, carefree light normally in the man's eyes had been replaced with a careful, calculating intensity Data had never witnessed before. And it all seemed to be working just as intended.

Now what?

Lessa switched the settings on the hypo to give an analgesic to the victim of a shrapnel wound. The foreign objects in the woman's body were small enough to have done only minor damage, but big enough for Lessa to get out with little trouble. Now that the patient was more relaxed, she was able to attend to just that.

Greg – as he was insisting she call him – held the tray she would place the shrapnel in once she removed it. The work was bloody, but easy enough. This was so much easier on an android! Android chemical nutrients could even be replicated. Not that Data himself could, but his "blood" could be. Lessa had needed to tend to hurt android parts before.

Lessa looked over at the only full, living android she knew. He was setting a broken bone. Excellently, of course. Did the blood bother him too? she wondered. He was distressed. Lessa was getting that much from the link, but the why of it was not transferring. Was he getting better at hiding things from her already?

Lessa tried to still her shaking hands as she pulled more shards of metal from this woman's leg. She knew Greg was flirting with her. His form of flirting was too over the top for even her to remain oblivious to it.

Lessa had never considered herself good with men. Simple statement. Not good with…

But there was more to it than that. Not that she liked to think about it. Still, the Enterprise was the Flagship of the fleet. If the crewmembers here couldn't be trusted, who could?

Lessa put this all aside, and considered it at the same time. Greg was nice. Too obvious for her tastes, but funny in a mildly charming sort of way. His hair was dark. Longish, oddly. He kept his mass of thigh curls tied back during duty hours, as required. Lessa always kept her long tresses back, so she knew the regulation.

His eyes were a light brown, same as his skin. Since she had seen him come in with Data, Lessa knew he was about the same height as the android. Solidly built, strong. Sharp witted.

But was she ready for this?

Would she ever be?

She was just so much better with computers, puzzle solving...hell, even cooking if she listed the only things she felt comfortable doing. But people had never been on that list...she had no hope they ever would be either.

Even on Britta III she failed more often than not. But Pol had forgiven Lessa, and they had what she hoped could be called a friendship now. But it was just another example of how bad she was at this.

This assignment wouldn't last forever. So when it fell apart, because she was just bad enough at this to be certain it would, she could walk away clean after he ran, or after she did.

Sighing, Lessa wondered why she should bother. No one ever understood her. And she was not good at charming people. Laughing to herself, she remembered Data saying how she had charmed Geordi.

Silly Data.

Geordi was the charmer. Even her limited time aboard the Enterprise had been enough to notice how everyone called the chief engineer by his first name. Data called none but his best friend by his first name...well, sometimes Data called her Lessa, but mostly when they were…no, he did it sometimes out of the lab, but...she wasn't sure. But the point was Geordi La Forge was the one with the sparkling personality, not her.

Tossing another piece of bloody shrapnel into the tray Greg held out, she glanced at him. Maybe… Thinking, what the hell, she smiled back at him.

A second later, she felt something odd from Data. It took Lessa a moment to put the clues together enough to realize that what she had just felt was the android turning off his emotion chip. The experience gave her a shiver. Not that she could blame him. The scene was bad. But they had arrived in time to help at least.

Going forward, Starfleet Command warned the Enterprise that more enemy ships were headed their way. One of the ships that was to zigzag around their path was told to zig over for backup. But if they could be kept hidden from the enemy, it would be the best case.

Data called to the lab to inform both Lessa and Maddox that he would not be working with them today.

"It may be best to remain in your quarters until further notice," Data cautioned them both before heading to the bridge.

It was only twenty six minutes later that the first volley of shots were exchanged with the Jem'Hadar.

This one was the larger battle cruisers. It had a full complement of the smaller, short range fighters.

"I still think their ships look like black and purple flying bugs!" Mathison was firing phasers, torpedoes and one-liners.

"Observation noted, Mathison. Helm, evasive maneuvers pattern, theta!" Picard ordered, bracing in his center set for the impacts that had preceded this and would follow.

On deck four, Lessa Barrows looked out her window at the ships Mathison thought bug-like. She liked the purple lights, but hated the war those within had thrust on the Federation. She wondered how susceptible they were to telepathic suggestion.

"Their fighters are coming in!" Mathison warned. He was trying to lock on even before the Captain could suggest it.

"Shields down to 78%!"

"Cruiser is coming about for another run!"

"Evasive maneuvers alpha! Target their-"

"Captain, their shields are down!"

"Target weapons! Fire torpedoes!"

Once the cruise was defenseless, it was simple to destroy. The fighters were dropped quickly before they could execute their suicide runs. Their shields had mysteriously gone down too.

Lessa Barrows was pleased with the results of her experiment, even as she crumpled to the floor.