What an awful noise the computer always chose to wake her up with. That was her first conscious thought.

Alice sat up and rubbed her eyes, her face, even scratched at her head. Anything to try and take the sleep from her. She called out to the computer, asking for the time and was answered in the feminine, emotionless time

"It is now 13:30"

She'd allowed herself to sleep for a little over six hours. She couldn't risk throwing off her schedule and sleeping any longer. Not if she wanted to be able to sleep tonight.

She lifted herself off the bed and stretched her hands over her head. She felt a stretching in her stomach as she did so. She dropped her hands to her stomach and gasped lightly.

"Computer, turn on the lights, please."

Alice made her way towards the mirror hanging on her wall and as the lights flashed on, she blinked against them and tried to make out what her hands were feeling.

She turned to the side and saw it, just a slightly raised bump forming on her lower abdomen. Alice felt her brow furrow in tired confusion.

They had assumed that hey baby's growth was equivalent to one day equaling one week of normal child development. She shouldn't have any signs of outward appearance until the second trimester.

She called out to the empty space,

"Doctor Baker to Sickbay."

A moment passed and then she heard the soft questioning tone of her friend,

"Sickbay here, what can I do for you Alice?"

Alice turned to face the mirror, bump disappearing from this angle.

"Alyssa, do you have some time to see me right now?"

A quiet pause once more and Alice turned to start her walk towards sickbay

"Of course, it's just me right now though. Beverly finished her night shift a little after you left this morning."

Alice walked past a few faces on her way to the turbolift

"That's fine Alyssa, I just need another set of eyes to make sure I'm not going crazy."

Alyssa chuckled lightly, "Alright then, see you soon."

"Bye." Alice ended the comm link and called out to the turbolift

"Deck 2, computer."

"Well, there's definitely a bump" Alyssa's hand rested against Alice's stomach, softly but firmly pushing against her abdomen.

"You don't say." Alice dead panned, Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Ogawa, fire up the sonogram for me." Alice walked towards the rounded machine, Alyssa following closely behind.

"I'm a nurse, you think I want to get in trouble for operating this machine?"

Alice pushed the hood back and laid herself down against the pillow.

"Pfft," she blew the raspberry up at Alyssa. "What trouble? You have a Doctor right here."

Alyssa put her hands on her hips.

"Please, Ogawa? I have to make sure everything's fine with my baby."

Alyssa sighed deeply, but she lowered the hood over Alice's stomach and began firing up the machine.

"If I get fired from Starfleet I expect you to pay for my livelihood."

Alice chuckled but agreed, "I doubt Captain Picard will get upset with either of us. Considering the circumstances."

Alyssa inclined her head in agreement.

As the system powered on Alice explained which buttons to push, what Alyssa should be looking for. They joked and goaded one another and Alice felt like everything was back to normal. Just another shift, even if she was the one inside the machine.

"You really think this is Commander Data's baby?"

Alyssa voiced the question with humor and a smile but Alice could hear the hesitation. The way Alyssa wouldn't look her in her eyes. It was a joke, but Alice could feel the genuine concern.

"I really know that it's my baby." And that was the truth. That was what mattered to her in the end. This was her baby.

"You sound so confident. I don't think I'd be able to go through with all this. What if he just infected you with some monster parasite?"

Alice laughed at Alyssa's scrunched up nose.

"Then you better bring over that pan, I'm about to explode all over this bed."

Alyssa gagged and Alice laughed harder. She wiped at her eye and then saw the flash of light as the screen Alyssa was able to see now glowed over her own eyes.

Alyssa's eyes scrunched as she focused in on the image. "Hey.. am i crazy or?"

Alice stared up at the image, blinked a few times, and then laughed again. She laughed until tears began to fall down her face.

Alyssa pushed the hood off and grabbed Alice's hands, lifted her up and sat down in front of her. She held onto Alice's hands until Alice cleared the tears away.

She hiccuped slightly and rolled her eyes at her own antics. She hadn't meant to cry, this whole situation just made less and less sense as time passed .. and it had only been two days.

"Twins." She finally rasped out.

"Twins" Alyssa nodded, resting her hand against her own cheek. "Outstanding."

Alice walked towards Ten Forward slowly. She smiled and waved to everyone she passed. Today felt good, today she felt giddy. Alice stopped outside of the doors and lifted her hand to cover her smile for a moment.

She bit her knuckle to stifle a small chuckle. She must look insane. But, twins, she was pregnant with twins.

She'd always wanted twins. Her great grandmother had been a twin, identical if she wasn't mistaken.

Alice crossed the threshold and made a mental note to ask Kathryn more about this grandmother, Kathryn loved family history, she would know more.

Alice picked a seat near the windows and watched the stars pass by, she let her head rest in her palm and stifled another giggle.

The chair opposite pulled out and Alice looked up to see Counselor Troi sitting herself down. Alice's good mood immediately paused.

It wasn't Deanna's fault for this momentary panic, Alice was just a touch scared of anything to do with phycologists. Alice had an irrational fear that she'd say one thing and be sent to a looney bin the rest of her days.

It was absurd but it kept her from meeting with the counselor all these months.

"Alice, may I sit with you a moment?" Deanna smiled so easily and so openly. Her hair was half pulled up and ringlets spilled over her shoulder. She was a real beauty, that was for sure.

"Of course, Counselor!" Alice sat up and folded her arms, trying to keep the smile she'd held a moment ago. If she kept her face in the same position, maybe it wouldn't be forced.

"Alice, do I, by any chance, make you feel uncomfortable?"

Alice felt her stomach drop. Why did Counselor Troi have to be a betazoid? She had a hard enough time keeping her face from showing her emotions, but now she had to deal with someone who could read her like a book.

"I'm really sorry, it's not you. Really. I'm just nervous about being analyzed and worry that I could lose my job if I am not who I should be."

"Who you should be? And who should you be, Alice?"

"A Doctor worthy of the Enterprise?"

"And who determines those qualifications?"

Alice tried to at least maintain eye contact. Her ears were warming up again. These types of questions were what she disliked the most. The kinds with open ends so she felt comfortable saying anything, but deep down knew there was a right and wrong answer.

"I suppose Captain Picard does."

Counselor Troi's smile softened. So she'd answered incorrectly.

It was a fair point, though. Who should she be? What was a Starfleet officer supposed to be? Alice frowned.

We're supposed to be the best. The strongest, the smartest, the fastest, the bravest. We are on the flagship of the fleet.

So why was she here?

Doors swished open and a clamor was heard. Both Deanna and Alice looked towards the sound. Lieutenants Worf and La Forge were both standing hunched over a fallen table.

Deanna stood to get a better look and stifled a smile. Both Lieutenants were panting and looking around, searching for something. Then their eyes locked onto their table.

"I think we're needed, Doctor Baker." Deanna nodded towards the men and started making her way over.

Alice followed after, someone must've gotten hurt. Both men were standing over a person, maybe they'd had a fight with someone?

She stepped past one last person in the gathering crowd and took in the sight before her.

Commander Data was laying on top of a broken table, his face buried in his arms and his shoulders were heaving with every shuddering breath he took.

"What is going on?" She voiced. Geordie let his hand fall onto Alice's shoulder and gave a nod towards the heap of a man in front of them.

"Alice, just the person Data has been crying for, for the last 5 hours."

"Alice?" She heard Data ask in between hiccups.

"Data?" She walked forward with her hand outstretched, offering some kind of comfort.

In a moment that caught her completely off guard, Data had turned himself only to leave the broken table and throw his face into Alice's lower stomach. He'd been a blur of inhumane speed. Alice had nearly stumbled if Counselor Troi hadn't been there to steady her.

Data sobbed into her gut, his hands twisted into the fabric of her uniform at her lower back.

Alice's hands hovered over him in confusion, what was happening to him?

"Data, what is going on? Why are you crying?"

Data mumbled something unintelligible into her, she felt his hot breath and vibration as he spoke but all understanding was lost in the fabric.

Alice looked towards the others, Worf seemed to be uncomfortable with the entire production while Geordie was trying not to laugh.

"What? Data, I can't understand you with your face in my shirt?"

She let one of her hands rest against his head; he stiffened at the contact but soon relaxed further into her. Alice would fall over herself soon with the pressure he was putting on them. Finally he lifted his head to stare into her eyes.

His pale face shone with green liquid, if he weren't so pathetic looking, she might have been a little concerned by the green fluids.

"I-I- I missed you so much!" He blubbered before returning to sob into her shirt.

Snickers were heard coming from behind, Alice turned her head and took in the crowd. Everyone was watching as the third in command of the ship wailed into a doctor's stomach. Everyone seemed shocked except for the three senior officers around her.

Lieutenant Commander Worf was trying to hold himself tall, keeping his eyes on anything other than the pair in front of him. Deanna was smiling in a reassuring way but her eyes held a light mirth. Geordie was the boldest, he was ducking his head behind Worf and gave out quiet chuckles.

Alice felt the heat crawl from her ears, all the way down her neck. She needed to take control of this situation before it became too suffocating for her. Part of her wanted to push Data away and make an escape.

She bit her lip and glanced back down to the android clinging to her. Clinging like, well, like a child. She paused for a moment and tried to recall her own childhood.

She could remember crying to her mother countless times, what had her saintly mother done?

Alice licked her lips and let her hand begin to smooth down Data's head. She patted his hair, brushing the tips of her fingers through it just lightly. With her other hand she patted his back lightly.

Data continued to cry but he seemed to tense at her movements before understanding her intent and relaxing. His sobs quieted.

Soon he was silent, only his shoulders giving away that he was still crying. Alice recalled her mother's voice during her moments of turmoil, the love in her eyes as she held Alice.

"Data, would you like me to accompany you to your room? We can sit and talk there until you feel a little better." She tried to keep her volume down, she didn't need all of Ten Forward to listen in.

Data gave a nod against her stomach.

Alice felt her mouth twitch, he really did look pathetic, almost like a child.

"I need you to stand up and walk for me, I can't carry you, Data."

Data clutched tighter onto her for a moment and she wondered if she had pushed him too far. He gave another singular nod and then stood.

His arms were still wrapped around her waist and he stood just slightly taller than her. Alice felt her motherly grin falter.

Data was maybe 4 centimeters away from her. He still gave shaky breaths that rattled his chest and caused his chest to brush against hers. His cheeks were lined with his tears and his eyes bore straight into her own.

The heat was on her cheeks now.

Alice blinked and tried to speak but couldn't find the words.

She heard Geordie chuckle again and it caused her mind to snap back into action. She took a small step away from Data and he let his hands drop from around her.

One of his hands returned to his side but the other quickly latched onto her hand, and he interlocked their fingers.

He strode out of Ten Forward and she stumbled after him, not wanting to be dragged.