A/N: Thank you all! You are wonderful.
C/W: Contains abusive behaviour, smut, and dub con/rape. Will contain Data/Tasha fluff and eventual smut. Lore is a master of manipulation. Lore/Beverly (but it's not what it seems).
This is a fic in which Lore (still his lovably flawed, chaotic self) plays the long con before showing his true colours. Also, Lore and Data have significantly greater capacity to feel than canon suggests.
Tasha had been lying awake in bed.
It may have only been twenty minutes, but to Tasha it felt like an eternity.
She was exhausted.
She wanted nothing more than to shut off the world for a few hours.
Yet, she couldn't bring herself to sleep.
"Are you alright?" Data asked as she got out of bed.
Under the guise of getting a glass of water, Tasha slipped out of the bedroom and into the main room of their lodgings.
"Computer, cold water," Tasha said aloud to ensure Data would hear it.
She stepped over to the computer terminal next to the door and quietly accessed the entry log into the room.
Tasha angrily swiped through the records.
But he had to! She thought in frustration.
She was desperately looking for some proof that Lore had been in their rooms.
It was an unsettling thought. But she couldn't sleep without confirmation of what she knew had to be true.
There was no other explanation for the contents of her luggage – at least not one she was willing to accept.
The security entry log only showed one staff entrance in the late afternoon.
Tasha tapped the screen and next checked to see if there were traces of an erasure or memory wipe.
Tasha dropped her head and sighed.
There was no trace of Lore.
She recognised the substance she had found on her knickers.
Tasha knew it was the sticky biofluid – similar to humans, but not quite the same.
She knew that it had to have come from Lore.
Or Data.
Tasha immediately shook away that thought.
Data would never do something like that.
Back aboard the Enterprise, Captain Picard was no closer to solving the riddle of who had attacked Mr Crusher and trashed Lieutenant Yar's quarters.
Well, that wasn't entirely true.
Captain Picard had a feeling he knew who was responsible.
He just didn't have any evidence to tie Lore to the assault on Wesley.
Wesley had made a full recovery. His jaw was still a bit stiff and bruised. But the break was healed, and he would be right as rain in a few days.
Physically, at least.
Mentally, Wesley was still struggling with the incident.
He couldn't recall anything that had happened between leaving the library and waking up sickbay. Doctor Selar had advised Wesley that he'd taken a pretty serious blow to the head.
Worst of all, Wesley felt like his inability to recall anything let down both the Captain and Lieutenant Yar.
She had trusted Wesley to watch over her quarters.
And he had failed.
Captain Picard had spent an entire day pouring through the mess in Tasha's room for any possible clues to Lore's involvement.
He had sat in the chair in silence, studying the mess intently as he tried to piece together what had happened.
Had Lore already trashed the room prior to Wesley's arrival?
Or was that simply a ruse to cover up the attack?
The biggest question of all remained unanswered – why?
There was tension between the two brothers.
Now knowing what he did, Picard could understand Data's behaviour.
It also explained Tasha's refusal to discuss the situation. Jean-Luc could sympathise. For someone so private and guarded, it was a monumental blow to experience such trauma in a series of events that were becoming increasingly public.
At the end of the day, Captain Picard himself saw to cleaning up the damage to her rooms. He cleared away the alcohol and broken glass, hoovered up the dirt from her plant, and set the cushions back to rights.
The one thing he hesitated to repair was the sculpture that was shattered.
Captain Picard recognised it as something Data had made and didn't want to ruin it with a failed repair attempt.
Instead, he had piled it neatly on the table.
He still wasn't sure what to tell them when they returned. Jean-Luc knew that it would cause additional pain. And he recognised that had likely been Lore's goal.
More than anything, he hated that there was nothing he could do about it without hard evidence.
Beverly would cry afoul.
And in this instance, she would have every right to.
Were he to confine Lore to his quarters or throw him in the brig, it would feed right into Lore's attempts to feign victimisation.
If only there was some way to track him without violating the privacy of other crew members? Jean Luc lamented.
It would be possible to give Lore a combadge to track his movements. Captain Picard could easily and covertly listen in on conversations. Captains had the right to do so – but it was a rarely used tool given the obvious privacy violations.
The only time Jean-Luc had ever been aware of a Starfleet captain resorting to such desperate measures was when they had exposed the ring of Romulans engaged in espionage aboard the USS Yamato.
Jean-Luc wasn't ready to go that far.
At least not yet.
On their final evening on Tauphi VI, Geordi had invited a number of the crew to a bonfire at the beach. The senior officers were all there as well as a number of the other bridge crew and engineering team.
Data and Tasha had decided to go.
It would give them a chance to get out of the room and be around their friends.
Data was keen to hear about Geordi's scuba experience and for a chance to wear the loud Aloha shirt he had purchased while on the trip.
It was bright red and featured a large floral pattern in orange, white, and blue.
He had read such garments were typical attire for humanoids on tropical planets like this one. Data hoped that his friends would be impressed by his effort.
At the same time that he had purchased his Aloha shirt, Data had also bought a gift for Tasha.
It was a two-pieced garment in a deep, blue shade. It featured an over-one shoulder cropped top and a long, loose-fitting wrap skirt. Like Data's shirt, the fabric featured a tropical floral theme.
In part, Data had made the purchase because it reminded him a little of the silky blue ensemble that she had worn during their first sexual encounter.
Tasha had been enthusiastic when he had presented it to her.
Maybe too enthusiastic. Data thought as he watched her observe herself in the mirror.
Everything about her posture indicated unease.
"You look lovely," Data said as he kissed her exposed shoulder.
"Thanks," Tasha said quickly.
She slipped away and grabbed her hairbrush.
"If you want to go ahead, I'll follow about fifteen minutes later," Tasha suggested.
No one other than Deanna, Beverly, and Captain Picard knew of their relationship. They had never disclosed the information to Commander Riker, but he had pieced together what was going on.
Data had never officially confessed their relationship to Geordi, but Geordi suspected as much.
He knew they spent considerable time alone. But Geordi was patient and decided that he would give them space to tell them if and when they were ready.
"Do you think perhaps now might be the time to share the nature of our relationship with our friends?" Data inquired.
Tasha stopped brushing her hair.
A moment later, she resumed.
"I don't know," she confessed. "I'm not sure now is the right time."
She glanced down at the ring on her finger.
"Maybe I should leave this here," she surmised aloud. "Someone's bound to notice, and I don't want to misplace it or-"
Tasha froze as she felt Data slip behind her.
He took hold of her hand and removed the ring.
A second later, Tasha saw him bring a chain around in front of her face.
He clasped the necklace together and then placed a soft kiss at the nape of her neck.
"This way I will stay close to your heart until you are ready," Data whispered.
Tasha turned around. Her face was full of remorse.
"Data-" she began.
"You do not need to explain," he assured her.
By the time Data arrived at the bonfire, Commander Riker was on grill duty overseeing a rack full of Tauphin snapper. Data immediately identified the aromatic scents of lemon, garlic, and red pepper mingling with the smell of the bonfire.
Worf and Geordi were pulling over some large pieces of driftwood to serve as makeshift seating.
Lieutenant Jae and the other bridge officers had challenged the engineering team to a friendly game of beach volleyball. Ensign Kellerman was pouring another round of drinks right into coconuts. Two of the engineers from the overnight shift had purchased a ukulele and were belting out old familiar tunes.
Down by the waves, Beverly and Deanna were leaning against one of the dunes with a drink in hand.
Data scanned the crowd but could find no sign of Lore.
His senses were immediately on red alert.
"Data! Hey, Data!" Geordi called out.
He waved Data over by the bonfire.
"Has my brother been here?" Data demanded.
"Forget about him," Geordi encouraged. "Tonight is all about having fun."
"This is very important, Geordi. Has he been here?" Data insisted.
"No," Geordi answered. "Haven't seen him."
"He did not arrive with Doctor Crusher?" Data asked.
Geordi frowned.
"No, Data. And I think you really need to forget about him tonight. We're going to have a great time," Geordi assured his friend.
Down by the water, Deanna and Beverly were having a friendly chinwag.
"You're certainly in a good mood," Deanna commented.
Beverly sighed contentedly.
Deanna laughed.
"Good trip then, eh?" Deanna asked with a knowing smile.
"It's been nothing short of wonderful," Beverly shared.
She was staring out at the waves.
"Aside from one small scare at the start, this is the happiest I've been in a long time," Beverly shared. "The happiest I've been since Jack."
Deanna could sense the feeling of fulfillment radiating from her friend.
"So when do I get to meet this mystery man that has made you so happy?" Deanna questioned.
"He's coming here tonight," Beverly said. "He said he was stopping off to pick up a surprise. But he'll be along in a little while."
She fell back against the sand.
"Deanna, you have no idea," Beverly exclaimed. "He's the most thoughtful man, the most intuitive lover."
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to the sweet affirmations Lore whispered to her.
"Well, I can't wait to meet him," Deanna said. "If he has brought you such joy, I'm very happy for you."
Beverly rolled over, beaming from ear to ear.
"I need another drink," Beverly said.
Two women wandered back up the beach toward the rest of the party.
Data kept his eyes peeled on the terrain around them. He had his audio receptors turned up to the maximum in an effort not to miss any sound of Lore or Tasha.
He couldn't help but theorise Lore's absence was for some nefarious purpose.
Data regretted agreeing to arrive separately. She should have accompanied Tasha to the beach.
"You got somewhere to be, Mr Data?" Riker teased.
"No," Data replied.
He turned to Commander Riker and cocked his head to the side. He was confused by the comment.
"I just meant you seem like you're waiting for something," Riker commented.
"Or someone," Worf added.
"No," Data lied.
Riker and Worf shared a grin.
"You got a hot date that's due to arrive?" Riker quipped.
Tasha's absence hadn't gone unnoticed, and Riker was hoping that some light ribbing would encourage Data to open up about their relationship.
They didn't need to hide it from their friends.
Riker was certain that everyone would be supportive.
In Riker's opinion, Data and Tasha were great for each other and probably just what the other one needed.
"That's alright, Data," Riker winked. "You look great!"
Data wasn't sure how to respond.
A part of him wanted to tell everyone that he had asked Tasha to marry him. He felt inexplicably compelled to scream that she had said yes.
But Data recognised that Tasha wasn't ready to share their relationship with the rest of the world.
It wasn't that she felt any shame or embarrassment about Data.
Rather, she was just a private person.
Tasha didn't want the gossip. She didn't want the questions.
And she most certainly didn't want Lore using it against them more than he already had.
If Lore had managed to convince Beverly of such falsehoods already, Tasha feared that it would only be a matter of time before Lore could turn the rest of the crew against Data.
"Hello, darling," Data heard an unwelcome voice say.
He whipped around to find his brother standing next to Beverly by the bar.
Deanna, who had been next to Beverly, horrified as she watched the two of them together.
She didn't need her ability to spot the obvious mutual attraction between the Doctor and the android.
Lore brushed Beverly's hair back behind her ear and then tucked a flower there.
"There," he said with a small smile.
Lore gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then sauntered off behind the bar to drop a large cold storage cooler in the sand.
"Andorian Rum, spiced wine from Risa, and Tauphin coconut liqueur," Lore announced.
Everyone around the bar cheered as Lore passed around the drinks.
Beverly caught sight of Deanna's expression.
"Deanna?" Beverly prompted.
"Him?" Deanna asked in disbelief.
Deanna had never felt so uncomfortable.
Her mind was screaming that she needed to warn Beverly what Lore was capable of. Yet, Deanna knew that she couldn't violate her professional ethics. Deanna understood that she couldn't violate Tasha's privacy by sharing information that had been obtained in confidence – despite how much she desperately wanted to spare Beverly.
"It's all out in the open now," Beverly smiled as she kept her eyes on Lore.
Deanna realised she would need to approach the situation with caution.
"So, eh, how long have you two been, um, well-" Deanna trailed off before settling on 'together.'
"A few weeks now," Beverly shared. "I know it's all so fast. But we just click."
Beverly turned her attention back to Deanna who was doing her best to keep her face neutral.
"Working together in sickbay, it all just kind of fell together. But you know, I think we really first noticed each other that night at Geordi's birthday," Beverly explained.
Deanna swallowed. Her stomach lurched and she wanted to make a face.
"It does seem very fast," Deanna said, spying her opening. "How is Wesley taking it?"
Beverly's face fell.
"Not well. I never thought he'd react like he did. He's never been jealous before. But I think Wes can sense there's something more between us. This isn't just casual," Beverly said. "Deanna, do you remember that small snag I mentioned earlier?"
As they headed back down the sand toward the water, Beverly recounted their experience on the whale watching tour and Lore's brave act in diving overboard to save her necklace.
"He's so selfless," Beverly said.
She had been truly touched by his kindness.
"But Wes has moved out," Beverly shrugged. "It hurts. But I think that he'll come around in time. He's just acting out."
Wesley? Acting out? Deanna thought it unlikely.
"Beverly, I'm sensing that you're very happy. And I want you to understand that I think that's wonderful," Deanna began.
Beverly braced herself for what was to come.
"But he's an android, right?" Beverly said with a hint of disdain.
She couldn't believe Deanna would hold such prejudice.
"No," Deanna assured her. "It's just that this is all so new. And, as you said, moving fast. How much do you really know about Lore?"
Beverly scoffed.
"Why does everyone act like this is some kind of taboo romance?" Beverly asked in exasperation. "Why does everything question his loyalties? His intentions?"
"What do you mean?" Deanna asked.
Beverly took a long sip from her coconut as she steadied her nerves.
"Wesley," Beverly grumbled. "Captain Picard tried to deny him shore leave with no reason other than he didn't want Lore and I going on holiday together."
She huffed as she sat back.
"And then there's Data and Tasha," Beverly said. "They're together, did you know that?"
Deanna feigned ignorance.
"And they're staying right across the corridor from us," Beverly shared. "Talk about bum luck. They've been awful to Lore the whole trip."
"Beverly, maybe there's something between the two of them that is causing all of this?" Deanna suggested. "We know so little about their time before. On the colony."
Beverly waved her hand.
She sat up to check that they were out of earshot and then rolled onto her side to lean in close to Deanna.
"What I'm about to tell you, you have to promise not to repeat to another soul," Beverly said.
"Alright," Deanna agreed.
"They had sex," Beverly said in a low voice. "Tasha. With Lore."
Deanna listened quietly as Beverly passed on all the terrible things Lore had planted in her mind – that Tasha was some affection-starved sex fiend unfulfilled by her relationship with Data who lacked the necessary personality and programming to satisfy her physical and emotion needs, that Lore had only tried to help the two of them, and that Data and Tasha had reacted poorly to such interference.
But there was more.
"You know he has problems. With intimacy," Beverly went on.
Deanna looked perplexed.
"Data," Beverly said.
Deanna wasn't sure she wanted to listen anymore. But she felt it was necessary information to understand just how deep Lore had manipulated her friend.
"According to Lore, Data's always struggled to understand his sexuality programming. I can't imagine it would be easy. That's part of why the humans on Omicron Theta found Data to be what Lore calls 'imperfect.' He used to-" Beverly trailed off.
She dropped her voice even lower.
"He used to, well, steal from women in the colony," Beverly said quietly. "Their private things. Like knickers and such."
Deanna couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"And then he'd get off in 'em, you know ejaculate? Like some kind of pervert," Beverly added before making a face.
All of sudden, Beverly grabbed Deanna's hand.
"I'm not judging him. I think Data's a sweet man. It's just that Lore said he's always struggled with a kind of misguided, adolescent understanding of sexuality. It's not his fault," Beverly added.
She didn't blame Data.
She felt sorry for him.
"I just feel so bad because Lore said how much Tasha enjoyed their little rendezvous and I can't help but wonder if she's really happy at home," Beverly concluded sadly. "I mean, it can't be easy."
Deanna's instincts told her this all seemed like classic manipulation.
In counselling, Tasha had been open about how her relationship with Data was gratifying emotionally and physically.
Although Deanna couldn't help but recall their counselling session after Geordi's birthday.
"I slept with someone else," Tasha said bluntly. "And he walked in on it. And the worst part is I enjoyed it."
Tasha's words haunted Deanna.
"Troi?" Beverly pressed.
"Sorry, I'm just not really sure that information is something that should be shared," Deanna advised.
Deanna felt it was necessary to say something in defence of Data and Tasha. But she was bound by the confidentiality that her professional ethics demanded. And without the information she had obtained in session, there was nothing for her to refute Lore's fiction.
Beverly made a move to mime zipping her lips.
Data was about to head out to search for Tasha when she arrived just as the sun was beginning to set. He was momentarily struck by the sight of her standing atop the sand, illuminated by the red glow of the dying sand and the tiki torches that lined the edge of the party.
From across the beach, they locked eyes on one another. Data smiled and gave her a small wave.
Tasha averted her eyes, blushing and feeling more than a little out of her element.
"Lieutenant," Riker called out from the grill. "Get over here!"
Tasha nodded to Data and stepped over to join Commander Riker and Worf.
Being among friends was like a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Riker handed her a tall drink with an umbrella.
"There's fresh strawberries and pineapple juice. Some coconut water," Riker paused. "And, uh, oh! Kiwi."
He snapped his fingers triumphantly at having remembered the last ingredient.
He knew Tasha didn't drink and was always sure to have something on hand for that was fun without the alcohol.
"Don't worry. Virgin," Riker assured her under his breath.
The comment was said discreetly enough that none of the surrounding crew picked up on it.
But Lore, who had been standing a metre away, heard it plain as day.
"Oh, I think the Lieutenant is well past those days," Lore chuckled as he walked by.
Tasha stiffened as she heard his voice.
Riker shot Lore a stern glare.
Lore nodded politely and moved along.
"Tasha?" Riker asked softly.
"I'm fine," Tasha said with a blank look on her face.
"Do you want to take a walk and ramble for a bit?" Riker offered. "It's going to be a lovely sunset."
"No, thank you," Tasha replied without making eye contact. "I'm just going to wander."
Tasha backed away and headed for the edge of the party in an effort to put as much distance between her and Lore as possible.
Deanna could sense Tasha's anxiety even from her position down on the beach.
She turned around and got up on her knees.
"Tasha!" Deanna waved from down by the water.
A second later, the counsellor dropped down behind a sand dune.
"Deanna, am I glad to see you. I was-" Tasha stopped in tracks.
As she came around the dune and spied Beverly.
"Hi," Tasha said in a stiff voice.
"Hi," Beverly replied with an equally tight smile.
Deanna could sense the resentment between the two women.
"Did either of you get to the gardens?" Deanna asked.
She was hoping to introduce a neutral subject.
Unfortunately, their conversation was largely Deanna trying to engage them while Beverly and Tasha gave short answers.
"What's your necklace?" Deanna asked.
She had eyed Tasha fiddling with a lovely, fine chain all night.
"It's nothing," Tasha replied dismissively.
"Excuse me," Beverly said with a hint of contempt as she got up. "I'm too sober for this."
Tasha said nothing.
She was simply staring out at the ocean as she twisted her fingers in the chain of her necklace.
As soon as Beverly was out of earshot, Deanna felt it was safe enough to ask.
"It doesn't feel like nothing," Deanna said knowingly.
To her surprise, Tasha dropped her head and smiled.
She lifted the chain off and handed it to Deanna.
Deanna gasped softly as she examined the ring on the end of it.
"Tasha, this is beautiful," Deanna remarked.
"It's a real Andorian Iceolite crystal," Tasha said.
"What?" Deanna asked.
It truly was a stunning piece.
"Data was planning to propose on this trip," Tasha confessed. "Long story short, I wasn't supposed to find it. But I did. And now here we are."
Tasha pulled her legs up like a pretzel. She sat her drink down into the sand and sat back on her hands.
"This beautiful place. It's supposed to be the happiest moment of my life and yet I feel like," she paused and frowned. "Well, honestly I don't feel much of anything."
Deanna rested her head on Tasha's shoulder. This was one of those moments where silent reassurance was the only way to convey her support.
When Beverly returned a half hour and two more drinks later, she could hear them chatting about Data and Tasha's engagement.
They suddenly got quiet as soon as Beverly rounded the sand dune.
She had heard enough to piece together what they were talking about. And it hurt to know that she had been left out of that conversation because of her relationship with Lore.
Data was sitting on a blanket playing cards with Geordi.
He was keeping a healthy distance from Lore – but he was also monitoring his brother's moves as he mingled about with the crowd, joined in a few of the songs with the crew, and took a turn at tending the bar.
Data was also keeping an eye on Tasha's whereabouts.
They were mindful during these kinds of functions to maintain a friendly but professional distance. They didn't want anyone to get the impression they were there together.
Geordi knew that Data's mind was often processing many different things at once.
But Geordi couldn't help but notice Data seemed preoccupied. He had been having trouble focusing his attention on their card game all night.
After playing his hand, Geordi followed Data's eyeline to where Lore was laughing with some of the bridge crew.
"Data, I'm only saying this because you're my best friend," Geordi said.
"I am listening," Data responded without turning his attention away from Lore.
"Stop it!" Geordi urged.
Data turned back to Geordi and blinked.
"Stop thinking about him," Geordi explained. "You've been watching your brother like a hawk all evening. Data, it gives the impression that you're jealous of him."
Data looked taken aback.
"But I am not jealous of him," Data insisted.
Geordi shrugged, indicating that he didn't quite believe Data.
"Geordi," Data pressed.
"Look, he's different than you are. That doesn't mean we love you any less," Geordi said in an attempt to convince Data to let it go. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's perfectly natural."
Geordi smiled.
"In fact, it's human," Geordi said warmly.
Data frowned.
"Geordi, I am not jealous of Lore," Data asserted in a calm, but firm manner.
Geordi reached down and collected the cards. He began to reshuffle them.
"Every five years my family gets together for this big reunion. We play a trivia game, and my sister is always so good at it," Geordi shared. "She's so good that sometimes it feels unfair because she wins. Every. Single. Year."
Geordi began to deal the cards for another round.
"And it makes me resent her a little bit," Geordi admitted. "But one year, I threw a huge tantrum. We were just kids. But after the fact, I realised that I was only making myself look foolish."
"I am not envious of Lore," Data repeated.
"I just don't want to see you do anything stupid," Geordi said. "You're better than that. And we all love you, Data."
As the evening wore on everyone seemed to settle into a comfortable rhythm.
Two teams from the engineering section challenged one another to a sandcastle building competition. Everyone cheered as they raced to complete the best castle they could in the twenty-minute timeframe they were allotted.
Deanna, Worf, and Commander Riker had served as judges.
There were horseshoes and volleyball. And eventually a race between Lore, Worf, and Commander Riker in the sand.
Lore had smoked both of them easily but had been a good sport about it.
At least, almost everyone thought he was being a good sport.
Data didn't buy his comment about being unbeatable as being particularly humble.
Feeling the need for some air, Data stepped off to examine the sandcastles. It was a fascinating form of art and construction. There was something beautiful about creating a structure that was such a symbol of strength out of a material that would so easily wash away with the tide.
The music was loud as the rest of the crew lined up to participate in a limbo contest.
After much pressure from the gang, Tasha had acquiesced and agreed to join.
Deanna had fallen over quickly. Worf had taken it as a personal blow when he failed to make it under the pole.
And Geordi was having a great time cheering everyone on.
"Come on, Tasha!" Geordi shouted.
It was down to Tasha, Ensign Paulson, and Lieutenant Yi.
"She's so flexible," Lore said as he came up next to Data.
There were a few metres away from the party, closer to the water where the sandcastles had been constructed.
Data did not react.
"Do you take advantage of such a feature?" Lore inquired.
He chuckled softly.
"Would you even know how?" Lore drawled.
Data recognised his brother was attempting to bait him again. And Data was determined not to give him the benefit of any reaction.
He kept his attention fixated on the sandcastle.
"Pity. I suspect such a treasure will likely go underappreciated tonight," Lore went on. "Especially now that she's all limbered up."
Data closed his eyes and manually restrained himself from showing any movement.
"Just look at her," Lore continued.
He wasn't going to stop until he had garnered a response from Data.
Data turned his attention to the party where Tasha was working her way under the limbo pole.
"Lieutenant Yar is an adept athlete," Data said.
"I know," Lore replied with a smirk.
Data began to walk away.
He wasn't going to listen to any more of his brother's taunts.
"I could do it, you know," Lore said suddenly.
Data paused but did not turn around.
"I could do it," Lore reiterated in a sharp tone.
Data turned around.
Was he threatening to hurt Tasha again?
Lore glanced around casually at the terrain.
"Between the waves and the rocks. The party," Lore motioned with his head to the loud group above. "No one would hear."
Lore cocked his head to the side and flashed his brother a smile.
"I could have her away from that party and down behind one of these dunes before anyone knew she was missing," Lore said.
His tone was jovial and nonchalant as if he were discussing a Parrises Squares match or a new pair of shoes.
"I could take her on this very beach. Right under your nose. Cover her little mouth with my hand," Lore said with a gleam in his eye.
Lore felt alive as he watched his brother try not to react. He knew Data's mind was reeling. And Lore could detect the subtle changes in his posture that indicated Data was trying to restrain himself.
"They get this look of terror in their eyes right before I slip in," Lore shared. "It's better than any substance these humans can produce. It's like stardust."
Data felt a cold, sinking feeling as he observed his brother.
There had been anger between them. And resentment.
Pain.
Sorrow.
But for the first time, Data truly felt that Lore was damaged.
Fractured somehow.
It was as if he enjoyed the pain and fear he inflicted on others.
Lore brushed his face with the back of his hand and then licked his lips.
"And then they realise just how good it feels. How good I can make them feel," Lore said with a shudder of pleasure.
Data had said nothing. But Lore noted the change that registered in his brother's face.
"I'd ravage her. And she'd savour every second of it," Lore taunted. "I'm going to break her, brother."
"Why do you hate me?" Data asked bluntly. "What have I done to you?"
Lore was momentarily taken aback by Data's direct question.
He hadn't been expecting it from Data.
But Data's analytical mind had concluded there had to be a reason for Lore's actions. Data wanted to get to the bottom of it.
"Before long, she's going to be begging me to fill that needy little cunt," Lore vowed. "To satisfy her in the ways you can't. That is why she asks you to fuck her from behind, isn't it? Haven't you ever wondered why she doesn't want to look at you? Why she cries after sex?"
How could he know? Data thought with alarm.
"Why do you think she was eager that night on the holodeck? You can't tell me the Security Chief of the Enterprise was gullible enough not to know what she was doing," Lore said, striking Data where it hurt most. "She wanted to convince herself so badly that I was you because she enjoyed it."
Data closed his eyes as he tried to push that thought from his mind.
"Why do you do this?" Data repeated.
He needed to stay focused.
"Because she's yours," Lore answered simply.
It was the simple truth.
Data was suddenly struck with an unwelcome line of thinking. He had already suspected Lore had targeted Tasha as a way to hurt Data. But if Lore was intending to keep this up solely to get at Data, then Data didn't want to force Tasha into that position.
Data felt that proposing may have been the worst thing he could have done.
It would be safer for them to be apart.
"Tell you what," Lore said as he approached Data. "You can carry her home and clean her up after I've finished ruining that marvellous little cunt of hers. Ever the hero."
Lore picked a piece of lint from Data's shirt.
"After all, you're no stranger to sloppy seconds," Lore grinned. "At least not when it comes to her."
Lore flew back through the sandcastle and landed on the beach with a loud thud.
Lore's eyes lit up. He was smirking as he wiped the biofluid from his chin where Data's fist had impacted his cranial unit.
"Do you think she really wants this kind of misguided chivalry?" Lore asked as he pulled himself to his feet. "Do you even know what she wants?"
The two brothers charged at one another. They were matched for strength and speed. They could also both anticipate the others' likely next move.
Lore reasoned he needed to do something that would throw Data off.
Rather than selecting the next eighteen possible moves from his programming, Lore instead decided to stomp on Data's foot.
Temporarily blindsided by his brother's unusual choice, Lore sent Data flying into the other sandcastle.
Further up the beach, the rest of the party was starting to realise the two brothers were fighting.
The music stopped as everyone stared in horror at the scene in front of the water.
Both Lore and Data could hear it.
Lore decided to take advantage of the situation.
"My brother," Lore said aloud in a pleading voice.
"Data!" Geordi shouted.
He could see Lore and Data were struggling against one another. Geordi knew that such an argument could quickly become a safety hazard if they weren't stopped.
"No, no, no," Geordi said quickly.
He dropped his drink and raced down toward the fight.
Commander Riker and Worf were a step behind him.
"I am not jealous of you!" Data said in a raised voice.
It was loud enough that everyone at the party could hear it.
For Tasha, Beverly, and Deanna this statement carried extra weight. It was evident they were fighting about Tasha – only Beverly had an entirely different understanding of the situation.
Beverly shot Tasha a nasty look.
"This is your fault," Beverly said tersely before running down the beach.
Tasha felt like had been punched in the gut.
"This is not your fault," Deanna assured her.
Without a word, Tasha walked slowly toward the beach. She was on full mental autopilot at this point.
Commander Riker, Geordi, and Worf were trying to get the two brothers to stop – but no one was quite brave enough to step in to intervene.
They were both delivering a series of powerful blows. The sound of metal impacting metal resounded out over the water.
"Break it up!" Riker hollered.
The crowd jumped back as Data threw Lore wildly.
He landed in the sand, creating a small impact crater where he had hit.
He had come dangerously close to tossing Lore into a group of the crew that had gathered to watch as they huddled, whispering to one another about what could have caused such a fight to occur.
"This is why they deactivated you, brother," Lore announced. "Because you were always jealous of my abilities. I only want to help."
Feeling brave, Geordi stepped in front of Data. Geordi was walking backwards with his hands up. He was trying to talk Data down as Data slowly approached Lore.
"I never meant to hurt you, brother," Lore lied. "I have apologised. What more can I do?"
"Do not go near her," Data fumed.
Data's comment sent a flurry of whispers through the crowd.
"Her?"
"Did he just say 'her'?"
"Let it go, Data," Geordi said in a calm, easy voice.
Lore was sitting on his knees. It was perfect for selling his look of supplication to the crowd.
"I am sorry that your girlfriend came onto me," Lore pleaded. "But it really seems like something the two of you should work out rather than-"
"That is a lie!" Data shouted, cutting him off.
He threw Geordi aside as he dove at Lore.
Lore put his hands up in defence as Data delivered a series of furious strikes.
It was only the sound of Worf that got through to make him stop.
"Here, put this on his head to stop the bleeding," Worf said as he shrugged off his shirt.
Data stopped and sat back.
Four metres away, Geordi was slumped on the ground. He was unconscious and bleeding from where the back of his head had impacted one of the large rock formations at the edge of the water.
"Geordi," Data said quickly.
What have I done? Data thought with alarm.
He was mortified by the sight of Geordi's lifeless body.
He abandoned Lore and rushed down to where Commander Riker and Worf were holding Geordi in an upright sitting position to keep his head above water.
"Go, he needs you," Lore said when Beverly approached him.
Beverly gave Lore's hand a small squeeze and then rushed over to Geordi.
"This is a bad head wound. We need to get him to sickbay," Beverly ordered.
"Geordi?" Data asked timidly as he approached them.
He dropped to his knees.
"I don't think you should be here," Beverly said coldly.
"Will he be alright?" Data asked in a daze.
"I don't know," Beverly snapped.
"You have to help him, Doctor. Please," Data begged.
"Lieutenant Jae is fetching a medical team. We can meet them by the pier," Tasha said as she knelt down to help carry Geordi.
Beverly looked up and flashed Tasha a sharp look that made clear she didn't want Tasha or Data anywhere near Geordi.
"He's bleeding out the back of his skull, Lieutenant," Beverly hissed. "I hope you're happy."
"I just want to help," Tasha responded calmly.
Beverly was holding Worf's shirt against the back of Geordi's head in order to put pressure on the wound until they could reach the modern medical equipment necessary to stabilise him.
In Beverly's eyes, Data's irrational anger towards his brother had now grievously injured Geordi. Beverly was worried for her friend. Geordi didn't deserve this.
She was afraid of Data.
And angry at Tasha.
"Maybe you should have thought about that before. It's not Geordi's fault you can't keep your legs closed," Beverly said hotly.
Tasha looked down but didn't acknowledge the comment.
"Let's get him up the beach," Tasha said, ignoring Beverly.
Her friend's comments had struck a chord with Tasha.
She did feel like this was all her fault.
And now Geordi had been drawn into it too.
Beverly was pleased that Tasha seemed hurt. She felt that Tasha deserved it for creating so much tension between the two.
After all, as far as she knew Lore had simply been trying to help – at Tasha's request, nonetheless.
When they reached the edge of the beach, there was a medical team from Starfleet rushing toward them.
"Let's take him back aboard the Enterprise," Beverly ordered.
She turned toward Data and Tasha.
"He needs more advanced treatment that we have here," Beverly added.
One of the Lieutenant's from the medical team tapped their communicator and notified the Enterprise of an emergency medical beam out request.
"Emergency?" Captain Picard asked.
"Crusher, sir. Yes. Emergency. Geordi's been seriously injured, and I need to get him to sickbay immediately," Beverly advised.
"Understood. Mr O'Brien is bringing the transporter online now," Picard responded.
"Two to beam directly to sickbay," Beverly said.
With that they dematerialised leaving the rest of the crew on the beach.
Commander Riker gave Data a quick squeeze on the shoulder and then turned back to the crowd.
"Sorry folks. Everything is under control. Let's get this cleaned up and call it a night," Riker announced.
Tasha, Worf, Data, and Deanna were standing at the edge of the beach.
They could all see the way that everyone was looking at Data.
Everyone present had heard the argument – and had enough information to piece together that it was about a woman.
The interaction between Beverly and Tasha afterward had solidified it was Tasha they had been fighting about.
She felt like there were a million pairs of unwelcome eyes watching her.
But it wasn't just her.
They were watching Data too. Eying him with suspicion.
They were afraid of him.
Deanna could sense it.
"We can take care of this. Why don't the two of you head back?" Deanna suggested.
"They are afraid of me," Data said aloud.
"You are afraid of me too," Data said once they were alone and back in their room.
"No. Never," Tasha said as she whipped around.
Data was sitting on the edge of their bed.
Tasha was packing her bag.
They were heading back tonight.
Data wanted to get back to the Enterprise as soon as possible. He had a feeling Beverly wouldn't permit him in sickbay, but he wanted to be on hand for Geordi.
"Why would you say that? How could you even think that?" Tasha asked as she sat down next to Data.
She took hold of his hand.
"Is it why you cried after we had sex?" Data inquired.
"No," Tasha answered honestly.
"Is it why you do not desire to look at me when we make love?" Data asked.
"No," Tasha said sharply. "Where is this coming from?"
Data looked at Tasha, studying the face he had come to associate with love and joy. Now it only left him confused.
"I make you uncomfortable," Data began.
It was a statement and not a question.
"I make you uncomfortable when we are physically intimate and I would like to understand why," Data said.
"It's not you," Tasha said as she rose to her feet.
She shook her hands out as she began to pace.
"It's not you, Data. You need to know that. It's not you," she contended.
She stopped and scratched the back of her neck nervously.
"I just, I didn't want you to think that we were stuck. That we would never get past this," Tasha confessed. "I just wanted to give you that."
Her shoulders slumped.
"You deserve so much more than I can give you," Tasha said.
Data frowned.
"May I?" Data asked as he glanced at her hands.
Tasha nodded.
Data reached for her hand and pulled her close.
"I want you," Data said simply. "As you are. In whatever form or part of you that you are willing to share with me."
Tasha's lip began to tremble.
"I do not want you to ever feel pressured to, as you would say, perform for my benefit," Data informed her.
He placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.
"If the thought of sexual intimacy is distressing, then put it out of your mind," Data assured her. "It is not necessary. And it is not why I love you."
He pulled Tasha to sit down on the bed next to him.
"I have feelings for you. Feelings that I cannot explain," Data confessed. "An emotional response that is at odds with everything about my programming. Programming that says I should not be capable of such a…feeling."
Data couldn't explain it.
But it didn't change the fact that his feelings for Tasha were very real.
"But they are there. Constant and unwavering," Data concluded. "And they will remain unchanged whether sex is present in our bed or not."
Tasha let her head fall against his chest as they sat there in silence.
"What are you going to do about it?" Beverly demanded.
She was standing in Captain Picard's ready room with a look of unmatchable fury in her eyes.
"Commander Data and Mr Lore-" Jean-Luc began.
"This isn't about Lore!" Beverly hissed. "This is about Geordi who is lying in my sickbay with head trauma!"
She wasn't the only one that had expressed concern over the argument between the two brothers.
Worf considered Data a dear friend.
Nonetheless, he was concerned about what he had seen occur. If it were to happen on the ship, it could lead to serious damage or someone else being injured.
"I can assure you that it will be dealt with," Picard said in an effort to soothe her fears.
"How? When?" Beverly challenged. "How many more people need to wind up in my sickbay before you take action?"
"I will deal with this tonight," Captain Picard assured her.
"I certainly hope so. Data's a friend. But none of us are safe when he's out of control," Beverly replied.
Captain Picard loathed that such a sentiment was likely to be shared by the crew as a whole after witnessing the fight on the beach.
"Beverly, before you go, there's something you need to be made aware of," Captain Picard said.
The incident with Geordi meant that he hadn't yet had a chance to inform her of Wesley's injury.
Back on the planet, Data and Tasha were lying back on the bed next to one another as they shared a moment of quiet reassurance.
All of a sudden, Tasha's combadge pinged from the dresser.
It was the call she had been expecting.
"Lieutenant Yar?" Captain Picard asked.
Tasha sat up and turned to Data. A look of sorrow passed between them.
"We both know what happens next," Data said.
Tasha slid off the edge of the bed and nabbed her communicator.
"Yar here, sir," Tasha acknowledged.
"I need you to escort Commander Data to the Enterprise," Picard ordered.
Just before they beamed up, Tasha took hold of Data's hand.
When they rematerialised on the transporter pad, Worf was waiting with a security team.
Data gave Tasha's hand a small squeeze and left with his armed escort.
"I love you," Tasha shouted after him.
Worf stopped and turned back, looking from Data to Tasha and back again.
"I love you," Tasha repeated, resolved that she didn't care if people gossiped.