*Disclaimer: Star Trek the Next Generation is property of Paramount Pictures and all respective cast, crew, and employees. I am not making a profit off this. This is simply for fanfiction enjoyment.**

Summary: The crew of the Enterprise battle with the devastating loss of their comrade. But one friend is still holding back...

Fallen Angel

Moments after the Enterprise reached the Starbase, Geordi found himself wandering the halls of Engineering. He paid no attention to the repair crews looking intently at data padds and assessing the damage. He looked at Engineering's main control unit, studying the shiny black surface and colored touch-buttons. How many times had he and Data stood working side-by-side on that thing? How many times had he and Data studied readouts, intent on finishing the current mission on time or even before the captain had ordered?

Hours ago, he would have answered, "several times." Now, he knew the real answer: "Not nearly enough."

Geordi closed his eyes and thought back to the last moment he saw his best friend. It was in front of a gaping hole of the crippled Enterprise . Data had asked him to lower the forcefield so that he could leap to the Scimitar. A moment before he lowered the forcefield, Data looked back at his best friend. And Geordi saw what many thought was impossible. Emotion. Data, the android who had always dreamed of becoming human, looked at his best friend with a sense of longing and sadness… without the aid of his emotion chip. In that moment, Data had confirmed what Geordi had always known; that deep in the android, Data had a soul filled with happiness, sadness, longing, fear, love… all the emotions he had been searching for so long.

Instinct urged Geordi to say something to his best friend before he leapt off into the starry space, where sound did not travel. But it was too late. By that time, his friend was hurtling straight towards the Scimitar, arms flailing to find purchase on the hull.

Since the optical implants had replaced Geordi's VISOR, it seemed a blessing and curse at the same time. While he could finally see; shapes, colors, figures, people, the optical implants gave him headaches several times a week and threw him off balance. Geordi thought again back to the last moment he saw his best friend. At the remorseful yellow eyes and saddened expression that seemed to apologize to his best friend. Geordi sighed ruefully. He would have endured headaches every hour if he knew that he would see his best friend's face clearly for the last time.

~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the transmission between Captain Picard and Admiral Janeway was cut, Picard snapped the laptop shut. He swallowed hard several times, trying to ignore the new thoughts that arose in his mind. Then, like the sea crashing onto a shore of rocks on a stormy night, a wave of guilt slammed Picard, threatening to break his resolve.

"Why the hell didn't I do anything?

"He was right there! I could have put the emergency transporter on him instead! I could've stopped him! Grabbed-his-arm… taken-the-emergency-unit-from-him… anything! ...But I just stood there like a damned fool."

"I should've said something! I should've ordered him to transport back!"

But deep inside, the captain knew that had he given such an order, it would have been one of the rare times Data did not listen to his commands.

"Why the hell didn't I do anything?!"

Picard rose from his chair, releasing his tightened grip on the desk, and strode out of his Ready Room.

"Captain?" Riker inquired from the command chair as Picard stepped out onto the Bridge.

But again, the captain ignored his former first officer.

Riker simply watched as Picard strode quickly to the turbolift.

"Deck Two!" came the terse order.

As the turbolift descended, the captain listened to the soft hum its engines. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. His thoughts sought refuge in the sound of the turbolift, the colors of its interior… the shape of the doors… anything to distract him from what was threatening to rise.

When the turbolift reached its destination, Picard walked slowly down the hall, taking several deep breaths before finally stopping in front of Data's quarters. The doors hissed open almost too quickly. Picard held his breath and stepped inside, knowing that if he hesitated too long, he might never be able to go inside.

Everything was as Data had left it. His desk, his data padds… Spot. Spot, Data's orange tabby cat, sat on Data's bed with her paws folded underneath her. The feline fixed her eyes on the man who had just entered the room. Picard made a sideways glance at the cat. He had almost forgotten about Data's pet.

A deep growl emanated from Spot's throat, warning the captain not to come any closer.

Picard managed a slight smile.

"Well, I'm not too fond of you either," he replied, "but someone's got to take care of you."

He took a step toward the tabby and…

"MREEEOOOWWW!!!!"

Spot immediately hissed and darted under the bed; her tail enlarging to a fluff.

"… and obviously I'm not a likely candidate."

Slowly, Picard sat down on Data's bed, where he buried his face in his hands. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes…

Suddenly, the doors hissed open.

Geordi stepped in, but immediately halted when he saw the captain.

"Commander!" Picard snapped, "Don't you ever knock?"

"I… I'm sorry, captain," Geordi stammered, "I didn't think anyone would be in here."

The captain forced a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, Geordi, it's just… you startled me."

Gerodi stepped inside. The chief engineer's optical implants were wet with tears and his cheeks revealed the stains of sorrow. He too, scanned the room, hesitating before taking another step.

Finally, the chief engineer crossed the room and sat at Data's desk, where the android had customized the computer to react more quickly to his lightning computations. He marveled at the alcove on the opposite wall, where Data had kept his most prized possessions. Or, as Data would have put it, "objects that, when observed, serves as a reminder of 'enjoyable' times spent with his friends."

From the Sherlock Holmes hat to the various paintings, Geordi could pinpoint exactly when and where the android had used or made the items. There were some things that didn't need and android's memory to reference. …And the possessions in the alcove weren't just Data's most prized possessions.

Something stirred under the bed, jolting Geordi from his thoughts. It took him a moment to realize that he and Picard had been sitting in silence for some time.

"Meow?"

A curious Spot emerged from under the bed. She looked at Captain Picard, then at Geordi. Scanning the room with her shining eyes, she looked expectantly from one empty space to another.

"Mrow?"

It was almost as if she knew.

"I'm sorry, Spot," Geordi replied, "… but your owner's not coming back."

His eyes stung as he said this and yet another lump formed in his throat.

"Who's going to take care of her?" Picard asked.

Geordi rose from Data's chair and stepped towards the tabby. Miraculously, Spot didn't shy away. Instead, she allowed the chief engineer to stoke her soft fur.

"I think she likes you," Picard said, slightly amused.

"But I hate cats," Gerodi protested, almost as if he were trying to convince himself. He had stopped petting Spot, but Spot tentatively stepped toward the chief engineer.

"U…gh…..," Geordi groaned, looking at the cat out of the corner of his eyes.

"Oh alright," Geordi finally said, wincing at the shining, pleading eyes the tabby gave him, "but only as a favor to Data."

Another moment of silence descended in Data's quarters as Geordi stroked Spot and Picard remained where he was, staring straight ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Where… is… my brother?" B4 asked Riker, his innocent face cocking to the side.

Riker sighed. He had retreated to a small table in Ten Forward where he had hoped to be left alone.

"He's not here," he replied, avoiding B4's eyes.

"Where is he?"

Reluctantly, Riker finally faced the naïve android. Why the hell did he have to look exactly like his brother? Every time Riker saw B4, the former first officer's resolve threatened to crumble.

"I'm sorry B4, but… he's in a better place."

"Where is… 'a better place'?"

Riker buried his face in his hands. He should have known better. He took a deep breath before facing B4.

"It's a sacred place where good people go after they have… died. Your brother stopped functioning today."

B4 paused, processing the new information.

"Then my brother will not return."

This time Riker looked away to hide the tears that suddenly fell from his eyes.

"No, he won't be returning."

The silence that followed was so long, Riker turned back to see if B4 had left.

He had not. Data's brother was still there; the curious face was now replaced with a subdued look.

"Data sacrificed himself," Riker continued, breaking the silence, "If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead."

B4 nodded. The captain had explained to him what had happened to his brother, but his primitive positronic brain took repeated explanations for him to fully understand.

"You explain… that my brother is 'in a better place,'" B4 said slowly, "where good people go after they have… stopped functioning.

"… But my brother is not a person. He is not human."

"No, he's not," Riker replied, "… But his heart and soul were more human than any of us will ever hope to be."

To be continued...