Love Me Dead

by Antidaeophobia

AN: Corrected and edited to the best of my ability. I tried not to get to comma happy but I do that sometimes.

'Happiness is a Warm Gun' by Pixies


Chapter 3 "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

It was hard to get use to another presence on board his ship. His private sanctuary now filled with the sounds of movement, laughter, a presence that seemed to thrill in leaving behind a wake of mess and chaos everywhere she went. Lore hated to admit it to himself; he was starting to enjoy having someone near and it eased a loneliness he never knew he had. The mess she left was still intolerable and irritating though.

Frea was a kind person too him even after he'd maintained a consistent 'bad attitude' with her since they had met. Lore didn't usually trust kind and like most good things in life- he quickly expected the bottom to fall out eventually, she wouldn't be able to fake forever.

"Get me some more coffee would you?" Frea said inattentively, engrossed in a news tablet containing Federation news; one of the many papers she read containing the news from just about every part of space. He'd found out, among her many interests, she had an obsession with the goings on with the rest of the galaxy. Frea had told him that living on a moon spaceport her whole life she'd managed to acquire quite a bit of information through trader gossip. However, newspapers made it much easier to get information than trying to pry it from some greasy, angry Klingon's.

Frea passively handed her coffee cup to Lore as he passed by; Lore merely grumbled. No matter how many times he'd yelled at her; reminded her that he was no servant- she paid little mind and he had given up and just accepted the ritual of fetching her coffee whenever he passed by. In a way; secretly, he almost enjoyed it because it pleased her and she would smile at him.

Though he'd never truly wanted to admit it, he was starting too really like her. Damn Dr. Soong; his awful father- with bestowing him with same tendencies of the human male for being a sucker and wanting to please females.

Lore cleared his throat to get her attention "I will be leaving to settle some business in a few hours. No! You may not come along." Lore stated sternly anticipating her questions.

Frea looked up at him in surprise "Why didn't you tell me? Oh come on? Let me come along. Come on, please? This is my first time out in space and seeing another planet. I've been stuck in the ship for so long." Taking the steaming cup of coffee he offered her from her place nestled in his favorite, large club chair.

"You're not invited! This planet is far more dangerous than your home. I don't have time to watch you and I want this to be go as quick as possible. Besides, I haven't bought you your tags or gotten your vaccinations." Lore sneered.

"Haha you're hilarious." Frea mocked. "Seriously, I could help you out though. I happen to have some experience in conducting "business"." Frea looked at him in earnest and his cheek ticked in annoyance.

"This isn't a matter for debate. It appears I've confused you into believing this was a democracy. I'm just letting you know I will be leaving later. Besides what good will you do" Lore lips were thinned and his face tense but he quickly covered it with a sarcastic smile.

"If it's so dangerous, why not let me help you? It's not safe to go alone; you should have someone with you to look after you." Attempting her particular brand of logic on him with a serious gaze- Lore's scowled merely deepened.

"It's not safe for you. Not unless you've have a desire to be raped this afternoon. Now! you'll do as I say and stay on board." Lore fumbled roughly with some parts on the table nearby, irritated at being questioned. He knew what was best; she should just accept his decision and do as he said.

Why did he care if she came along and got hurt, it wasn't his problem she didn't want to listen? But sadly, something inside him did care what happened to her; the thought of her being beaten and forced to service some gang of guys in a back alley enraged him. He saved her, she belonged to him now and he wanted her for himself! Lore surprised himself with the last bit- but he explained it off quickly that it was not that he cared about her safety but rather an entitlement he'd been given at rescuing her. Lore didn't care about people nor did he require friends, she was a possession-an amusement if you will, until of course something new came along to interest him.

Frea sighed in defeat and anger "Call me if you need me."

"Mind your own business woman!" Lore hissed at her, walking off to get his things ready. However, a slight smile had crept onto his face at her concern.


Frea had been on the same page for an hour. Pretending to read to pacify herself. Truthfully, she was very concerned. Lore had been gone six hours- maybe longer. He'd said he wouldn't be gone long and he just had one thing he had to deal with really quickly and then they'd be off. Perhaps Lore had just underestimated the time. No, he was an android; who ever heard of an android bad at estimating time- ridiculous. Lore didn't over or under estimate, he was always spot on.

Either way it concerned her and she was worried something terrible had happened to him. A vision of him being torn apart, melted down, and used for parts, flashed through her mind. Shaking her head clear from her foolish thoughts she sighed and rubbed her eyes. What did it matter? Frea barely knew him, why should she care if he got himself into trouble? If needed she could pilot this ship alone.

Sure Lore was a jerk, but she found herself after two weeks in his company constantly; to start caring a great deal for him. Even if he was an egotistical jackass and probably deserved being dismantled, he was the closes she ever had to a true friend. Frea felt a rush go through her when he was around. Whatever that meant she wasn't sure but his company meant a great deal to her.

Sitting on the old, comfy chair, Frea leaned back sighing deeply. Giving up on the book and letting it fall on the table next to her. Something as wrong, Frea knew it. Her intuition was always right and she hadn't lived this long without having gotten very good at relying on her intuition.

Getting up Frea went swiftly to her room, getting dressed into her street clothes and out of the med lab scrubs she'd taken to wearing when lounging around. Then reaching in her bag she tucked a phaser she'd nicked from the ship stores into her waistband. Pulling her shirt and sweatshirt over to hide it and grabbing her bandanna. Frea walked quickly to the small transporter pad, grabbing the return controller and preparing the coordinates for a beam down place away from people.

Frea knew Lore would be furious. She just hoped she was overreacting. Frea was willing to take the chance of being wrong as opposed to continuing to worry about him. Begrudgingly, Lore had managed to find his way into her heart and latch on...like a tick, a big swollen, overfed tick.

With a deep breath, Frea activated the transporter; feeling herself tingle and then feel light- then heavy as she felt her feet feel the unfamiliar, hard concrete surface beneath her shoes. Trash scattered around the very seedy surroundings. A few vermin scurried away, surprised at her appearance. It was nothing new, alleys like this had been her home for years, all that changed were the pests.

It was dark; a few rusted old street lights flickered as she took in her surroundings. Frea was alone thankfully even though she heard shouting and fighting in the distance. No one had paid her any mind as she quietly scoped out her environment, staying in the shadows. She must have not looked to out of place from the normal crowd of forsaken souls wondering the streets.

Frea knew how dangerous night was. On her home world, thugs and gangs of all sorts wondered the streets looking for trouble or someone too torment. Female standing on street corners in the age old tradition of prostitution hoping to meet the never ending demand of interspecies lust. A lone female with no family to care about her was an easy target. If she went missing and were used for the demented means of some gang, no one would care. Frea knew this well, she'd been the unwilling participate many times over when she had been young and newly homeless. Frea had learned the art of quietly snooping and slinking her way through the streets, unlike a thug, who strutted and relied on power and intimidation. Her way served her best and kept her safe and out of site. If not making her movements a bit like the lowly vermin she'd lived with. She could understand why they did it. Like them, she had been avoiding the predators.

Pulling out a last century tricorder she'd found in a drawer in the med lab from under her sweatshirt, she quietly scanned the surrounding area searching for his signal. Keeping her eyes peeled for trouble, or for her android. Lore's distinctive signature popped up on the scanner, changing it to a map of the area, she groaned in irritation, her palm meeting her forehead. Lore really could be quite troublesome.

"What an idiot" Frea groaned to herself, At least he wasn't dead.

Stowing the tricorder away in her pocket and pulling the phaser from her waistband, Frea hurried her way in his destination; the jailhouse.


Lore leaned back in the hard metal bunk and sighed, folding his hands behind his head. The spongy and slightly molding cot pad creaked beneath him. Any other time he could have easily crushed the bars and escaped. Who knew that the only expensive thing they had in this forsaken town were jail cells with force field protection- Possibly from the Federation; a weak gift in thanks of them signing some sort of mining agreement or whatever.

Now Lore was stuck there till he had some opportunity to break free; perhaps when they went to transfer him to see a judge and give him sentence.

How was he to know they had set up a sting operation on the same day as his visit with a local gang lord?

Just his luck, it was probably the curse of the female he had living with him. Sailing mythology said females were bad luck to have aboard and would bring a curse upon the vessel. Lore didn't usually believe in superstition but this incident was making him to start believe in the myth.

"Hey, who the hell are you!" Lore's ears perked at the guard's sudden alarm in the front room.

A loud crack, blasts, and yelling echoed in the police office just outside the door. Followed by what could only sound like scuffling and sudden, complete silence except for the soft footsteps making there way towards the back cells.

Lore interest perked and his brows shot up in surprise when a thin female figure appeared in the doorway in a large black sweat shirt with hood pulled up and dark bandanna covering her lower face like some sort of old Earth gangster. Frea's bright blue eyes shown with amusement despite her disguise and he couldn't help but smile in relief.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lore smiled wickedly, greatly amused.

"No, the proper reaction would be 'thank you. Your so great what would I do without you?" Frea motioned sarcastically then quickly made her way to the console nearby, pressing some buttons. Lore watched as the camera monitors in the jail were shut off, and the force field was lowered on his cell.

Lore made his way quietly over to her in interest as she expertly worked on the monitors. He would have hugged her had it not been so out of character for him, so he settled on draping an arm across her shoulders and smirking arrogantly.

"I'm deleting your information and getting rid of the video evidence, give me a second and we can go. I'm not use to these newer systems" She sighed as her hands moved quickly across the lighted board. Lore now realized they were covered in a pair of thin gloves. Primitive, yet very clever and intelligent- she knew not to leave evidence behind. Lore smiled in an ornery manner as Frea glanced up at him in question as she worked.

"What?" Her brows rose at him in question as his attention distracted her momentarily from her task.

Frea tensed in surprise when he went and started pulling her closer to him. "What's wrong with you, did they beat you over the head?" Frea yipped in surprise as his arm snaked around her waist. She suddenly felt very flushed, her brain momentarily halted and her heart sped up.

Lore merely chuckled noticing even her smallest reaction. Reaching a hand up, he pulled her bandanna mask down, a look of confusion on her face. "Did I ever tell you how awesome you are for a human?"

"For a human? It appears I have met with your approval then?" Frea's brows creased in confusion and she gasped as he leaned in and gave her a kiss right at the corner of her mouth. Pulling away just as quickly and walking off as if it was nothing. "I'm going to go get my stuff out of evidence. Be back soon."

Frea said nothing, her mouth slack and face bright red; standing there having maddening thoughts shoot through her mind. It had made her shiver and she thought for sure she would faint.

Lore was attractive and charismatic individual who always had a certain air of charm and forbiddances to him that could easily make him the object of desire for anyone.

Frea however could control her lust, but she certainly didn't understand what had brought this in him. A sudden change from the usually combative android that had always made it clear he detested her and her mortality- to this sudden display of affection. Lore must be damaged; she'd have to run a diagnosis on him when they got home. Shaking her head, Frea quickly went back to wiping the information from the computer and covering their tracks. Lore obviously wasn't working right, it was best not to pay any attention to his action.

Finishing moments later on the computer; however, if not a bit distracted. Walking out into the small police office to find him rustling through the evidence room nearby and stepping over several unconscious officers in amusement as he scanned for his things and quickly got them together in a bag.

"Nice job" Lore nodded to an unconscious officer nearby whose eye was starting to show a bruise and blood dripped from his nose. Frea gave a smile. She hadn't meant to hit him, but he'd come out at her and surprised her so badly she'd whacked him in the face with her phaser instead of simply stunning him.

"I hadn't meant to." Frea shrugged simply

"Well, I'm quite proud of you. I have no issue with hitting authority figures."

"Yes I know. I don't have an issue with it either; it wasn't in my plan however." Frea sat down with a heavy sigh in a chair nearby and rolled it back and forth lazily before giving it a quick spin around.

Lore muttered to himself, leisurely pulling bags of evidence down from shelves; inspecting them quickly before tossing them to the floor. Taking a moment however to sniff some confiscated Vulcan weed. Lore wiggled his brows happily and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his coat.

"Check this out. You can't buy these anymore. Not since the Federation starting cracking down on the Cardassian weapons trade." Lore dangled a large; wicked looking phaser rifle with what looked like a laser scope on it- by his little finger. Grabbing it by its strap and hoisting it over his shoulder with several other weapons.

"Would you stop shopping and let's get going. You're taking too long." Frea snipped looking anxious. Lore scoffed and shook his head mockingly "You worry too much my dear girl".

Frea sighed, giving one look towards the door; it seemed, half expecting a squad of officers to rush through and arrest them. She tried too relax a little more. Giving a look to Lore, his head poked in the evidence cabinet.

"Do you have anything in the way of a light weight military hand phaser."

Lore peeked his face behind the cabinet door and grinned. "I believe I could find you something along those lines. Maybe a pair of boots with fold out heel blade might appeal to you as well."

Frea shut her eyes in a bored fashion, giving her hand wave nonchalantly at him "Heel blades are so last season"

"Catch!"

Frea yipped as Lore's bag of goodies thumped into her chest. "Eye contact!" Pointing angrily with two fingers to her eyes and then to him before standing up and slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"Alright! Come along now lady of mine." Lore grinned as he danced out past her, grabbing her hand and dragging her along. Frea yelped in surprise, nearly losing her balance as he tugged her along.

"Lady of mine?" Frea gave a surprised cry. "What did they do too you?" Frea gasped as she was drug along with him again: juggle his bag and a tricorder all while attempting a scan him in suspicion. Lore merely chuckled and gave her a wink as he pulled her along.

"Hey, does the replicater make iced cookies?" Lore walked backwards facing her and she gave a puzzled look as he stuffed another bag of weed into his coat.

Frea running her hand through her hair before giving a sigh in release and merely smiling and shaking her head. "Um, yeah, we can have iced cookies." She chuckled

Lore couldn't even begin to articulate how thrilled he had been to see her. Before he'd figured she was just like every other human- useless. But low and behold, Frea not only come down for him; but tracked him down, kicked the asses of four alien police officers on duty and wiped his illegal information from their computer without question. How lucky was he to have finally found a partner worthy of him.

It was a shame she was merely a weak biological being and not an android. She would be a perfect companion for him.

Lore didn't bring up the incident in which had caused his arrest and she hadn't asked, which had pleased him- not that he thought she'd disapprove, but he wasn't going to risk the possibility that she might.

Yes, the sting by the local government had been the reason he'd been arrested- but the meeting with said warlord hadn't been going well. The arrest was a happy diversion from a quickly deteriorating situation which was ultimately going to lead to him possibly being blown to bits. Then his fortune continued with Frea swinging in, and saving the day. Getting him out of their before some of the gang lords remaining goons dropped by to finish with him. They probably thought he was assisting the police and was partially responsible for getting their leader arrested thinking perhaps he might have something to do with it. It was a shame he wasn't going to get his money though.

Frea had proven herself worthy enough for his respect. It wasn't just that though, he'd found himself liking her before this incident; her saving him from a possible death just reaffirmed his fondness. She wasn't just some stupid human- too egotistical than her actual worth. She wasn't bad looking either. Perhaps he would keep her longer and allow himself to have some fun with her. He had been bored for such a long while and it had been a long time since he had allowed himself any female attentions.

Frea's blue eyes flashed up to his and she cocked her head "What?"

Lore blinked, realizing he'd been staring at her for the past 3 minutes. "Sorry" he shook his head, averting his gaze away.

"Are you OK, you've been acting strangely since I busted you out of jail. Nothing happened that could have damaged your neural net that wouldn't show up on a scan- did there? You've been really quiet and; you know…pleasant." Frea's brows knit in concern; the soft blips of sensors being pressed by her pale, bony fingers.

"I'm fine." Lore said simply and went back to his work. Frea simply nodded; even though she'd seen his mood change for the better, she didn't wish to enquire too much as it could arouse his anger- he didn't like her prying too much into his personal affairs or feelings.

A few minutes passed, neither spoke as they both set coordinates- finding a suitable, safe place to go into standby for awhile.

Lore's eyes still occasionally flicked over to her. He didn't like admitting sensitivity. Once, a long time ago when he was young and naïve; his emotions and feeling would have been open to the world as any child's would have. However time had turned him distrustful, and as his mother said- cruel.

For a long time, he didn't believe in friendship or love: just usefulness. Who could give what? How much could he take? These things still mattered to him and had served him well. What he couldn't understand is why she had risked herself to come save him. She could have easily left him. Lore had expected it after all given that is what he would have done. Perhaps she was more unique than he was giving her credit for. She hadn't abandoned him like most and it was more than he'd expected of a human.

Lore blinked in surprise when Frea came back into the control room- not having realized she'd been gone. She was carrying a hot bowl of food. Lore made a noise of displeasure, going to stand up to stop her.

"Settle down, I'm not going to spill it. The controls wouldn't be affected anyway."

Lore growled "That's not the point" taking a seat but glaring his displeasure. She was so messy- why must she spread her chaos to his control room. Giving a heavy sigh; he was stupid- oh course she was nothing but an obnoxious human; he was just distracted by her being female. He should get rid of her before she infected him anymore. He could turn to the nearest inhabited planet an…

"Hey? Where are we going next?" Lore's thoughts were startled and he quickly turn to tell her to fuck off. His voice haltered immediately as he caught her look. She brushed a piece of hair from her face as she smiled. It was such a simple reaction, but for split second, his positronic brain seemed to be amplifying every moment in perfect detail. Her hair suddenly looked softer as it ran through her fingers and was tucked behind her ear, her eyes more beautiful and blue than he'd ever noticed before and it dawned on him; he thought she was lovely. He felt himself taken aback as his programming usually didn't react this way. Only one other time in his life had his programming had done this and he immediately knew why- he cared for her.