Part Five: Conclusion

"Well, this certainly isn't how I expected my evening to turn out," Geordi said glumly, and heaved a miserable sigh.

The Valentine's Party for the ship's elementary school children was still in full swing. Their primary classroom had been set up as a series of workstations, where kids gleefully led their parents through a process of making and decorating festive cookies and cupcakes – some plain, some with bright pink hearts hidden in the center.

The gloomy engineer stood beside Data at one of the decorating stations, helping to fill little piping bags with colorful icing while the android patiently showed the children how to use them. But, every smiling family that passed by, every laughing, squealing, childish shout just soured Geordi's mood even more.

"All that time," he muttered under his breath as he pressed icing into bag after bag. "All the work I put in…the research. And she didn't even stay long enough to try the calamari. God…" He lifted his head toward the ceiling. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Geordi?" Data inquired. "Are you quite certain you do not wish to talk?"

Geordi's jaw tightened. He should have known Data would hear him, even over all the chatter and noise.

"I'm certain, Data," he said, handing him the filled piping bags. "I'm fine. I'm just…"

"You are upset that the perfect date you planned did not play out as anticipated," the android said.

Hearing it spelled out that way, so matter-of-factly, made Geordi's stomach clench. He wanted to retort, to hit back with something just as cutting… But instead, he took a slow breath and let it slide. Data wasn't to blame here after all, no matter how grating the engineer found the android's attempts to help.

"She said my program made her feel like a prop," Geordi admitted to his friend. "She called it a 'creepy diorama'."

"Not every individual shares the same concept of 'romance'," Data offered while showing a little girl how to squeeze an icing rosette on top of her cupcake. "For example, the Jaradans of Torona IV—"

Geordi held up his hand.

"Data, I don't want to hear about the Jaradans' views on dating, OK?" He shook his head and sighed though his nose. "I don't know. Maybe she was right. Guinan, I mean," he clarified. "Maybe I do overplan. I knock myself out trying to anticipate every contingency because I want it all to be perfect – for Aubree, you know? Not just for me. But instead of smoothing the path: BANG! She walks out, and I'm left alone in the holodeck with egg all over my face. —Not literally, Data," he said before the android could inquire. "It's an idiom."

"Ah," Data said, nodding his understanding. "If it serves as any comfort, Geordi, I am pleased you decided to accept my invitation to tonight's event."

"Yeah, well," Geordi peered around the crowded, busy, kid-filled space and shrugged. "I guess this beats my quarters. Or Ten Forward. As much as I could do with a drink right now, I just couldn't face… Guinan…?" He trailed off, his VISOR picking up the familiar shape and bio-readings of the ship's chief bartender standing by a cookie decorating station at the far side of the room. "Oh my god, Data, what is she doing here?"

Data's head tilted slightly and he blinked his golden eyes.

"Ever since the incident that temporarily reverted Guinan, Captain Picard, Keiko O'Brien, and Ensign Ro Laren to the bodies of twelve-year-old children, Guinan has regularly volunteered at school events, including—"

"OK, I get it." Geordi groaned and set down his latest icing bag. "I'm not in the mood to talk with her, though. If she's going to be here for a while, I think I might just—"

A small woman with eyes as dark as ink stepped up to their station and smiled at Data. "Checking in, Commander," she said. "How's everything going over here?"

"The children seem to be enjoying the process of creating these edible works of art," Data reported, indicating the cupcakes.

"Well, don't forget to decorate a few treats for yourself," the woman said. "There's plenty for everyone. Oh, and I see your friend decided to join us after all!" She smiled at Geordi.

"Minnie, this is Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge," Data introduced the reluctant engineer. "Geordi, I would like you to meet Amelia Webber. She teaches fifth grade."

"Please, call me Minnie," she said. "And you can blame my sister for that. When she was small, she couldn't say 'Amelia', so I've been 'Minnie' ever since."

She laughed, and Geordi caught himself almost cracking a smile.

"Have you come to volunteer?" she asked him. "The party's actually starting to wind down, but I could still use some help at the cookie station. How are you with rolling out dough?"

A quick glance across the room showed him that Guinan had moved to a different station. Geordi looked to Data, who gave him his best attempt at an encouraging smile. Geordi felt his lips twitch again and, this time, he didn't fight it.

"I'm really…" He shook his head. "I don't know a lot about baking," he admitted. "But, I suppose if you're willing to teach me, I'm willing to give it a try. Data, you won't mind if we…?"

"Not at all, Geordi," Data assured him.

"Thanks, pal," Geordi said and gave the android's shoulder a friendly clap as he left the cupcake station to walk with Minnie toward the bowls of prepared cookie dough.

Data started to turn back to his piping bags, only to find Guinan standing in front of him, her expression as smooth and unreadable as always.

"So," the El-Aurian said, sliding her eyes toward Geordi. "The big date ended early after all."

"That is, indeed, the case," Data told her, following her gaze. "Geordi seemed quite despondent when he arrived here. I only wish I knew how to advise him. As you know, my experience with…romantic relationships…is quite limited."

Guinan smiled, just slightly, and leaned back against the table, the two of them watching while Geordi helped a group of kids roll out a batch of dough and cut it into heart shapes. When Geordi tried to transfer the hearts onto a baking tray, though, several of the cut-outs stuck to the table, ending up wrinkled, torn and deformed. Minnie laughed at his look of dismay and sprinkled some more flour over the table and the rolling pin. Geordi smiled bashfully at her, re-balled the dough scraps, and gamely tried again.

"I think he's doing just fine," Guinan said. "Not everything benefits from overly meticulous engineering. More often than not, the slips and spills are what bring people together."

Data squinted slightly. Guinan could practically see his positronic brain working to decode her meaning.

"Because they must rely on each other to correct the errors?" he attempted.

"Because it helps them both realize there's no such thing as 'perfect'," Guinan said. "Love isn't something that can be controlled or programmed. But, give each partner room to move, to make choices for themselves… Love can grow in the spaces between."

Data nodded slowly, his pale brow furrowed in thought.

"'Let there be spaces in your togetherness,'" he said. "'And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls... Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping… And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.' Khalil Gibran," he referenced. "The Prophet."

Guinan regarded him, her brow raised high. "You know, Data," she said, "you may understand this better than you think."

"No," he said, his expression somewhat resigned. "True understanding would require emotional context. I merely store and recite the information."

"Data…" Guinan peered at him as if about to say more. Then she shook her head and cut a cupcake in two, revealing the cheery pink heart inside. Handing him half, she tapped her piece against his in a brief 'cheers' and smiled when he blinked at her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

THE END

References Include - TNG: Rascals; The Big Goodbye; Interface; Legacy; In Theory; Booby Trap; Transfigurations; Galaxy's Child; Star Trek Encyclopedia; The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran (I recently went to my cousin's wedding, so this quote's been rolling around in my head. It seemed to kind of fit, so I used it here.)

Ta Da! This story is finally finished! Thank you so much for sticking with it, and for all your reviews! Next up, some brand new chapters for Often Wrong, Alternative Data, and Skin Deep III are in the works, and Mind the Gap too. Stay tuned! :D