Chapter 27

"How are the bussard collectors holding up?" Reg asked, scratching the back of his head while holding an ODN coupler in his hand, looking at a tricorder and standing beside the Romulan device.

"Looking good so far." Taryn's voice stated. "No sign of phasing…"

"Give it a little more?" Geordi asked and Reg nodded. "Increasing by two percent…"

Taryn's console beeped. "They're phasing, we're losing containment. Increasing power to integrity field to compensate…" they could hear the sound of her terminal responding to her fingers, "back it down Commander, I can't keep up…" she asked Geordi. "Chronoton radiation levels are falling in the collectors, we have a breach." She swore in Orion under her breath. "I…" the terminal beeped again. "Drop us out of warp…the entire port nacelle is going out of phase!"

There was a flash of light and the three of them were standing on an empty holodeck, Taryn a little further away.

Reg leant against the wall of emitters and dropped into a crouch, as he dropped the tricorder carelessly. "There has to be a way to stop the damn thing trying to partially cloak us." he rubbed his face distractedly.

"Maybe I'm the wrong person for this station." Taryn said as she sat beside him on the floor cross-legged. "Data would be faster."

"That's…it's not you, it's the tech." Reg told her as he rotated the coupler in hands, gazing at it as if seeking inspiration. "It's just not compatible. Standing still it blows the resonator coil, at impulse we irradiate the drive section, at warp we start to phase out parts of the ship. It didn't work properly for the Romulans, why did I think we'd fare any better?" He rested his elbow on his knee and clenched his fist, rolling is fingers as he thought.

"It's late. Maybe we should sleep on it." Geordi stated. "I know I'm tired and you two have been running simulations since yesterday morning." He sighed. "I'll see you in the morning." he told them and ambled from the holodeck.

Reg smirked and glanced at the Green Woman beside him. He was tired even though they had taken a number of rest breaks, mainly because they spent them kissing rather than getting any sleep. As usual she looked fresh as a daisy. She could go around a week without sleep, less than a full blooded Vulcan but certainly longer than a Human and he'd heard that Orions napped like cats.

"You look tired." Taryn whispered.

"I feel tired, but I'm currently homeless." he told her. "The Ops Officer hasn't assigned me quarters yet."

"I'd get after her if I were you." She smiled. "Although I hear the Chief Engineer has kept her occupied for the last few days. I hear he's been working her like a dog."

"I hear she's still shacked up with the Captain." Reg sighed.

"Joking aside there's only one set of quarters available. They're on the interior of the saucer and it's a twin room designated for enlisted crew or junior officers. To get you quarters commensurate with your rank I'll have to reshuffle…"

"I'll take what you have, I don't care as long as there's a bed, a replicator and a shower." he told her. "You could take the other bed." He looked at her plaintively. "I won't report the breach in protocol of you don't."

"I've told you, there's nothing going on with Data." she stated. "If you don't trust my word…"

"Of course I trust your word. I just want you with me all the time. It's killing me working all these hours just to be near you." he stated and smirked. They both knew it wasn't exactly true. The whole mission was dependent on them resolving this problem.

She squeezed his knee. "Well, it sounds like you need that bed. I'll walk you to your new quarters." She stood, grasped his hand and pulled him up to his feet.

"Come inside with me?" he whispered as she kissed him goodnight at the door.

"I thought you were tired?" she said breathlessly, her arms around her neck.

"Okay." he said reluctantly. "I get the hint." he took hold of her wrists and kissed her hands in turn. "You'd better walk away because I can't take my eyes off of you. I can't take my lips off of you." She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him away mid pout with his eyes closed. He opened one eye when he realized she was leaving him hanging.

"What hint?" she asked earnestly.

"Well, we're both still married, legally anyway, for another few days. You're probably weirded out that I slept with a hologram of you, I know I am." he added guiltily. "If you aren't ready to take things further I can wait."

"You read an awful lot into five words. Particularly as I just meant you should probably get some sleep because you look exhausted." Her lip quirked into a smirk. "I don't make hints, there's very little subtext with me."

"There's a whole universe of subtext with you." He stroked her cheek, "How beautiful you are, how intelligent, how…how you can care for a bumbling fool like me…" he paused as someone walked past then looked down at her and smiled.

"I suppose as the officer in charge of accommodation I should make sure you're happy with the quarters…" she told him. "That was a hint by the way."

He took her hand and led her inside.

"These quarters are the best I've ever had." He whispered as he kissed her bare shoulder. "I hope the half-naked Green Woman comes with them?"

She giggled as he held her in his arms on the single bed. "You'll have to negotiate that with the Ops Officer."

"I'm sure I can persuade her. I hear she has a thing for the Chief Engineer."

"Reg I have to tell you something." she said earnestly.

He frowned. "Sounds serious." he raised a brow. "I hope you aren't about to say 'you know I'm a dude right?' in a deep voice."

"No, I'm not going to say that." she giggled. "You know that I spend a month every year on Barin Prime at my grandmother's court?"

"It's difficult to miss you not being around." he whispered. "I pined for you the whole time, every time you left the ship…"

"Well, it's not a holiday. I have official ceremonial duties that are expected and I received tuition when I was younger." She gazed into his eyes as she caressed his bare chest through his open yellow jersey. "I was taught how to…excite a man…."

"You didn't need lessons for that." He pulled her closer and his kisses became more heated as he pulled at the remainder of her clothing and her at his.

"Wait, I need to explain." she said as he pulled off her panties. "There are differences…"

"Oh boy you're beautiful." he whispered as he looked at her naked. "What differences?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to her nether lips. She moaned with pleasure at his sweet caress, her hands buried in his hair. "It all seems standard issue to me aside from being the most beautiful thing I ever saw." Her reply was a deep kiss that she didn't break as she literally ripped his underwear at the sides and pulled them out from between them. "Easy Kitten. I'm not done exploring yet." he protested and slid downwards pressing kisses to her taut belly on the way. He took his time, savouring every sensation and taste as he caressed her intimately with his mouth and fingers, gasping as he looked down at her exquisite womanhood. He stopped suddenly and looked at it sideways with a frown. "Er, Taryn? I've never seen one before but…is that what I think it is?"

"Oh God." she began to shake. "I'm sorry." she whimpered and tried to cover herself.

"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about." she curled into his arms, her face buried against his shoulder.

"I was supposed to have it removed, most Green girls do as part of a rite when they reach adulthood, but I was raised Human and…I wanted to be Human…"

"But you're married. How can you be a virgin?" he asked her in disbelief.

"Data's not built for that. He's loving and we cared deeply for each other but…he doesn't have the hardware." she said softly. "We had an active intimate relationship but he could never bring himself to break my hymen."

"I kind of have an issue with that myself. I've never deflowered anyone, the last thing I want is our first time to be painful for you. I…" he swallowed.

"That's unavoidable for Orion girls, it's quite… tough. Orion men are, no offence, better endowed and rougher, that's why the ritual started. I'd have broken it myself riding and doing gymnastics if I wasn't part Orion." She sighed deeply. "That's what I was trying to explain. Two things really. I had the theory lessons but none of the practical ones at my grandmother's court and…I need to get you worked up to come across with the rough stuff or it's just not going to happen. Maybe I should get Dr Crusher to remove it, or just visit the holodeck and get it over with…"

"No," he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, "it's something precious, I'm not letting you lose your innocence on a holodeck and I'm certainly not getting rough with you. I'm not even sure I feel worthy to rob you of it."

"You wouldn't be robbing me of anything. I want to give it to you." she said earnestly. "Perhaps I should get surgery?" She chewed her lip, he found the way she did that utterly adorable and he sighed deeply.

"Let's take things back a step or two and see what happens." he whispered. "But I'm not an android and I'm not going to be able to hold back forever."

"I don't want you to hold back or take any steps backwards." She kissed him softly, then more deeply and rolled over on top of him. She worked her way down his body with her mouth and hands. The pleasure he felt was overwhelming, and her scent intoxicating as he surrendered to her caress. "I want you to take me, body and soul, right now. I don't want to have to make you do it, but I will. We need to get past this, literally."

"I want to have you, more than anything. You don't have to influence me." He turned, taking her with him in his arms. He kissed her forehead tenderly as he positioned himself over her, his weight on his arms. He sighed at the sensation as pressed against her. Finally, this was it and he thanked God silently that it felt nothing like his experience on the holodeck. She gasped and bucked slightly at the unfamiliar pressure. He felt resistance inside her and found he could go no further, she whimpered as he kept pushing. "I…I can't do this." he grunted and pulled away sitting back on his heels. "It's not that I don't want to make love to you but I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Shall I try going on top?" she asked and he nodded. She mounted him and put her whole weight against it.

"That's… really not comfortable." Reg winced as she tried bouncing.

"I'm sorry." She slid back, onto his lap and cupped his cheek in her hand. "I love you." she whispered. "Remember that."

"I love you too." he replied pressing his cheek against her palm.

"Breathe nice and deeply for me," she asked softly, "close your eyes?"

"W…what are you going to do?" he asked nervously with a smile.

"Just concentrate on my voice." she told him. "Don't relax though." she smirked. He nodded and closed his eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course. Oh!" He gasped as she ground her pelvis against his groin, tantalising, teasing as she sighed and writhed against him, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Oh boy." he whispered.

"Look into my eyes." she instructed him after a few minutes and his eyes locked with hers, unblinking. "You are mine. Every particle of your being belongs to me. Every breath, every bead of your sweat. Mine." she licked her parted lips. "Every tortured sigh you make in the heat of passion and every drop of your ejaculate belongs to me, understand?" He nodded, breathless. "Do you want to possess me like that? Own me? Claim me?"

"Yes." he moaned, yearning evident in his voice.

"I want that too. Every part of me aches to be yours, but this time, our first time you can't make love to me. You need to fuck me, understand?" He nodded and kissed her softly on the lips. "No, you need to take me. Like a dog taking his bitch," she flicked the tip of her tongue over his upper lip, eliciting a sigh. "A fox ravishing his vixen," She moved her lips close to his, teasing him to kiss her then pulling away at the last second. "a stallion mounting his mare." She tilted her head, her gaze still locked with his. "Perhaps you don't want me as much as I want you?" she frowned. "Maybe I should go and look for someone more…assertive who'll give me what I need." She moved to get up.

"No." he pushed her onto the bed on her back roughly and pinned her by the wrists. "You're mine!" He sucked hard at her neck, nibbling and nipping with his teeth. "Mine." he flipped her over and grasped her hair. "No one touches you but me." He hissed in her ear. "No man empties his balls into you but me."

"No one but you, I swear." she breathed as he roughly pulled her to her knees and mounted her. She cried out in pain as he tore through her flower and stretched her womanhood for the first time. He stopped, savouring the sensation, his hands grasping her hips but desire screamed through his mind and body and he continued undeterred by her whimpers, intent on staking his claim, his blood thundering in his ears and his breath ragged. He withdrew and threw her onto her back.

"I need to see your face." he grunted as he grasped her legs, pressing her knees to the mattress with her legs spread and pumped her in a frenzy of feral lust. Deep in his mind the civilised, gentlemanly part of his conscience told him not to look into her eyes fearing what he would see. Terror? Trauma? Hatred? But her breath came fast from her parted lips and her eyes were glazed with passion. He leant forward and kissed her. A hard, almost bruising kiss as he kept up his furious pace and released his grip on her legs to clutch her against him. She crossed her legs over his back and clung to him, whispering endearments and encouragement, her hands caressing his back, his hair.

Soon she cried out again, with pleasure this time, screaming his name as he joined her with a breathy moan, climaxing hard and deep inside her. He collapsed on top of her and buried his face into her shoulder, exhausted and bathed in sweat with his heart beating so fast in his chest he thought it may burst.

"Oh boy." he whispered as his faculties began to return along with the blood supply to his brain. He sighed and kissed her softly. "Oh boy I love you." He smiled and sat back on his heels. "Oh boy, you're bleeding…" he raised his hand with her virgin blood on it. It was all over him, the bed, her thighs. "What did you make me do?" he cried in alarm.

"It's okay Sweetie." She took his face in her hands and pressed kisses to it as he stared at her blood in shock. "I know you're confused but you were wonderful." She grabbed a towel and wiped them both.

"Do you want to go to sick bay? Is it the baby? W…what…?"

"It's normal for Green girls to bleed this way if they're unbroken. It's fine." she panted, straddling his lap.

"I hurt you…I raped you…"

"No, no my sweet lover you didn't. For one thing you had my full consent and… It hurt at first but it soon passed. I'm robust, bendy, Green and part Vulcan. It'd take more strength than any Human male has to injure me having sex unless I'm tense and unwilling." She exhaled sharply. "God it was exhilarating. I don't think I've ever come that hard." She smiled at him and pressed her sweaty brow to his.

"You don't expect… I mean you won't do that all the time?" he asked, still breathless and sweaty.

"No." she panted and shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Good, I think it'd kill me." He held her close and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. "I love you."

"Love you too." she whispered and kissed him with brazen heat. She smiled as she ruffled his hair, finally catching her breath. She shifted position, still in his lap but leaning back on her arms, gazing at him appraisingly. She began to sing in a language he didn't know but sounded Orion, although different.

"You're a wild thing." He gazed at her. "Is that a love song?"

She shook her head, "A bedtime story, passed down my family in the High Tongue."

"What's it about?"

"Love, revenge, murder. The usual contents of Orion folklore. It's about a courtesan so beautiful she wins the heart and soul of a powerful Tahedri and bears him a girl-child. He gives her power and dominion and takes her to share his bedchamber every night." She rubbed his thigh with her foot as she spoke slowly.

"He doesn't marry her?"

"He's married already." Taryn flashed a wolfish smile. "His wife, the Tabadi is jealous and furious that he has taken power from her to give to a low-born and their lovechild. But she outwardly accepts the woman as a sister wife and allows the girl to be raised and educated with her sons. The little girl grows strong and brave and clever."

"Like you." Reg commented as he stroked her calves, raising the sole of her foot to his lips to kiss it tenderly.

"The Tabadi bides her time, and no one suspects she's been poisoning the Tahedri's food for months."

"Oh dear," Reg smirked, "sounds very Shakespearian."

"On his death bed, in the arms of his weeping lover he bequeathed his title and all that he owned to their daughter, Edara, who was now sixteen."

"Edara? Your grandmother?" he asked incredulously.

She shook her head. "A different Edara, this was five centuries ago." She smiled. "The Tabadi was incandescent with rage that her sons had been passed over. But there was nothing she could do. The Tahedri was a beloved man, she could contest the accession but would lose popular support and draw attention to herself. People might have questioned the Tahedri's fatal illness if she made a fuss and if she killed the girl…she'd got away with the murder of one Tahedri, but two?" Taryn shook her head. "She tried to arrange a marriage between her first born, Aden and Edara but she would have none of it. Not only did they share a father, she didn't love him. She'd already lost her heart to the Captain of the Guard. Bayleron."

"Were they lovers?"

She nodded. "Aden, at his mother's insistence challenged Bayleron to a battle to the death for her. The fight raged on for hours, both men evenly matched until the Guardsman stood over his foe, ready to end his life…"

"Well, what happened?" he pleaded.

"Edara begged her lover to spare her brother's life. Bayleron told her he didn't care about the land, the riches. He would take her barefoot and naked as long as they were together; she was the only treasure he craved. The life of her brother was of no importance to him, all that mattered was her love."

"And?" he urged.

"She slowly removed her jewellery, the adornments from her hair, her gilded sandals. She slid her fine robes from her body and as naked as the day she was born she took his hand. They walked out of the palace gates and away from the Caj Corsti. Together."

"She gave it all up to be with him?" He sighed. "Did they live happily ever after?"

"She was clever and resourceful. Her father had taught her to be both wise and astute. She raised a fortune and formed a Caj of her own with her worthy mate at her side. She bore ten daughters, desperate to give her husband a son and heir."

"Did they have a son?" Reg asked.

"Eventually he took her weeping face in his hands as she nursed their eleventh newborn girl-child and told her she had given him eleven strong, beautiful heirs that filled his heart with more joy than he thought possible. If her wise and noble father felt she was the best choice for Tahedri over his sons then what did the sex of their offspring matter? What did it matter if their descendants never produced a male heir? And from that day to this, the Caj Barin has always had a female Tahedri."

"Is that a true story?" he asked with a giggle.

"According to my grandmother." Taryn replied. "It's tempting to steal a shuttle and head for Orion space while we're in the past and find out isn't it?" She flashed him a feral grin.

"I'm more interested in the future." He looked at her earnestly. "I want to make plans, but if this is a redundant timeline…" He took hold of her by the waist and sighed.

"We can't think like that." She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "If I thought like that I wouldn't be trying to get pregnant."

"W…wait. W…We're not on birth control and we… I mean if you're not pregnant you could be pregnant." he said with alarm.

"Don't worry. I won't force you into anything." she replied.

"That's not what I mean, I mean…marry me?"

"You're already married," she laughed, "and so am I."

"I mean it, when we're both free to… will you think about it?" he asked earnestly.

"I don't know if you noticed but earlier on I swore you'd be the only man to…empty your balls into me…I think that was the phrase you used." She looked at him earnestly. "I think that about sums up the level of commitment I'm willing to make." She smiled warmly at him.

"Oh boy." He kissed her and pulled her close. "I love you." he whispered between kisses. "Will it hurt you if we make love again?"

"No." she gasped as he kissed her neck.

"No you don't want to or no it won't hurt?" he asked softly with a frown.

"Stop thinking." she whispered as she pulled closer, still straddling his lap and held him tight in her arms.

…

"You're very quiet." he whispered as he held her cradled in his arms. They'd spent the rest of the night between sleeping in each other's arms and gently making love in that small bed.

"The room is full of my pheromones. I don't want to influence you." she replied and kissed his neck.

"It's a little late for that." he replied with a smirk and she giggled.

"It could become a problem. Long term exposure can lead to delusions in Human males."

"We obviously found a way around it in the other timeline." he replied. "We'll think of something."

"So how did I compare to my photonic counterpart?" she asked.

"No comparison." He smiled and stroked her arm. "Your skin is softer," he pressed a kiss to the point of her shoulder, "more velvety. Your kisses deeper and more intense. Your lips taste sweeter…I've always thought you had an innocence about you, but that wasn't the right word. There's a part of you that's wild, undomesticated and feral. I'm not going to fall back on the cliché about animal women but, there's something deer like about you, delicate and fragile. Being near you is a privilege like seeing a forest creature in the wild. You have qualities and attributes in your nature and your physicality that no hologrid could ever duplicate."

"Go on?" she smiled.

"Well, you're a snugger fit…you know…" he blushed, "and the computer never took Orion training into account, I didn't expect you to tease the way you do and your pheromones…I'm a musket usually, one bang and I'm done till morning, even in my twenties but with you there wasn't just an encore…"

"No, there were a number of curtain calls, each with a standing ovation." She grinned and kissed his nose. "You weren't what I expected either." She toyed with his chest hair playfully.

"Is that good or bad?" he asked, looking worried.

"I knew you'd be…inventive and imaginative, but I thought you'd take more coaxing. You are a dark horse. Mr Barclay."

"I was okay though? You weren't disappointed or…faking it?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I'm not disappointed, you were wonderful. Why would I fake it?" she asked plaintively. "How would you know what I like or don't like if I did that?"

"I didn't mean to offend you. I just felt…insecure.…I heard Orion women mislead men that way to get what they want."

"Sex is what I want." she snapped indignantly with a scowl.

"Well that's alright then. I'm happy to oblige." he replied stroppily, then snorted with laughter and she buried her face in his chest giggling. "You do realise if we hadn't done the deed you could have had a virgin birth?"

"I'm not confirmed as pregnant yet. Dr Crusher said she'd check tomorrow."

"You will be. I just know it. You're already glowing." he told her as she stroked her hair away from her face tenderly.

"That's more to do with you I think." He tensed suddenly. "What? What's wrong?" she asked.

"The placental barrier." He propped himself on his elbow to look at her earnestly. "We need to generate a field inside the bussard collector to contain the chronoton particles, not increase the structural integrity."

"We've been looking at it the wrong way. We need to create a womb and deliver them like a…. a seahorse giving birth into the warp bubble to contain the radiation." she realized. "I knew I loved you for a reason."

"Then we can use the warp field modulation to focus the chronoton surge…" He grabbed her face and kissed her, then jumped out of bed. "We need a bi-layer field inside the collectors… like a cell membrane."

"With an anyon layer to neutralize any escaping chronotons." She followed him into the bathroom and stepped into the shower with him. "You're brilliant!"

"No, you're brilliant." he argued, smiling at her as he turned on the water.

"You shower with water?" she asked, blinking and beginning to resemble a drowned rat.

"You'll love it. Trust me." he whispered as he began to apply soap to her body tenderly.

…

"We ran the simulation on the holodeck countless times and here are the stats on the ones the computer came up with." Geordi handed Data the padd with a grin. "From the momma of all hickeys on Taryn's neck I'm sure they weren't working on the problem all night but they'd certainly cracked it by morning." Geordi smiled again, "They also came up with a theory that if we follow this flight plan the temporal field may overwhelm a temporal lock, but as we haven't studied one it's purely speculative."

"Geordi…." Data looked at his friend. "While we were on Earth in the nineteenth century you pointed out that Taryn had the most to lose. In this timeline you are the one with that dubious privilege."

"Look, I've talked it through with Leah and, let's just say I'll be visiting her when we get back to our own timeline and…I won't be lost for words this time. She told me how I won her over." He looked at Data. "You've been quiet, almost reclusive…"

"I have been reading my counterparts personal logs." Data whispered sadly, and turned the screen to show Geordi.

"A Rhapsody in Velvet Jade?" Geordi arched a brow and his eyes widened as he read. "Oh my God…" Geordi grinned.

"Suffice to say it knocks 'Ode to Spot' into a proverbial 'cocked hat.'" Data commented.

"You can say that again. 'I yearn to kiss sweet honey'd lips, to lap scented dew from thy unspoilt peach.'? Why do I get the feeling he isn't talking about fruit here?" Geordi asked with an arched brow.

"Because he is not." Data replied.

"Unspoilt huh?" Geordi noted, Data having told him about the physical changes between him and his opposite number in this timeline. "I think Reg may have disqualified her on that front by now. He had the dopey grin of a man who'd recently done some intensive spoiling on his face this morning."

"He has made two hundred thousand, eight hundred and fifty-three individual mentions of her in his personal logs in addition to nine thousand, one hundred and two haikus, six hundred and thirty-four poems in iambic trimeter, forty-two in hymnody, seventy-six essays on her manifold charms and I have enough portraits of her in storage to line the corridors of this ship 2.35 times. I have made two hundred and six references to Jessica in my logs, made two pencil sketches and one oil painting. Actually, I have painted Taryn more in our timeline. Twice in fact."

"Twice?" Geordi frowned.

"The original dryad painting and one I made of her reverse view at My Barclay's behest." Data explained. "This Data adores her, he worships her in a way I never thought possible."

"Data, what are you saying? You and Taryn…"

"I am aware that a relationship with her can never be, but if I am capable of a love like this it can never be with Jessica. I care deeply for her, but I do not feel the depth of emotion that this Data feels for his wife."

"Data, sometimes the relationships we have at first… they'll never be everlasting love. Sometimes they just serve a purpose, to explore your sexuality or just learn how to be in a relationship." Geordi reasoned.

"When I read what this Taryn and Data have been through…" Data paused. "They applied to the Federation for adoption but were refused."

"Because you're an android?" Geordi ventured.

"No, because she is part Orion." Data stated. "They had the option of adopting any of the orphans on Barin Prime with Edara's blessing and the approval of Kolari child services but as Taryn said, how could she choose one child from so many? Those children lack family, but they do not lack a home. They are all Edara's children. Children of the Caj. Taryn could not bear the thought of them lining the children up for selection like a slave market. Although she desired a child she found the thought abhorrent, and it tormented her husband that he was unable to provide her with a biological child. I believe it broke his heart."

"So they came up with this cloning idea." Geordi reasoned.

"We could not have arrived at a worse time for them. What will happen when we leave and he returns to find we have dissolved their marriage and she is with Mr Barclay?"

"It's a little late for that Data. For all we know it was inevitable she would end up with Reg. It seems to be the case everywhere else we've been. What I can't work out is why this Data is so different? He has the lower body of a Flotter doll but he seems to have charmed the socks off Taryn."

"His lack of physical equipment merely made him more eager to compensate socially. Also he did not get the emotion chip second hand. In this timeline Lore arrived after Dr Soong had fitted it. He received an undamaged, perfect copy of the upgrade as Dr Soong intended. The blueprint for the physical upgrade to make him whole is also contained within the chip, but he opted not to build it as his relationship with Taryn was not based on sex."

"I wonder if she felt the same? Especially now she knows what she's missing." Geordi mused. "Was what Lore told you about the chip true?"

"Yes, it does contain memories. Memories of my childhood, of being raised on Omicron Theta by Dr Soong and Juliana. They truly loved me Geordi, as much as if I were their biological child and I know that because I have another brother. A Human brother named Arik."

"What?" Geordi asked incredulously. "What happened to him?"

"I do not know. But I must find out if the same is true in our timelime." Geordi nodded and patted Data's upper arm. "I have not told this Taryn the whole truth Geordi. She does not know she is…dying in our timeline." Data stated.

"She doesn't need to know that." Geordi stated. "Data, for all we know we may not be able to restore things completely. There may be differences, she may not be so sick anyway." Data met his gaze, "I know, I'm clutching at straws."

"You are correct though," he stated, "and I do not doubt that she would give her life for that of her siblings and her children."

"Not to mention her nieces and nephew and David." Geordi added. "I don't think Reg would see it that way though. I think you're right not to tell her."

Data nodded and looked through the simulations and the reports from Geordi, Taryn and Reg in seconds and concurred with their findings. "I believe we are ready." he said as he stood and strode onto the Bridge.

"Have the crew been apprised of the situation and given the opportunity to disembark Mr Worf?"

"Yes sir, but only a handful left." Worf intoned.

"Crew with families mostly." Counsellor Troi added.

"Very good." Data said and took the centre seat. "Engage impulse power."

…

"You know how much I love you don't you?" Reg whispered and kissed her, her face cradled in his hands. "If this timeline ends and there's another one, if I'm not there you have to find me." he pleaded with her.

"We always find each other, Data told me that." Taryn kissed him softly as she clutched at his uniform. "Fate tries to part us but we always find each other."

"You should get that looked at." he said guiltily, tilting her chin to look at the bruising and teeth marks on her neck.

"No, it's your mark of ownership." she advised him proudly.

"Where's yours?" he asked and as she whispered in his ear a smile broke over his face. "Oh. I'll look for that next time I go to the head."

"Lieutenant Prior, please report to the Bridge." came Data's voice over her communicator.

"On my way sir." she replied and threw her arms around Reg's neck. He held her tight against him, her feet off the ground. "Remember, a little thing like the space time continuum doesn't stand a chance against a love like ours." she whispered and they kissed as though they would never see each other again, knowing that was entirely possible. "Take care of yourself Barclay." she told him as she let him go and walked away.

"You too Prior." he told her as he watched her go. He turned around and found the engineering crew, although standing at their stations, where all watching the interplay between himself and the Ops manager. "Let's get ready people, we're about to change history." he told them, ignoring the raised eyebrows.

…

"Captain we have an incoming message from Starfleet. Audio only." The officer at tactical reported.

"Let us hear it." Data ordered.

"Enterprise, this is Earth Orbital Tracking Station, we're getting strange readings from your ship, do you require assistance?"

"This is Captain Data. We are experiencing a power surge in our bussard collectors OrbTrack, thank you for your concern but we have the matter in hand."

"We read your speed as warp one. This is a violation of planetary regulations for a ship in orbit."

"We also have a malfunction in our plasma injectors. We are unable to reduce our velocity at present but we will resolve the matter in short order. Please advise all ships to keep a safe distance as a precaution. Enterprise out."

"Chronoton radiation at seventy-five percent in the bussard collectors, fields are holding, no sign of phasing." Taryn reported.

"Increase speed to warp two." Data ordered.

"Aye sir." the officer at the conn responded.

"The interphase device is at maximum output. All readings are optimal." Barclay reported from engineering. "Standing by to modulate the warp field."

"Thank you Mr Barclay." Data responded. "Increase to warp 3."

"Captain, I don't think our calculations are correct for the warp modulation." Taryn reported.

Beside him Counsellor Troi clutched the arm rest tighter.

"Lieutenant Prior?" Data said calmly.

"Our accumulation curve is different from simulation, the particles are packing less densely in the collectors. With our current calculations we'll miss our temporal destination. We'll be fifty years too late." Taryn reported.

"Fifty-two years, seven months and three days." Data confirmed as he looked at his auxiliary Ops panel. "Commander Barclay?"

"I heard Captain, I'm recalculating now." Barclay reported. "Commander La Forge is double checking the parameters. Lieutenant Prior?"

"Checking now Commander Barclay." Taryn responded.

"Data, I make it an undershoot of twenty-four hours or so. I doubt we can get closer. Good catch Taryn." Geordi stated.

"By my calculations we'll be closer to twelve hours." Taryn reported.

"I make it ten." Data stated.

"Why so much difference?" Troi asked.

"It can only ever be an estimation; the warp field controls are not designed to be used this way." Data stated.

"It'll be like pumping a set of bellows. You can't be certain exactly how much you are expelling or how fast. There's no sensitivity Counsellor." Taryn explained.

"I can make sure we get there early Captain. I can't promise by how much." Barclay reported.

"That is good enough Mr Barclay." Data replied.

"Bussard collectors at ninety percent. All fields are holding." Taryn advised.

"Go to warp four." Data ordered.

"We have a priority one transmission from Admiral Paris." The tactical officer reported.

"Whatever you're trying to do Enterprise, stand down now. I repeat, stand down. Cease and desist your activities in orbit." Paris ordered.

"Admiral, if we succeed the Dominion War will be long over and your son, daughter-in-law and grandchild will be safe in the Alpha Quadrant. I ask you to trust me."

"Grandchild? Data, what are you talking about?"

"Planetary defence systems have established a target lock on us sir." The tactical officer reported.

"Chronoton particles at ninety-eight percent." Taryn reported.

"Miral Paris. She is nearly three and you adore her. She has your wife's eyes, your son's nose and her mother's forehead ridges. Your son more than redeemed himself on Voyager. He became a valued officer and a family man. Admiral, Renegade Dominion forces and a being of unknown origin and intent have restarted the Temporal Cold War, they have altered the timeline."

"What?"

"Commander La Forge and I are from an alternate timeframe and we plan to go back and set things right sir. We ask you to trust us." Data stated. "What do you have to lose?"

"The Enterprise, it's become the mascot, a symbol of hope for what's left of the Federation."

"It will still be that sir. If we succeed six years of war with the Dominion will never have happened." Data argued. "Billions of lives will be saved."

"Chronoton particles at maximum density." Taryn reported and turned in her seat. "We just passed the point of no return."

"Sir, if Planetary Defence fire on us we will be destroyed and unable to control the chronoton surge…the planet itself could be at risk." Data advised him. "To coin a phrase, we have you by the short and curlies."

"Damn you Data. I'm calling off the dogs but if I see you again in this timeline I'll have your head mounted on my office wall. Good luck Enterprise."

"Thank you Admiral." Data stated. "Enterprise out. Increase speed to warp five and standby to release the chronoton surge on my mark."

"Aye sir." Taryn replied.

"Warp field modulation is optimal, standing by." Barclay reported from Engineering.

"Red alert. Shields to maximum. All hands brace for temporal wake." Worf ordered at the Captains right hand.

"Three, two, one. Mark." Data ordered.

Author's Note:

Apologies, but the short story Dating Data is now on hold as my plot bunnies have abandoned me. I have, however got another short written but I can't publish it for some time, along with two thirds of a medium length alternate timeline story written, and a good proportion of the next full length story titled 'Intellectual Property.' Also an idea for the next novel length tale so there is a lot in the pipeline.