Data knew that many people were uncomfortable around him but after the recent incident with his brother Lore he could clearly see the fear in the others' eyes. Even Geordi was avoiding him.

There was one person who perhaps would not be scared. If he just could find her. Today was her day off but she could not be found anywhere.

"Computer, location of Cmdr. Meunier."

"Cmdr. Meunier is in her quarters."

He went to her room but hesitated. What if she was avoiding him on purpose?

Before he had a chance to leave he heard her voice. "Come in."

He entered. Where was she?

"Rina?"

"In the bedroom, Data. Come on in."

He came into her sleeping area to see Rina wearing a tight, black tank top and lilac-white checked shorts, hanging upside down from the ceiling with a book in her hand. She smiled at him.

"Sorry I need some time to come to my feet."

With that she bent her torso and gripped the rail she was hanging from with her hands. Then she let go with her feet and then with her hands, landing on her feet in front of him.

She reached out and gave him the usual greeting, a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

When she pulled back he reached for her hand.

"It may sound strange to you but could you hold me a little longer?"

Her answer was a smile and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"It doesn't sound strange. Why should it?"

"I am an android with no feelings. Many people see no need for such gestures towards me."

She just pressed a soft kiss against his other cheek, took him by the wrists and guided his arms around her waist. He held her tightly against him, burying his face in her tousled hair.

"It's about your brother, isn't it?"

"Yes. After everything Lore did I do understand that everyone on the ship is afraid of him. It might be because between him and me is only a small difference in programming that everyone is avoiding me."

He looked down into her worried and soft eyes. "Except for you."

She smiled in understanding. "Having family issues is the worst thing after lovesickness there is. I'm sorry for you. They will recover from the shock. It will be alright. And I would never leave you alone like this. You mean too much to me." She tightened her embrace as for showing him the truth behind her words.

"Thank you."

She grinned up at him. "You need some cheering up. I'll be right back."

She went to her closet and put on a pair of thick, white socks and a black, short, wide-sleeved satin robe.

"My feet get cold pretty easily," she explained.

She took his hand and led him to the sofa. Then she went to the replicator, murmured something Data could not understand and came back to him with two steaming cups in her hands. She put one down in front of him on the table. "Try it."

He lifted the cup and took a sip. "This is hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sauce."

She laughed. "Yeah. This was my mother's recipe for cheering-up and calming-down. She always made some when I was sad or scared and drank it with me." She sipped at her own drink and sighed. "Good times." She had another sip.

They drank the rest in silence.

"What was your mother like? She was a vampire, was she not?"

"She was. I'll show you." With that she went to something which looked a lot like font. She waved him over. It was indeed filled with water.

"This is the magical way of storing memories." She had a small bottle in her hand and poured the contents into the font.

She leaned forward and he did the same. They fell for a short moment and then he found himself next to Rina in a children's room. In a small bed in the corner he saw a small girl with blond hair, sleeping.

"Where are we?"

"Paris, November 25th 1997, 0200 hours. The little girl, that's me."

Data looked at the child then at Rina. There was a certain similarity. He heard a sob. He looked at his companion before he realized that the noises came from the bed.

"A really bad dream," Rina explained.

The child bolted upright, screaming and crying.

"Don't worry. They can't see us."

At this moment the door opened and the lights went on. "What's the matter, baby?" the woman who had entered asked and scooped the child up, cradling it against her chest. The three-year-old cuddled up to her mother and described her nightmare between heavy sobs. "Sshhhhh. It's ok, mommy is here." She sat her daughter back onto the bed, turned around and walked out of the room with Data and Rina close behind.

"She looks much like you. The hair and eye-color are identical."

Rina smiled sadly. "I know."

They came into the kitchen were Rina's mother worked on two cups of hot chocolate. After a short while a man entered the room. He had black hair and his eyes were jade-green, just as Katrin's.

"What's going on, Sarah?" he asked her.

Sarah sighed. "Katharina had another nightmare. That's the third this week, Michel. I'm worried," she told her husband.

"Would it help her to sleep in our bed tonight?"

Sarah smiled. "It would. Thank you. I'll bring her over."

The memory ended and they were back in Rina's living room.

Data looked at her. "Your parents were nice people."

"Yes, they were."

"May I ask what this dream was about?"

She swallowed hard. "I dreamed that I had an argument with my father and that he left the house. After a while two police officers came to us and told us that he was killed in a car accident. I saw Ali and me, even Katrin and she was born three years later." She sniffed. "November 25th 2000, 2 o' clock am, it happened just the way I had dreamed. I learned later that this premonition was caused by a small breakthrough of my powers." She sniffed again and tears ran down her face. Data took her into his arms and stroked her hair.

She pulled back. "Sorry. I should cheer you up, not the other way around."

"It is alright. You have already helped me a lot. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Would you have another cup of hot cocoa with me?" she asked with a tearful smile.

He nodded. "Certainly."

After he had ordered two cups and sat down next to her she looked at him.

"It would seem that we have something else in common. We both have some serious family issues."

"So it appears. How did you know that I stood outside your room? I did not ring the chime."

She laughed shortly. "I was thinking about you all the time and was about to get down and search for you so I asked the computer about your location only to find out that you stood in front of my door, intending to leave. That was when I called you inside. And about your brother, there is a saying. You can't choose your family but you can choose your friends. I think I made a good choice;" she said and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I believe you were a good choice too. Thank you, Rina."

"You're welcome."