Data wanted to know what was going on but he did not want to push her too much.

A few more questions about her past would be a good start.

He had asked Alina about how to bring the subject up.

"Be careful with her," she had advised him. He had noticed many similarities between the fraternal twins. She had had the same concerned look in her eyes as he had seen it in Rina's all the times she had asked him if he was ok.

He stopped at her door and rang the chime. She did not answer. He was about to try again when he heard her call: "Come in!"

He entered. "It took you 10.36 seconds to answer. Is everything alright?"

A poorly concealed smirk flashed across her face.

Rina was dressed in a black dress with transparent parts on her shoulders and her forearms. Her skirt was short and hidden behind transparent rags of black fabric. Her feet were clad in the same shoes as they had been the day before. Her open hair contained strands of the same dark purple color as her fingernails.

On her head rested a silver, delicate diadem with a moon-shaped pendant.

"Oui, I mean yes, I'm fine. I just needed to get something done before you came in."

"Ah." What had taken her so long?

"Ok, my friend, what can I do for you? Please sit down."

He did as asked and she sat next to him.

"Thank you. May I ask you a few more questions?"

"Sure, why not? Go ahead." Was she nervous? Because of him?

"I have watched Katrin and Geordi together. Her behavior is much alike the behavior of humans. So is Alina's. Only you are different. I wanted to know why this is the case."

She looked down at her shoes. "I believe it's because my sisters were born fully human and grew up among them. They were 14 respectively 20 when they found out everything. I was never completely human, as we had a human father and a vampire as our mother, I don't really know how she was able to bear two human children and die, and I have spent time with vampires on another planet since I turned 14. Katrin stayed on earth."

"How did you become vampires?"

"I bit Alina myself because we wanted to stay together. I'm not sure about Katrin. And I …"

She was close to tears "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?" He had not meant to hurt her.

"It still hurts," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. He placed his hand on her upper arm and gently petted it to comfort her.

"I have noticed that it is beneficial for most emotional beings to 'cry themselves out'. If you wish you can tell me everything."

She swallowed and spoke with a shaky voice:

"It's a long story. The best start is that I always head trouble with guys. Either they didn't see me at all or they saw me as a new sexpot. However, when I was 14 I moved to Germany and met a boy who took my breath away. I had no experience in this area so I was really shy about it. He asked me after a while to become his girlfriend and I, young and stupid as I was, accepted happily. He tried many times to become intimate with me but I refused because I wasn't ready yet. In the end he broke up with me because I was too uptight. He was a Casanova who wanted only a little delight and relieve. That was all he wanted from me. Well, a month or so later I fell in love again. He was shy himself, intelligent and cute. He was my boyfriend for about six years. There was this party and the rest is a blur. I don't know what had gotten into me back there I was just too drunk. He and I must have landed in bed together. Well, I think there are worse things than that. Be that as it may a couple of weeks later I was at the doctor's and he told me that I was pregnant. Not very surprisingly in retrospect. When I told my boyfriend about it he asked me about the week. I told him that it was the sixth. And he just said that it wasn't too late. I didn't understand what he meant but it dawned to me a little later. I told him that I wouldn't/couldn't do it and he just said: 'You have to choose. The child or me.'" She sniffed and looked at him with a sad smile. "I threw him out and told him to never come anywhere near me again. And then…" she sobbed and clutched her abdomen. "..At the fifth month …I lost, …it hurt so badly. I lost much blood. The doctors didn't think I would make it. I nearly died back then. I had given my older cousin the permission to bite me if something like that should ever happen." She shrugged and finished the story. "Here I am, unable to get pregnant another time."

He was stunned. She had been through a lot. Now he understood why she had not said anything about her feelings.

"I am sorry. I did not know about the circumstances. If I had known I would never have asked."

"It's ok." She gave him another sad smile. "You were right. I never told anyone the entire story. Now I did and I feel a bit better." Their eyes met. "Thanks for listening."

"You are welcome."

"Would…" She swallowed. "Would you mind if I h-hug you again?"

He just took her into his arms and stroked her back. Her arms encircled his waist and she leaned her head against his chest.

"Data, do you want to have a girlfriend sometime?" she asked.

"Yes, but no woman ever wanted to have a longtime relationship with me."

"I can't see why. You have to be the most beautiful man I've ever met. Every girl should be happy to call you her boyfriend." This was his cue.

"Thank you, but are you saying this as my friend or are you making advances on me?"

She let go, avoiding to look into his eyes.

"Je ne sais quoi…I mean, I don't know what to say. Every time I look at you…It's hard to explain. The only thing I know is that it feels wonderful. The security, the knowledge that you would never hurt me in any way, your gentleness, your childlike qualities…" she sighed. "Like I said it's hard to explain. I really like you, but we have known each other only for a couple of days. And there aren't many guys, who want a girlfriend with a higher rank or one over 300 years older than them. I was afraid of what you might say."

These were her reasons for hiding. It was time to ease her mind.

"As I am an emotionless android, neither your higher rank nor the age difference troubles me. I would be willing to try to have a relationship with you, although you have to remember that I cannot love you back."

What would she say? Would she want to try a relationship with him?

She smiled. "Your lack of emotions doesn't bother me."

"Does that mean that we are a couple?" he asked hesitantly. He was not quite sure.

Her smile grew wider, fully revealing her fangs. "I guess we are."

"May I kiss you then?" He had waited for this moment.

As an answer she put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Data put his arms around her waist and kissed her back.

During the kiss he tucked her hair behind her ear. She flinched. What was wrong?

"Did I hurt you?" he asked and looked at her face.

"No. I should have warned you. My right ear and the right side of my neck are my most sensitive areas. It has been a long time since someone touched me there." She blushed. "It didn't hurt it just…tickled."

"I do not know what ticklishness feels like, but I can try not to do it again."

"Good luck with that. You won't be able to touch me without tickling me. And I don't want you to stop touching me."

"Very well." Satisfied that she was fine he kissed her again and she responded. From the way how she was kissing him she had very strong feelings for him.

She broke the kiss and laid a hand on his cheek with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"How long have you felt this way?" he could not help but ask.

"The moment I first saw you I thought you were kind of cute but I could not do anything about it. When I was posted here I fell head over heels in love with you. I just didn't know how to tell you. So I decided to go out with you and see what happens. I'm glad that's over. I wanted to do this so badly."

She kissed him again. He laid her on her back on the sofa and bent over. His hands travelled over her body, carefully avoiding touching her chest or crotch. He found more spots which caused her to squirm and giggle.

He enjoyed this moment. Her laughter sounded carefree, childlike and happy. As he traced his hands across her sides and stomach she stopped him by placing her hands over his.

"Please, I can't take it anymore," She panted.

"Sorry."

"No need. It's a nice sensation. If it's done by the right person that is."

"And I am the right person?"

She smiled up at him. "Isn't it obvious?" she pulled him down for another kiss.

He held her close to him and felt her hands in his hair and caressing his back. He flipped them over so that she sat beside him. He saw that she was tired. It did not take long for her to fall asleep in his arms.

He quietly went into her bedroom and took her pajamas. He put the diadem on the table and slowly slid the zipper of her dress down. Her shoes already stood on the floor. He changed her clothes and then carefully unclasped her bra underneath her pajama-shirt and put it with the dress into the cleaning unit. Afterwards he hung her things into her closet. Data picked his new girlfriend up and carried her to her bed where he laid her down and covered her with the blanket. He sat down on the edge of her bed and watched her peaceful expression. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Pleasant dreams, Rina."

He stood up and left for duty.

When he entered his quarters the next morning he immediately noticed the piece of paper on the floor.

He took it and saw that it was a small letter.

It said:

Dear Data,

Thanks for yesterday. I am sorry for falling asleep.

I really enjoyed your company.

Therefor I wanted to ask you out for a date. If you approve pick me up at 4 o' clock pm.

We will decide what we want to do then.

I am looking forward to seeing you again.

Love,

Rina

He checked his internal chronometer. 0830 hours. He would do some research until he met her to their first official date. But this was not what pleased him the most.

It was the small word before her signature.

To be continued in 'Magic'