The next few days passed without many incidents; Charles managed to get up on time without falling out of bed, and they both managed to stay clear of Hendricks and his gang.

Data was stood in front of the bathroom mirror, examining his appearance again.

Charles caught sight of his roommate's strange get-up and stifled a laugh.

"What is your opinion?" Data asked him.

Charles held back his amusement and tried to give a genuine smile. "It is very... smart."

Data nodded in appreciation. "Thank you. Are you wearing that?"

Charles looked down at his own clothes, understandably not seeing anything wrong with a t-short and jeans. "Yes. Why?"

"I am curious as to why you are not wearing a tuxedo," Data replied.

Charles raised an eyebrow. "I didn't want to, uh, cramp your style, Data. You see, it would be stupid if we both wore the same thing." He waited to see if Data was convinced by his reply.

He seemed to be.

Charles chuckled quietly. Data looked like he had been plucked out of the Victorian era.

Charles gelled his hair and waited for Data to finish up.

"Where was it?" Charles asked himself. "Level five? Or was it level six?"

Data reviewed his logs. "Ah. Level five, room seventeen."

"Then, let's go," Charles said jovially. "Though I do hope this is in regulation." He understood, now, what Jack had meant when he had called him unnecessarily cautious.

They came to the venue. Charles pressed the door buzzer.

"Who is it?" the crackled voice on the other side of the door called.

Charles cleared his throat. "It's me, Will, Charles. From your Spatial Engineering Class."

"Oh, right. Come in." The door opened and Charles signalled for Data to follow him in.

Data took in the atmosphere. Everywhere he looked, people seemed to be dancing, or at least moving about. Music was blaring out from somewhere, and coupled with the contrast between the strobe lights and the dark room, Data a bit disorientated.

"Pleasant journey?" Will joked, handing them drinks.

Data thanked him politely and studied the bottle.

Charles took a swig. "This is good. It's not synthehol, is it?

"Is it heck!" Will said, shaking his head and laughing. Data stared at him; he was still reading the label of his bottle.

"I had no idea so many people would come," Charlessaid loudly, so as to speak over the music.

"I suppose it's nice to be free from studying for a while," Willsaid.

Charles cast him a wry smile. "Yeah, after only one week's work."

"If I'm honest, I thought Starfleet themselves would organise some sort of welcome party," Will muttered.

"Anyway, this looks good. Even if it's not quite Academy-sanctioned," Charles said with a laugh. "I'm going to get myself another drink. Do you want one?" He had surprised himself, drinking it all in one go.

Will declined, so Charles only got himself one.

As he did so, he looked back for Data, but he was apparentlyalready well into the party mood. Charles noted the numerous female cadets swarming around him. They took his hands and smiled when they saw his suit, as they asked him about his proceeding speed, his age, his skin colour. A few of them stood on their toes to kiss him. Charles knew that Data couldn't enjoy himself, but he still wondered what the android substitute for joy was.

"Charles, is that you?" It was Joel and Jack.

He smiled at them and gave them a mock salute. "It is indeed. How are you, gentlemen?"

Joel shrugged. "So so."

Jack grinned at him. "Good. Yourself?"

Charles nodded. "Yeah, good. This party's better than I thought it would be." He looked around. "Hey, did you find Aneela?"

Jack was silent and looked incapable of replying, so Joel took the responsibility of answering. "He did."

"And?" Charles pressed.

"And he spilt his drink on her, she swore, and left via the nearest exit."

"Oh, I am sorry, Jack," Charles said honestly, though his honesty didn't stop him from having to hold back a laugh.

"Did you bring Data?" Joel asked.

Charles pointed to where the android was. "I did indeed."

"He looks like he'shaving a good time," Joeljoked, catching sight of the female attention that Data was receiving.

"I've got a new roommate," Joel added.

"You have? Whatever happened to Billy?" Charles asked.

"He decided to call it quits," Joel replied. "Yeah, so I'm sharing with… what are they called, Jack? Oh, yeah, Aneela."

Jack groaned and swore at his friend.

Joel patted him on the back. "I'm only kidding. It's not Aneela." He thenseemed aware of a presence beside him. "Anyway, this is Seb," he introduced the young man next to him.

"Hi, there," the man extended his hand.

Charles shook it. "And you."

"Another human?" Seb joked.

Charles smiled. "It's weird, isn't it? Every week there's a new species being discovered."

Seb looked at his glass. "You may be right. I saw the most amusing sight last Thursday. A Klingon playing cricket!"

Charles laughed. "Was he any good?"

"It was a girl," Seb corrected with a smile. "And yes, she was rather good."

"I wish I had been there," Charles said with a smile on his lips.

Joel exchanged a look with Jack. "We're just going to go to the bar. Did you want anything?"

Seb shook his head, as did Charles.

"So...when did you get here?" Charles asked Sebastian, as the pair of them sat down together on a couch.

He considered. "Oh, I haven't been here long. Probably ten minutes before you."

"I got a bit held up," Charles admitted. "See, I couldn't remember which floor it was."

"I'm always doing that," Seb added. "Forgetting where I am. I mean, the timetables are printed rather badly."

Charles nodded. "I'll drink to that." He raised his bottle and took a swig. "Since when does a D look like an O?"

"Only at Starfleet Academy," Seb said with a smirk. "Are you a first year, then?"

Charles laughed. "Can you tell?"

Seb smiled wryly. "I was just judging from that incident in the canteen."

Charles paled. "Oh, that. I guess you have to be quite foolish to stand up to Mac Hendricks." Had he been talking to anyone else, he might have attempted to play the macho man, to come out with some spiel about how determined he had been to hold down Hendricks. But he found that he couldn't quite do that while talking to Seb.

"No," Seb countered. "I thought it was rather brave." He shifted his position.

"You saw it all?" Charles asked, embarrassed.

Seb nodded slowly. "When Hendricks wasn't punching the android, yes."

"Oh God," Charles muttered. "But Hendricks does irritate me. He thinks he's so high and mighty."

Seb finished his drink. "Tell me about it." He sighed. "It's ridiculous, how someone like him got into Starfleet. I mean, I've been here a year already, and I've never come across bigger jerk than him."

"Probably best not to think about it," Charles suggested.

"Have you had any other encounters with him?" Seb asked him, his eyes watching Charles' face intently.

Charles smiled grimly. "Many a run-in, none pleasant. He's even got a nickname for me."

Seb looked down at his drink for a moment, before finishing it off. "I'm yet to have that pleasure." He cleared his throat, aware of the silence that was resting between them.

"I'll introduce you to Data when he gets left alone," Charles said, raising an eyebrow at the android in the distance, who was being cornered by many a beautiful female cadet. "I suppose I should be jealous."

Seb laughed and then sobered, bringing his eyes up so that they were level with Charles'. "I don't think you should be jealous," he said quietly, almost intimately.

It was strange. At that moment, it seemed as though they were alone in the room, as if there wasn't any one else around them. Without even thinking, Charles leant forward, hesitated, then took Sebastian's face in his hand and kissed him. "I'm sorry," he suddenly said, abruptly pulling back.

But Seb looked hurt. "Why are you apologising?"

Charles touched his lips momentarily. He took a quick look around the room, looking like a startled rabbit. He looked down at his drink, stupidly wondering what was in it.

"I wasn't expecting that to happen, that's all," Charles said quietly.

"Is that a bad thing or a good thing?" Seb asked, having composed himself.

Charles shrugged and then a grin spread across his face. "I don't see how it could be bad." Then he leant forward and their lips met again, this time stronger and with more conviction.

Charles looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Jack and Joel standing by the refreshments.

"It's taking them a rather long time to get a drink," Seb observed.

Charles looked over at him and smiled. "Come on, let's go and see them."

"I have a sneaky suspicion as to why they left us two alone," Seb added.

Charles gave him a pointed look.

"Hey, Charles, Seb," Joel greeted them, a knowing look in his eyes. "Having a nice time?"

Charles exchanged glances with Seb. "Very pleasant, thank you. You're taking an awfully long time to get the drinks."

Joel was caught unawares.

Jack stepped in. "Don't be ungrateful now. Anyway, we've got the drinks. Let's go back and sit down."

"Uh, that might be a problem," Seb noted.

"What-?" Jack enquired and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, I see."

"That bastard!" Charles scowled. "How does he even have the nerve..." His eyes narrowed. He could hear gasps and murmurs, but no one was trying to help. No one was trying to help his sister. He began to step forward but he felt a restraining hand on his back. He saw Seb.

"Charles, think about this," he said calmly.

Charlesshook off his hand. "I've thought about it." He went over to his sister, his eyes overwhelmed by the scene.

Jack, Joel and Seb stood behind him.

"Is he always like this?" Sebastian asked.

They shrugged. "He loves his sister a lot, you know. He hates Hendricks. Whenever he sees them together his sanity disappears."

"Are she and him..." Seb drained off.

Joel shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no. Hendricks thinks they are."

Hendricks, meanwhile, was continuing his conquest.

"Your brother's a jerk, you know that?" He slurred, hiccuping between his words.

Lara scoffed and tried to turn away.

"Always pushing you around," he continued. "You're your own woman, you know that? Stand up to him."

"Stand up to him?" She almost laughed. "I'd sooner stand up to you. Which, incidentally, is what I am going to do now."

He smirked, not taking her seriously.

She pushed him back and tried to walk away. "Leave me alone."

But he pushed her back.

She tried to concentrate, but the music was so loud and there were so many people.

Charles was on his way, amidst the noise and the darkness; she could see him.

"I bet he's on his way now," Hendricks muttered. "Or maybe that android fellow is." A grin crept across his face. "My betting's on him."

She rolled her eyes. "What makes you think that you can bad-mouth everyone?"

He reached out and stroked her hair. "Now, I'm not being unpleasant, so neither should you."

She squirmed and resisted the temptation to whimper.

"You like that android?" he asked. "He's not a man." He scoffed. "He's a toaster on legs. Would you fancy a toaster?" He shook his head and sighed, laughing. "Come on, you want a real man."

"What, like you?" she chided.

"You're catching on," he said slyly.

She slapped him.

He stepped back and winced, rubbing his wounded face. His cheek was bleeding.

Just as Charles reached them, he caught sight of someone else at the scene.

"Is this gentleman bothering you?"

Lara smiled genially. "He's irritating me, yes."

"Perhaps, sir, it would be best if you vacated the premises."

Hendricks scoffed. "Perhaps, sir," he mimicked. "It would be best if you kept your nose out of other people's business."

"This young lady appears to be distressed, sir. Now, please, leave her be."

Charles watched the scene unfold.

"I don't think so," Hendricks argued, bringing his arm back, propelling it forward. He howled in pain when Data caught his fist and held it behind his back, the action lightning fast.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Data saidcalmly.

Hendricks murmured a curse word, then shook his arm free, collected his henchmen, who were moaning about having to leave so soon, then left.

"Thanks, Data," Lara said, smiling. "Hendricks can be such an idiot."

Data processed the insult and nodded. "Indeed. Are you well enough to be left alone?"

She laughed sweetly. "Of course. I'm fine."

Data nodded curtly, then saw Charles and went over to him, but Charles was already hot on the heels of his sister. He took her by the shoulder.

"Lara, are you okay?" he asked her, worry etched into his face.

She took off his hand gently. "Yes, I'm fine, Charles." She gestured to Data. "And I have him to thank."

"I was on my way," he defended himself.

She folded her arms. "It's not a competition. I'm an independent woman," she found herself strangely repeating Hendricks' words. "I don't need a knight in shining armour."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I had it under control," she reasoned. She pointed to his friends. "I think your cronies are waiting for you. By the way, who's he?"

Charles frowned. "Who's who?"

"The blond one."

He blushed. "That's Seb. Why?"

"Just asking." She shrugged, looking away quickly.

But Charles knew his sister and smiled. "I think he's already taken."