As soon as he had spoken those words to her – those few words – he had made some pitiful excuse about being late for a lecture or wanting to exercise on the pitch or needing to speak to a professor, and then he had left. She sat there on the cold seat for a long while, pondering his words to her. How could he possibly love her? She would question herself for minutes at a time, as the thoughts bounced about in her head. Of course, they were sharing a dormitory, so they were bound to get close at some point. She had somewhat expected that that would happen. But she never usually let herself get into such circumstances. But she didn't regret it.

The chime at the door broke her out of her reverie, whether she wanted it or not. She got to her feet, keyed in the appropriate command and the door slide open. It revealed her brother stood with wide eyes and an inquisitive expression on his face.

She beckoned him in. "Charles!" she observed, sounding thoroughly surprised by his appearance. "What are you doing here?"

Charles gave her a wry smile. "It's nice to see you too," he said, feigning injury. "It's been a while since we had a proper chat, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

She smiled, touched by his care for her. "Yes, that would be nice." She gestured to a chair. "Here, sit down. I hope you haven't been trying that Romulan Ale."

Her mocking tone gave him cause to smile slightly. "I haven't. It's Seb that you should be asking. He's managed to get a hold of some. Just a warning: don't go near him when he's had some!"

She raised an eyebrow at his revelation about Seb; the lad wasn't usually like that. But she shook those ideas awayand handed her brother a drink. "Jo'rek's introduced me to this," she said, pointing to the beverage.

He asked what it was, raising an eyebrow, as he inspected the liquid.

"I can't remember the name of it. But it's rather nice."

He took a sip and conceded. Settling it down, he sighed heavily.

"What is it?" she asked pointedly, watching her brother carefully. She had known him for as long as she had been alive, for nigh on twenty years, and in that time, she had learnt to know when something wasn't quite right with him.

"Huh?" He looked up at her.

"What's wrong? I know that there's something up."

He chewed his lip. "Honestly, it's fine." But there was something in his eyes.

"If you say so."

The shortness of her reply made him give in. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll tell you. It's Seb. Well, it's me and Seb. We're going through a bit of a rocky patch. I'm not entirely sure why, but it must be something to do with this mission and whatnot. I don't think he's quite coping." He laughed bitterly. "Well, neither am I."

"I'm afraid the only one who is must be Data," she said with a grim smile.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She finally stopped pacing and flopped down on the bed, groaning. "I've messed this entire thing up."

Charles leant forward, a frown on his face, his blond hair falling into his eyes.

Without any preamble, without so much as a sigh, she told him. "Jo'rek knows everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"Ah," was just about all Charles could manage at that moment. "Where is he? He hasn't gone to tell-"

She shook her head briskly. "No. He wouldn't do that."

"He must trust you, then," Charles observed. "He must like you. Really like you."

That comment would usually have made her more on guard, more edgy, but this time it didn't. A warm glow spread inside of her and she smiled absent-mindedly. "He said he loves me."

Charles spat out his drink and wiped his mouth. "Well… wow..." He smiled to himself.

"What's weird is that I think I might... I don't know... love him too," she moaned, rubbing her forehead.

"But our relationship issues are the least important thing at this moment in time. Am I right?" He got to his feet. "When Jo'rek gets back, we'll have to think of what to do."

"And Seb and Data?"

A muscle in Charles' jaw twitched slightly at the mention of Seb, but he soon controlled himself. "Yes."

A few hours had passed and Jo'rek had returned; upon his arrival, Charles had gathered Seb and Data from their own dormitory. The five of them were now sat in the room that Jo'rek and Lara shared.

"Are you sure about this?" Seb whispered to Charles as he came in through the doorway. Charles looked visibly uncomfortable when Seb came close to him, something that Lara had registered. Seb made a face of annoyance when Charles appeared flustered and he went to sit beside Data; the android totally ignored what was going on.

"Unless there are any objections, should I speak our ideas?" Data suggested, after having supplied everyone with a rather-too-well rehearsed clearing of his throat. When there were no objections, he began. "Jo'rek, it is very noble of you to decide not to reveal our true mission. It is one of peacekeeping. We have the interests of both Starfleet and the Romulan Star Empire in mind."

If he was at all unconvinced, Jo'rek made no attempt to show it. He uncrossed his legs, pursed his lips and considered. "If this… this treachery is going on under my father's nose, then I am duty-bound to report it to him. As the praetor, he is responsible for the well-fare of all Romulans. As a loyal subject, I must tell him of this illhusra's betrayal of everything that is good and proper."

Lara had heard that word before and she knew that it was not pleasant. His manner of pronouncing it had, however, told Charles and Seb of its meaning.

"Jo'rek," Lara spoke slowly and measuredly, giving herself time to think and re-think is possible. "We might have an interstellar war on our hands."

"And so recently after the Tomed Incident," Seb put in, raising an eyebrow pointedly. He cast his gaze over to Charles, who tried to ignore the glance but ultimately failed.

Jo'rek appeared to be considering Seb's reminder. "I do understand the problems. I do not wish for another war between our two peoples." His eyes then clapped on Data. "Robot. What do you think, as an unbiased bystander?"

Data's eyes flicked back and forth when he was referred to as a 'robot'. Not only was he alerted by the label of 'robot' as opposed to 'android', but he was deeply concerned – and amazed – that Jo'rek had realised his true identity. Perhaps he wasn't as human as he liked to think. Once Seb, Charles and Lara had closed their gaping mouths, he gave Jo'rek his reply. "It would be incorrect to think of myself as 'unbiased', because my loyalty is to the Federation and the United Federation of Planets. I am not human, as you have rightly observed, but that does not mean that my opinion can be thought of as 'fair'. Nor am I a bystander, as I am involved all too readily in this ordeal. In fact, it was I who first discovered the clandestine conversations that were transpiring between your proconsul and the Starfleet chancellor."

Jo'rek got to his feet. Before he had reached the door and it had opened for him, he said to the four of them, "I am going to find my father."

Lara swore under her breath. She made her excuses to Charles, Seb and Data, and then she made for the exit, catching her breath as she jogged after him. As they traversed the grey, dark and deserted corridors, he made no effort whatsoever to slow down or stop for her. Once they had left the building itself, she at last plucked up the necessary courage to speak to him.

Planting her feet firmly underneath herself and watching him with intense eyes, she demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"

He ignored her. "Anger is not flattering, nor is it worthwhile. You will step out of my way and I will speak with the praetor."

He kept walking, and they were soon in the market-centre, surrounded by dozens and dozens of Romulans.

"What, and you're going to get a transport at this late notice and somehow fly to Romulus?" she questioned; she appeared collected, but she had no doubts that he might hijack a shuttle and leave the planet.

Jo'rek gave her a mean, wry smile. "I won't have to. If you had done your research properly, you'd know that the Senate regularly dispatches delegations to occupied imperial planets."

Lara's jaw fell. But she didn't give up. "Please, Jo'rek. If you speak to him, who knows what he'll say. How do you even know that he'll believe you? You can't risk it. We can't risk it."

"We?" he repeated, a pointed eyebrow cocked.

"Yes. Us."

He shook his head and laughed bitterly. He looked at her, his gaze stern and unyielding at first, but then he caught sight of her beautiful face, and he was forced to resign his anger. Hands on his head, he groaned. "I need to do this."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," he maintained. Tentatively, he reached out his hand and touched her cheek briefly. She leant into his touch, trying to persuade him not to do anything that he might regret. But all he did was kiss her forehead, and then he was gone.

Lara couldn't keep running after him; she knew that. So she could just stand there, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the market-place, as she watched his dark, lithe form disappear into the darkness beyond.

"Will you talk to me?" Seb pleaded with Charles.

The young man remained impassive, despite having had the same question put to him about three times previously. He did not shake his head, he did not make eye-contact, he did not swear and he did not pace.

"Charles, please," Seb continued, desperation – the desperate need for change and forgiveness and moving-on – evident on his face.

Charles could not ignore Seb's handsome, searching face, disfigured by Romulan cosmetics though it was. "I can't even look at you, Seb. Not after what I did."

"It's fine. It doesn't matter," Seb said shortly, but his voice was strained and shaky and the words certainly did not betray his true feelings.

Charles shook his head vehemently and rubbed his temples wearily, as if the friction could erase the shame that he felt. "I should never have-"

Seb sighed heavily, reminding himself that Data was across the other side of the room satisfactorily preoccupying himself with finding out the locations of the transports. "I really don't care. It's all in the past."

Charles rolled his eyes. "It was barely a week ago. I've done you wrong. How can you possibly want to forgive me?"

Seb shrugged, but he wasn't feeling so nonchalant. "I don't care. I just hate it when we argue. Of course, it's been difficult, us two being on this planet, and you know… But, we'll be going back to Earth soon. Very soon, by the looks of things." He nodded over to Data.

Charles frowned. "Seb, I kissed someone else!" he hissed, unable to control his emotions any more. "I have no idea why I did it and I can't turn back time." He laughed at himself. "What's worse is that I kissed a Romulan! Who knew?" He was no longer speaking in a lowered volume and Data had lifted his head up from the computer console.

Seb reached out to take Charles' hand, and he finally succeeded. "I do not care," he said, pronouncing each word carefully. "I forgive you. I'm just as much to blame. I shouldn't have dabbled in Romulan Ale."

"It's hardly the same thing," Charles maintained.

Seb took Charles' face in his hands. "I don't care. It's in the past, now. Let's forget about it."

"I am sorry to interrupt," Data said plainly, bringing out a padd. "But it appears that Admiral Tucker has been trying to contact us."

Without a moment's thought, Charles and Seb broke off their argument, knowing full-well that there were far more pressing issues at hand. Charles walked over to Data, leaning over his shoulder. "What is it? Did he say?"

"At present, the admiral is making a transmission," Data replied.

"Can we reply? I mean, is it an encoded signal? What if the Romulans notice something?" Seb asked.

Data shook his head. "I am sure that the admiral has encrypted the signal. We should respond." Seeing that the other two cadets had agreed with a nod, Data pressed a few keys on the padd, and then the Okudogram disappeared and was replaced with a live-feed of Admiral Tucker sat at his desk back in San Francisco, his hands forming a steeple on the table.

"Cadets!" he greeted them, pleased that they were alive and well. He had not heard from them since they had left for the mission. "Ah. Where is Cadet Garfield?" Seeing Charles' raised eyebrow, he added, "Your sister."

"She's... uh... She's in class at the moment. Something about artificial singularities, I think," Charles quickly put in.

The admiral smiled, apparently satisfied with that response. "I do not have long to talk with you, cadets," he continued. "This is an encrypted signal, so don't worry about it being detected. The Romulans don't trump us in all things. But I wonder if I can get used to seeing you with pointed eyebrows and ears." He allowed himself a small laugh. "I trust all is going well? How much have you learnt about Romulan culture? It must be very rewarding to observe their politics and beliefs firsthand."

"Oh, yes, Sir," Seb chimed in, a smile plastered on his face. "Very rewarding! We are composing a report." He faltered, caught up in his lie.

Data realised his discomfiture and broke in. "Yes. Admiral, would you like us to forward a copy of our report to you?"

The admiral pursed his lips in thought. "No, not now. You've not got much longer out there, have you? A month or so, if I'm not mistaken." He paused. "Make sure that you back up the file, and then bring it with you on your return."

"Of course, Admiral," the cadets agreed.

"Godspeed," Tucker added, before cutting the transmission short.

"We just lied to the Admiral," Seb muttered.

"Again."