A/N: Sorry it's been a hot minute since I've updated this story.
Here we are - five chapters in! Thank you for the kudos, likes, and reviews.
This is AU. It's dark. Eventually there's smut. If that's no' your cuppa tea, then read something else.
I would like to make clear that - in no way – do I attempt to speak for an entire community. Sexual violence impacts everyone differently. This story may not reflect your own experience or the experiences of others you know.
I can only write from my own experience. Some people prefer the term "victim" others prefer "survivor." In my head canon, I envision Tasha as being someone that prefers the term "survivor."
C/W: Contains abusive behaviour, smut, and dub con/rape. Will contain Data/Tasha fluff and eventual smut. Lore is a master of manipulation. Lore/Beverly (but it's not what it seems).
This is a fic in which Lore (still his loveably flawed, chaotic self) plays the long con before showing his true colours. Also, Lore and Data have significantly greater capacity to feel than canon suggests.
"My dear Doctor," Lore whispered.
Beverly shuddered.
He was right behind her.
Beverly could feel Lore's artificial breath hot against her neck as he pressed his body against her.
Lore rested his hands on her hips as he nipped at the pulse point on her neck.
Beverly was so used to taking care of everyone else.
It felt nice to have someone take care of her for once.
In the distance, she could hear a noise.
"Ignore it," Lore said in a low voice.
"Mmm hmm," Beverly replied in a hazy voice.
She tipped her head to the side to give him better access to her neck.
Suddenly, Beverly's eyes snapped open as she sat up in bed.
It took her a few seconds to realise she was in her quarters.
"Computer, end alarm," she ordered.
The sound of her alarm stopped instantly.
Beverly took a deep breath and fell back against her pillow.
She closed her eyes and grinned.
Beverly hadn't felt this alive in a long time.
Everything about it had seemed so real, so right.
And you'll get to do it all over again tonight! She thought to herself.
Beverly couldn't remember the last time she'd fallen so hard.
Lore wasn't merely a fling.
He was clever and he'd managed to endear himself to the Doctor.
There was something almost hypnotic about the way in which he had captivated her.
Eagerly, she kicked off her blanket and got ready.
Fifteen minutes later she was on her way to sickbay with a little spark in her step and humming absentmindedly to herself.
Across the ship, Tasha was just starting to stir. She rolled over to her side and nuzzled into her pillow.
She had slept better than she had in recent nights. There was something to be said for the safety of Data's quarters.
Ever since the incident with Lore, Tasha had felt uneasy.
The Enterprise was her home.
Starfleet had been her refuge from Turkana.
And now, it felt like someone had invaded her home, desecrated her sanctuary.
Tasha knew she couldn't stay in Data's bed forever – she had her own responsibilities and would need to face the day.
Yet in the meantime, she was grateful for the haven that Data's quarters offered.
Data.
Tasha felt a pang of guilt for the way she'd treated him last night.
She knew it wasn't rational.
And she knew Data didn't mind.
But Tasha couldn't help thinking that she should do something to reassure him.
Tasha got out of Data's bed and padded across the carpet.
She found him sitting at his workstation.
Data heard the door open and looked up from his PADD to see her leaning against the doorframe.
She was wearing one of his undershirts and looked smaller than he had remembered – it wasn't just the oversized shirt – the emotional toll of the last few days showed in her eyes.
Without a word, Tasha crossed the room.
Data let her push his chair back as she climbed into his lap.
Tasha rested her chin on his shoulder.
Tentatively, Data wrapped his arms around her.
"Is this alright?" he asked softly.
She'd been hesitant of physical contact the night before and he was cautious about her personal space.
Tasha nodded in response.
Data felt her relax a little.
They sat like that in silence for some time – neither saying a word, both content to be comfortable against one another.
After some time, Data reached up and gripped the back of her head.
He pulled her tighter against him protectively.
Data was grateful she was safe.
But he was feeling a sense of possessiveness.
His brother had hurt her in the worst way imaginable.
Lore had targeted her specifically to get at Data.
And it was eating away at him.
Tasha sat back and looked up at him.
"Hey," she said simply.
Data wasn't sure how to respond.
"Thank you," Tasha said.
"We'll be arriving at Tauphi VI in a few days," Data said. "And we'll have forty-eight hours of leave if you would like to, as you say, 'get away' for a while."
Tauphi VI was a Federation colony. The Enterprise was stopping for a routine resupply and for the ship's astrogeology team to attend a conference.
The bulk of the ship's officers – including Data and Tasha – would have two days' leave to enjoy during the resupply mission.
By no means was Tauphi VI a Risa, but it offered accommodations and attractions to entice travellers.
When Tasha didn't respond, Data assumed he had crossed a line.
Intimacy was going to be a struggle. They'd already been down that road when they had first gotten together, and Data knew it would take time.
"That was by no means a suggestion or attempt to push you into anything," Data told her. "I am content to-"
Tasha put her finger to his lips to stop him.
"I know, thank you," Tasha replied. "We'll get there again."
She snuggled back against him.
Data softly kissed the top of her head.
They would get there again.
But Lore would always be hanging between them.
"I'm telling you this is a dud," Geordi said.
He stepped back and scratched the back of his head in frustration.
"Dud?" Data asked.
He cocked his head to the side and accessed his internal informational bank. In a few seconds, he grasped the meaning of Geordi's statement.
"Ah! I see. Dud. A fake, phony, fraudulent, or lemon," Data recited aloud.
The pair had spent the last hour carefully examining the Ferengi Thought Maker device that had been responsible for the recent situation with Captain Picard and the Stargazer.
Despite their thorough investigation, they had detected no circuitry, power source, or connectors.
Geordi was at a loss.
For all intents and purposes, the device seemed to be nothing more than a prop.
"Perhaps it requires the other sphere to function?" Data theorised.
"But how, Data?" Geordi asked. "There's nothing here but some polyalloy!"
It wasn't much of a hypothesis, but they had nothing else to go on.
They were under orders to turn over the sphere to Starfleet in the next forty-eight hours. They were to dispatch it via a level one transport pod for pickup. It would be intercepted by another vessel and transported back to Starfleet Headquarters for further study.
There was so little known about the Ferengi, Starfleet science division was eager to get their hands on the technology.
They were running out of time to find out how it worked.
"Lieutenant Yar to Commander Data," Tasha's voice rang out as Data's combadge pinged.
"Data here, go ahead," he replied.
"How's it going with the sphere?" Tasha asked.
Data and Geordi exchanged a dark look.
They knew Security was awaiting their report. The Ferengi had managed to get the device on board with relatively little difficulty.
It was a security threat.
And if it had happened once, it could happen again.
Tasha was keen to know everything she could about it – how it functioned, its range, and how to shut it down.
Most importantly, she wanted to develop an easy way to scan for it to detect them in hopes of preventing any further situations.
"We'll get back to you," Geordi said as he tapped his combadge.
Over in sickbay, Beverly was reviewing the neural scans she had taken from Captain Picard during his incident with the Ferengi Though Maker device. The Captain had suffered a series of headaches that had increased in both severity and duration leading up to their encounter.
Beverly's hope was that she could identify something specific that would enable Security in preventing any future use of the object.
At the same time, Beverly was supervising a quarterly inventory of medical supplies.
It was a big undertaking, but one that would be necessary in order to properly resupply when they reached Tauphi VI. Despite being a large vessel, space was key on the Enterprise. Beverly had a fine line to walk in order to store enough medical supplies to accommodate the entire ship's complement and be equipped to take on any medical situation that may arise.
As the Federation flagship, the Enterprise had to be ready to render assistance if needed.
However, with the help of Lore the process was going much faster than ever before.
There was a soft knock on the door frame. Beverly looked up and saw Lore standing at the edge of her office.
She smiled.
"I've completed the inventory counts for medical storage bays six and eight," Lore said.
He stepped in the office and made his way over to the desk. Rather than standing in front of it, he stepped around and came to stand next to her.
"For your review, Doctor," Lore said as he handed her the tablet.
Beverly took the tablet from his hands and tapped the screen as she scrolled through the report.
A few seconds in, she felt like she was being watched.
Beverly glanced up and noticed Lore was still watching her.
"Yes Doctor?" he asked innocently.
"Was there something else?" she inquired softly.
Lore took a step back.
"I apologise, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," Lore said.
Beverly shook her head and turned back to the report.
"You aren't," she insisted.
"Good," Lore replied.
A moment later Beverly sensed he was behind her.
"Because I can't stop thinking about you," Lore said in a low voice against her ear.
Despite the warmth of his breath so close to her neck, she felt goosepimples on her arms and neck.
"I can't get you out of my system," Lore went on.
Beverly's breath hitched. It was thrilling to feel so desirable.
"I'm counting down the minutes until I see you tonight," Lore whispered.
He gently ran his fingertips along her bicep. The touch was certainly innocent enough for sickbay, but the connotation was not.
And Beverly adored every second of it.
Lore suddenly pulled his hand back.
"Forgive me, Doctor," he said.
Lore closed his eyes and took a breath to calm his neural net.
"You're quite lovely and sometimes I lose myself," Lore admitted.
Beverly watched helplessly as he backed away to put some distance between them.
With a small bow, he turned and left.
As soon as he was gone, Beverly closed her eyes and fell back against her chair.
Counting down the minutes, indeed. Beverly mused to herself.
"I feel guilty, even though I know I shouldn't," Tasha said. "He's been so good to me."
Tasha knew that there was no logic in her feelings of guilt, but it didn't change the fact it was still there – weighing on her heart like a stone she couldn't lift.
She had shared with Deanna the events of last night and this morning.
When Tasha had first come aboard the Enterprise, she had been hesitant about seeking out Counsellor Troi's help. They were friends. At the time, Tasha had been sceptical about seeking therapy from someone that was a friend. She felt it was a firm, ethical line that shouldn't be crossed.
Tasha had survived a traumatic childhood and learned to deal with that pain by coping with a series of unhealthy behaviours.
And then she had met Data.
With Deanna's help, Tasha had slowly learned to permit herself intimacy and connection again.
Now it felt like she was back to day one.
"I told him we will get there again," Tasha explained.
Suddenly, her face contorted in pain, and she sniffled.
"But this feels different," she sobbed. "This is my home."
Deanna moved from her spot on the chair to sit next to Tasha on the sofa. She pulled her into an embrace.
"This wasn't supposed to happen here," Tasha said as she broke down. "It's supposed to be safe. It's my bloody job!"
Tasha pulled away and thumbed away the tears on her face.
"What am I doing?" she said in frustration. "Crying?"
"Tasha, it's perfectly alright to cry," Deanna assured her.
"I feel like everything I've worked for is falling apart," Tasha confessed.
It feels like everything is coming together. Beverly thought with a grin as she ran her hand back through her hair.
She stepped off the lift and made her way down the corridor to Lore's quarters.
As she buzzed the alert, she was overcome with a wave of giddy energy.
The door slid open, and Beverly found herself face to face with her beloved android assistant.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," he repeated.
Unsure of what to say next, Beverly chewed at her lip.
"You have curled your hair," Lore remarked.
He reached out and tenderly tucked her hair behind her ear.
"It is most becoming," Lore said.
Internally, Lore was quite pleased with himself.
Although the compliment was genuine, it also served his purpose to have her eating out of his hand.
Dinner was an enjoyable affair.
In truth, Lore did adore her company. She was a compelling woman with the same kind of vivacious energy that Juliana had always had about her.
Beverly radiated curiosity, creativity, and passion.
And Lore wanted to bask in it.
To consume it.
To possess every fibre of her being.
"And so, I told him that the next time he wanted to go diving, he should stick to the bathtub instead," Beverly said.
Lore chuckled.
"This was marvellous," Beverly commented.
"Close your eyes," Lore asked.
Eager to find out what was next, Beverly happily complied.
Lore got up from the table and stepped over the shelf where he had encased his surprise in a temperature control force field unit to keep it at the optimal temperature.
He picked up the container and the scarf he had replicated next to it.
"Do you trust me, Doctor?" Lore asked.
"I don't know," she replied in a flirtatious tone. "What are you going to do to me?"
Lore took hold of her hand.
"It is my only intention to bring you pleasure," he assured her.
Beverly grinned.
"Then do your worst," she teased.
Lore secured the scarf as a blindfold and then deactivated the force field.
"These are something my mother made for me," Lore explained. "And it is an experience best served by concentrating your senses on taste."
Beverly's curiosity was in overdrive.
"Please open your mouth," Lore instructed.
He gently placed the first one on her tongue.
Beverly couldn't identify the food. It had a unique sour-sweet flavour that was tart and juicy. Yet, the object itself seemed to melt on contact with her tongue. It was cold, but not quite frozen.
The shape was rounded, but there was something softer and long – almost like a stem – made of dark chocolate.
Lore watched with awe as she savoured the feeling.
"What is it?" Beverly asked.
"It's known as a Frozen Red Dwarf," Lore informed her. "You blend cherry juice with Betazoid vanilla mousse and then stir in Andorian shaved ice. The stems are made of dark chocolate."
He placed another one on her tongue and watched with delight as Beverly let it melt in her mouth.
"I didn't know this was in the replicator!" Beverly exclaimed.
"It isn't," Lore said. "I made them for you."
Before she could respond, she felt his lips against her own.
Beverly groaned, happy to finally receive what she had been waiting for since the night before.
After a few seconds, Lore pulled away.
"I am sorry, Doctor," Lore said breathlessly.
He was, of course, not sorry in the slightest.
But he wanted to continue this act of feigned modesty. He needed her to throw herself at him.
Beverly removed the blindfold and looked up at him.
"Why are you sorry?" Beverly asked.
"My synthetic nature means I sometimes read social cues incorrectly. I did not seek your consent before kissing you," Lore said. "And I do not wish to harm you."
Lore turned away.
It was so hard for him not to smile.
He had her exactly where he wanted her.
Beverly got up from her seat at the table and approached him.
"Lore? Lore, look at me," she said softly.
Cautiously, Lore turned around and did his best to appear naïve.
"May I kiss you?" Beverly asked.
"I would like that very much," Lore said breathlessly.
His lips were warm, not unlike a human's and Beverly admired how natural his synthetic tongue felt.
There was a hunger in her kiss that Lore could recognise.
Her hands roamed the planes of his back, clutching at his casual jumpsuit and pulling him tight as she pressed her body against his.
After a few seconds, Lore allowed himself to hold her hips. He kept his hands there for a time – enough to sell his 'naive android' routine – before reaching for her back.
Tentatively, one hand found the nape of her neck and the other rested on the small of her back.
All of a sudden, it was as if something inside of him had shifted.
He tightened his grip and allowed a low, guttural groan to escape from his mouth.
In response, Beverly rocked against him.
She took no small amount of pleasure when she felt something firm against her thigh.
Beverly decided it was time to press the attack. She broke the kiss in favour of nipping at the bioplast on his neck.
"Doctor, I must apologise as I find my neural net is overwhelmed with thoughts that are contrary to my modesty programming," Lore said in an effort to really sell it.
Beverly stopped and looked up at him.
"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked honestly.
Lore shook his head.
"No," he replied. "But as I have said, I do not wish to harm you."
"Then take me to bed," Beverly pleaded. "Because every second you delay is agony."
He was as beautiful as she had imagined – statuesque and sculpted in a way that was so natural she would never have questioned his synthetic nature.
They had moved from the main room to the bedroom of his quarters. Beverly was seated on the bed and Lore was standing next to it.
She had more short work of his jumpsuit.
To his amusement, Beverly had requested that she be given a chance to admire his physique before things got underway.
Lore was perfectly content to oblige. He had a mixed relationship with being 'viewed' given his own traumatic experiences. However, when it was done from love, it didn't seem to bother him.
In fact, it was empowering.
Not only did he enjoy being the centre of attention, he relished in being seen as someone desirable.
He was obscenely erect, and it made Beverly shiver with anticipation.
"Am I to your liking?" Lore asked in his best effort to imitate his brother's purity.
He didn't need to ask the question – her desire was evident in her face.
But Lore craved the reinforcement.
Beverly reached for the latch on her own casual jumpsuit in response.
Lore was at her side in a flash. His hand closed around her own.
"I would like to," he paused. "Take my time with you."
Slowly, he guided her hand as he unzipped her jumpsuit.
Lore carefully pulled it off her arms, eyes full of adoration as he soaked in the sight of her flesh.
Before she could remove the garment any further, Lore cupped her face.
"You deserve to be taken slowly," Lore commented. "Savoured. Like something fine."
He traced his thumb over the bow of her lips.
Beverly closed her eyes.
She wanted him to take her, but there was something incredibly charming about the notion of being treated so tenderly.
Lore leaned in and kissed her, guided her to lay back against the bed.
Entangled against one another, Beverly rocked her hips against him and groaned.
She was desperate for more.
And he was right there, pressed against her - stiff, throbbing, and ready.
"Shhh," Lore said. "Let me take care of you, tonight."
Lore worked his way down the side of her neck and across her collar bone. His tongue skimmed across the swell of her breast that was just above the line of her bra.
Beverly inhaled contentedly as she ran her fingers back through his hair.
Lore trailed kisses down between her breasts, across her stomach and stopped just below her navel.
He looked up at her, wordlessly seeking permission to continue.
"Please don't stop," Beverly implored him.
Lore smirked.
He gripped the garment and slowly pulled it down over her legs before depositing it on the ground.
Starting at her left knee, Lore kissed his way up her thigh. On the opposite leg, he stroked the inside of her thigh with his fingers, always stopping just shy of where she needed to feel him.
When he reached the edge of her knickers, she readied herself for what was to come.
Lore didn't miss that she was holding her breath in anticipation.
It was the perfect opportunity for him to exploit.
Instead of tending to the ache between her legs, Lore sat up.
He pulled her up and slipped behind her.
Beverly was about to protest, but Lore silenced it with more teasing.
"I have always found the human compulsion for such things fascinating," Lore remarked as his fingers ghosted across the line of her bra.
Lore kneaded her breasts through the delicate fabric as he nuzzled against her.
He held her tightly against his chest. True to his word, he seemed to be taking his time, cherishing the feel of her.
"Did you wear this in hopes of eliciting a reaction from me?" Lore inquired.
"I might have," Beverly replied.
"It is most effective," Lore informed her. "But I believe it has now served its purpose."
He unclasped the garment and pulled it away.
Lore cupped her breasts again, now free of their restriction.
"That's better," Lore purred as he kissed the nape of her neck.
"I want you," Beverly pleaded.
One of his hands slipped under her knickers.
It took all of his restraint not to squeeze her harder.
She was soaked and it made his bioplast prickle to know that he was the cause of such a reaction.
"You of all people should understand the emotional and physical importance of such foreplay, Doctor," Lore said.
With his thumb on her clitoris, Lore parted her and slipped his middle finger inside of her.
Beverly gasped softly at the feel of it. A second later, she felt him slide another digit in next to the first.
"Oh," she keened as he pumped his fingers.
There was no denying he had nice hands.
And agile fingers.
For a brief moment, Beverly's mind drifted as she considered the number of times she had sat through Data's violin concerts in Ten Forward.
She'd observed him play with the deft hands and musical skill of an accomplished musician.
Doctor Soong had certainly gifted his boys with a magnificent build. It was a pity Data never expressed any interest in romantic or sexual relationships.
If the crew of the Enterprise only knew what was possible in the hands of these brothers.
Such a loss to the world. Beverly mused as she fucked herself on Lore's fingers.
Lore worked a third finger in and was pleased when Beverly threw her head back.
"Please," Beverly urged him.
To her relief, Lore removed his fingers.
Beverly allowed him to lay her back on the bed.
Lore was sitting on his knees. He pulled down her knickers and Beverly grinned in satisfaction.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked in a hungry tone.
Lore didn't need any more encouragement.
He crawled over her and lined himself up with her entrance.
Lore pushed himself in slowly and Beverly moaned in relief as he bottomed out.
He stilled, cautious to allow her time to adjust the size of him.
As much as he tried to retain a cool demeanour, he was unable to hide the pleasure in his face as she clenched around the length of his cock.
"Ohh," he stuttered with a small smile as his face twitched.
Beverly thought it was adorable.
He guided her legs up over his hips.
Lore stroked her cheek as he stared down at her. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her lips as he began to thrust into her.
It was a languid pace, enough to provide some relief but slow enough to keep her on edge.
"Does this bring you pleasure?" Lore asked as he broke their kiss.
"Oh yes," Beverly assured him.
"I love the feel of your body," Lore confessed as he rocked into her. "It is all I could think about today."
He rolled his hips against her.
"The notion of seeing you like this," Lore went on.
He quickened the pace a little and was rewarded with a whimper of pleasure.
"Lore," Beverly panted.
Beverly ran her hands over his shoulders and across his spine, grateful for him – the sound of his voice, the splendid sensation of his cock dragging along the walls inside of her.
"I must admit I have dreamed of what it would be like to see you in ecstasy," Lore told her. "And you have far exceeded my imagination."
Beverly opened her eyes and blinked at him in confusion.
"You dream?" she asked honestly.
"Oh yes, Doctor," Lore answered.
He sat up and gripped the back of her thighs.
Beverly's face registered surprise at the change in position.
It was certainly less intimate, but it provided for deeper penetration.
"I dream," Lore grunted. "And I feel."
He maintained his relatively easy pace, but began to pump with more force, pulling her body against his with each subsequent thrust.
"And I-" Lore stopped.
On cue, the computer in his quarters chimed.
"Commander Data to Lore," the audio message said.
"Ignore it," Beverly urged.
A second later, the message chimed in again.
Beverly rolled her eyes and growled in frustration.
"Don't stop," Beverly implored him. "Please, don't stop."
"Commander Data to Lore, respond or I will send a security team to your quarters," Data's voice rang out.
Lore looked down at the Doctor apologetically.
He made haste to the computer system and tapped the program to respond.
"I am sorry, brother," Lore replied breathlessly.
"I require your assistance," Data's voice said.
"Then I will be over later this evening," Lore said.
"I require your assistance now," Data said shortly.
Beverly watched as Lore grimaced.
He looked back at her and did his best to appear distressed at the thought.
"Lore, I require your assistance now," Data repeated.
"Acknowledged, on my way," Lore said sadly.
Lore stepped back over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.
Beverly knew that Data hadn't meant to ruin Lore's evening. There was no way he could have known.
However, a part of her didn't like the idea of Data ordering around his brother in such a manner. While she certainly didn't believe he was malicious, she surmised it was likely the result of Data being more analytical and aloof.
Although identical, the two couldn't be more different.
Lore was so much more human.
And Beverly assumed that lacking that understanding and personality made Data oblivious to his brother's desires.
"I am sorry that our evening has ended this way," Lore said as he reached up to cup her face.
Beverly brought her hand up against his own.
"It's not your fault," Beverly assured him.
Lore placed a tender kiss on her forehead and then got up to dress.
Beverly was struck with an idea.
"How long do you think this will take?" Beverly asked.
Lore cocked his head to the side.
"It's just, you sure know how to work a girl up," Beverly grinned. "Maybe later we could pick up where we left off?"
She had been having the time of her life when Data's untimely interruption had doused that flame.
Beverly was certain there was no way she was going to be able to go to bed without finding some kind of relief. And she'd be damned if she opted for a cold shower at this point.
"Will waiting not be unpleasant for you?" Lore asked.
"I'm happy to wait for you," Beverly promised. "Blissful torture though it may be."
To her surprise, Lore looked down at his erection and then back up to her.
She watched as he deactivated his sexual programme.
"Then I will wait too," he said firmly. "If you promise that you will as well."
He sat back down on the bed and stroked her thigh.
"It may take some time," Lore warned.
Beverly shrugged.
"I can be patient," she replied.
Lore traced the curve of her breast with the back of his fingers as he watched the rise and fall of her chest with each breath.
"It would mean resisting your arousal until my return," Lore said. "Not touching yourself or seeking other means of release."
"I think that sounds rather exciting," Beverly admitted.
"Wait for me Beverly and I promise you will not regret it," Lore assured her.
He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it.
"You may wait here if you like," Lore suggested.
Beverly rolled to the side and propped herself up on her elbow.
"I'll be waiting," she said with a mischievous grin.
Lore exited his quarters and headed off for a small storage facility near the end of the corridor. He was on a level that was largely unoccupied, and Lore knew this room would be safe.
Stepping inside, he sealed the door.
Lore rested his head back against the cool panel of the wall.
He unzipped his jumpsuit and pulled out his painfully erect cock.
Gripping it in his hand, he began to stroke himself.
Gods she was wonderful. Lore thought to himself.
He adored the feel of her, the way she had held him.
When Lore had said he'd been thinking about her, dreaming of what it would be like to hold her intimately – it hadn't been a lie.
But what Beverly didn't know is that his urgent message from Data had been false.
Lore had pre-recorded it and timed it to activate on voice command when he mentioned the word 'dream.'
It had served a dual purpose.
On one hand, it would serve to start implanting feelings of frustration against his brother.
At the same time, it served as a perfect excuse to edge Beverly.
He adored the Doctor. And he truly did want to give her pleasure.
However, Lore got an extra kick out of controlling how and when that pleasure was implemented.
And he liked to coordinate sexual scenarios that enabled him to act out his fantasies.
He sought to take her to the edge of pleasure and stop just shy of what she needed. His plan was to condition her to this kind of routine until she was so worked up it would play right into his plan.
Beverly would submit to him, but he had to play that game carefully.
He hissed as he beat himself off to the thought of it in the privacy of the small, dark storage room.
Lore grunted as he spilled himself in his hand and on the floor.
He closed his eyes and slid down along the wall to sit on the ground.
This time will be different. Lore thought with a sense of satisfaction.
True to her word and thrilled at the prospect of Lore's suggestion, Beverly lay in his bed waiting patiently for his return.
She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
Beverly squeezed her legs together and felt frustrated at the lack of friction.
You promised. She reminded herself.
Beverly knew it wasn't Data's fault, but she couldn't help but feel frustrated at the interruption.
It wasn't fair to Lore. Or her.
Or the ache of emptiness between your thighs.
"Computer, play some music," Beverly asked.
At the very least, she didn't have anything else to do tonight. She had cleared her schedule in anticipation of staying with Lore.
The computer began to play some soft jazz and Beverly decided it would be best not to try and count the minutes.
She wasn't sure how long she lay there, but eventually her eyelids grew heavy and she was overtaken by sleep.
Across the ship, Beverly wasn't the only person lying alone and hoping for intimacy.
Only in Tasha's case, it wasn't a lack of her bedfellow that was the cause.
At Deanna's suggestion, Tasha and Data had been working on spending time together in intimate, but not sexual, contact with one another – sitting together, holding hands, yoga – anything that offered physical contact without a sexual purpose.
It was a throwback to the earliest days of their relationship. Data was more than happy to oblige.
But it had been more than Tasha was ready for.
They had been seated together on his sofa as they both finished their daily reports.
Data had sensed she was tense and struggling. He'd asked her about it, and she'd gotten mad, insisting there was nothing wrong.
When Data had refused to accept that answer, Tasha had only grown more frustrated.
Data had next suggested they contact Counsellor Troi which is when Tasha had broken down.
It had ended with shouting.
And tears.
And Tasha locking herself in Data's bedroom.
Now, she was curled up on his bed alone – longing for Data to hold her but simultaneously unable to stomach the thought of it.
She hated herself for it.
For the way she had treated Data.
For feeling so helpless.
And for letting herself give in to her own trauma.
Tasha knew she would cry herself to sleep, just as she'd done on plenty of nights in the past.
Just outside the door, Data could hear her sobbing.
It broke his heart to listen to her and being powerless to stop it.
He had failed to stop his brother and it had resulted in the woman he loved being retraumatised.
He was unable to fix it.
And now, he couldn't even comfort her.
Data did not like Lore's presence.
It wasn't just his brother's malevolent nature, Data did not like the feelings Lore evoked in him.
There was a sense that could only be described as rage that was brewing deep within his neural net.
Data wanted to break something, to feel the satisfaction of destruction to release this burning pain.
He clenched and unclenched his fists in an effort to try and work out some of the tension.
Squaring his shoulders, Data decided that perhaps a walk around the deck would clear his head.