A/N: Thank you all for your continued support on this story.
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 lovably 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.
"Deanna, it's like everything is back to normal," Tasha said.
She smiled shyly and dropped her head.
Tasha was sitting was cross-legged like a pretzel on the sofa in Deanna's office.
Tasha laughed to herself and then glanced back up.
"We both have some leave save up. We thought might we put in to take a trip together. Somewhere just the two of us for a few days," Tasha said brightly.
Deanna could sense that Tasha was feeling wonderful. It radiated off of her.
Lore had now spent three nights in the brig while Data and Tasha had rekindled their intimacy.
"Deanna, we've had sex every day since we got back. It's not easy, mind you, now that Wesley's moved in," Tasha chuckled. "But we manage. And I've enjoyed every minute of it."
It was true.
Tasha hadn't wanted to dissociate even once. She didn't feel suffocated or used.
She felt adored.
"Tasha, I hate to ask, but I need to," Deanna began. "Do you think some of this newfound confidence has come from the fact Lore is in the brig?"
Tasha nodded slowly.
"I suppose," Tasha agreed.
"Tasha, what are you going to do when Lore is released?" Deanna asked bluntly. "Do you have a plan?"
Tasha paused.
"I was kind of hoping he wouldn't be," Tasha admitted as she scratched the back of her neck.
Tasha realised that wasn't likely to happen.
There had been no evidence found to link Lore to the attack on Wesley. Beverly had threatened to file a formal complaint with Starfleet if Captain Picard did not release Lore.
In the end, they had agreed to a seventy-two-hour investigation.
If they didn't turn up something overnight, then Captain Picard would have no choice but to release Lore in the morning.
"I don't know," Tasha acknowledged. "Data's going to do everything he can to stay away from him. Captain's orders. And he's going to start staying in my quarters regularly."
Deanna nodded.
That was a good sign – not just for their relationship, but Deanna was relieved to see Tasha was willing to accept help.
"Tasha, I don't want to pressure you into anything, but have you reconsidered?" Deanna inquired. "If you were to come forward then I'm sure that Captain Picard would-"
Tasha froze.
She averted her eyes as her conversation with Beverly came back to the forefront of her mind.
Conversation? Argument. Tasha scoffed internally.
"Let's just say I dipped my toe in the water and it was pretty icy," Tasha said.
"Tasha?" Deanna prompted.
Tasha sighed and sat back against the sofa.
"I told someone about what happened. A friend," Tasha explained. "At least they were until I told them."
Deanna frowned.
She could sense that whatever had occurred, Tasha was feeling deeply troubled by the loss of this friend.
"I can't," Tasha shrugged. "I can't go through that again."
Deanna reached across the table and gave Tasha's hand a squeeze.
"There's no time limit, Tasha. You don't have to decide now. And you can always change your mind," Deanna reminded her.
"Thanks," Tasha replied.
She straightened up and flashed Deanna a smile.
"I think I just want to move on. After all, things are going really well with Data," Tasha grinned.
While things may have been going well for Data and Tasha, the situation down in sickbay was radically different.
Beverly had been on edge ever since Lore's arrest.
She'd petitioned the Captain to release him – and she wasn't the only one. A number of other crew members had stepped forward to demand answers as to Lore's continued presence in the brig.
But Beverly remained his most ardent supporter.
Outside of her breaks in the brig, Beverly had spent nearly every waking moment in sickbay tending to Geordi.
There had been some minor surgery required for his neural implants. Once they had gotten the bleeding on his brain under control, Beverly had been able to relieve the pressure.
Geordi was doing better, but he still had a way to go in his recovery. Beverly had advised that he would probably have migraines for a few more days until the treatment was completed.
Four times a day they administered a specialised treatment that ensured his neural implants healed in place. Twice a day he had hyposprays for the pain. And every ninety minutes Geordi was given a medication to help alleviate the pressure in his cranium.
Data had stopped by the first day, keen to sit with Geordi.
Beverly had banned him from sickbay.
Tasha too for good measure – unless she required treatment for something.
Beverly convinced herself it wasn't personal. She felt like she was protecting Geordi.
"Doc? Is Data around?" Geordi asked.
It was one of the first times he had felt good enough to even initiate a conversation.
"I'm sorry, Geordi," Beverly said as she sat down next to him.
She set her tablet down and gave his hand a warm squeeze.
"Is he in trouble?" Geordi asked.
"It's for your own protection," Beverly replied.
Geordi frowned.
"Protection from what?" Geordi demanded.
Beverly sighed.
"I've ordered Data to stay clear of sickbay until the engineering team has completed their examination," Beverly explained. "He seriously injured you, Geordi."
"Data didn't mean it," Geordi insisted.
That didn't change the fact that it happened.
"Look, Lore's been getting under his skin for weeks," Geordi said. "I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I think Lore's done it intentionally."
Geordi didn't know all of the details.
However, he knew enough to piece together there was some kind of rivalry between Data and Lore and that it involved Tasha.
Geordi also knew that Tasha would never have given a chump like Lore a passing glance.
"I shouldn't be telling you this. But I trust it won't go any further. I think something happened between Lore and Data. Somehow Tasha's involved," Geordi shared.
He dropped his voice to a whisper.
"I think Data and Tasha might be an item," Geordi said quietly.
You have no idea. Beverly thought, maintaining a straight face.
"I think Lore's been giving him a hard time about it," Geordi shared. "Making Data feel bad. And making Tasha uncomfortable."
Beverly plastered a fake smile on her face.
"Why do you think that? I mean, do you have any evidence?" she asked.
A part of her was trying to suss out if Tasha had something to Geordi to discredit Lore.
Another part of her was curious if there was information to back Tasha's account. Beverly would feel terrible if it were true.
Evidence? Geordi thought.
He was surprised by Beverly's extreme reaction.
"Geordi?" Beverly pressed.
"Forget I mentioned it," Geordi said with a frown.
"You just focus on getting better," Beverly said.
Geordi laid back against the pillow and sighed.
"Any chance I could get a tablet?" Geordi asked.
If Beverly wasn't going to let him see Data, then Geordi would have to get creative.
Twenty-three minutes later Data stepped into sickbay.
Beverly was conducting a physical with another patient when she saw him enter and glance around for Geordi.
"Excuse me," Beverly said to Ensign Graham.
She dropped her tricorder into her jacket pocket. Squaring her shoulders, she approached Data.
"You're not supposed to be in here," Beverly reminded him.
"Doctor, I apologise. I came to see Lieutenant La Forge," Data explained.
"And I ordered you to stay out of sickbay in order to protect Lieutenant La Forge," Beverly replied coolly.
Data had no desire to start an argument, but he had a good reason for coming.
"I have no wish to disobey you," Data said. "But I received a message from Geordi. It said urgent."
Data had been pleasantly surprised when a message came through on his computer from Geordi. He was relieved to see Geordi was up and able to communicate. However, Geordi's request to speak with him urgently left Data uneasy.
He had dropped everything and raced up to sickbay.
"You need to leave," Beverly said in a polite, but firm voice.
"You are welcome to observe," Data offered, hoping it would convince her to allow him access to Geordi.
Beverly closed her eyes and shook her head.
"You need to leave, Data. Now," Beverly repeated.
"Doctor, please. If I could just speak with Geordi-" Data tried.
"Data, please go. I don't want to have to call security," Beverly warned.
Data was at a loss for words.
"Doctor, I-" Data began.
"Data, please," Beverly pleaded.
Data glanced over to Geordi's cot. A pained look crossed his face.
He nodded sadly. Without a word, Data turned and left.
At 18:00 hours, Beverly arrived down in the brig with a picnic of sorts. She had put together dinner for her and Lore and brought along a deck of cards and a blanket. It was his last night in the brig (barring any evidence against him) and Beverly wanted to offer her support.
She couldn't put her finger on it – and Lore had danced around the question – but he was clearly disturbed about being held in custody.
Beverly didn't know if it was some form of android claustrophobia or the notion of being captive. She understood that Lore had struggled with the humans on Omicron Theta. From what limited information Lore had shared, Beverly understood that Lore had been objectified by the colonists.
She surmised this led to his fear of imprisonment.
Beverly keyed in her access code and dropped the forcefield on Lore's cell.
He lit up as soon as he saw her.
"Doctor," he said with a smile.
"You'll be released in the morning," Beverly assured him.
Lore nodded.
"I'm so sorry," Beverly apologised.
"It is not your fault," Lore assured her.
He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips, placed a soft kiss on the back of it.
"I'm sorry I've been absent," Lore said.
"Not your fault," Beverly said with a smile, throwing his words back at him.
They spread out the blanket and had a picnic on the floor of the brig. Beverly had replicated some sandwiches and her grandmother's shortbread.
Lore didn't need to eat, but he appreciated that she had considered him.
It was a gesture for him – and that mattered more than anything.
"I look forward to the day when we can enjoy this without an escort," Lore said quietly.
It disturbed him that there was a guard at the end of the corridor just inside the door of the brig. While he couldn't see Beverly and Lore, he did monitor her comings and goings. And every fifteen minutes, the guard did a walkthrough of the entire brig.
And each time that guard strolled past Lore's cell, it was a reminder that he wasn't truly free. The humans didn't trust him.
"About that," Beverly began to say.
Lore kept a neutral face. Inside, he braced himself for the worst.
"Captain Picard will be assigning a guard outside of your quarters during your off hours," Beverly explained as she laid out their picnic.
Lore's face soured.
"It's as much for your protection as anything," Beverly assured him. "There will be one in sickbay and one watching Data as well."
Lore was somewhat relieved by that information though he still disliked the idea. It was certainly more equitable that both he and Data were both going to be under the watchful supervision of security, though it bothered Lore that the Captain felt it was necessary.
Lore wasn't keen on either Data or himself being observed.
It reinforced his prejudice against humans. They didn't trust his brother any more than they did him.
"Once the Captain realises you're not the problem, he will have to stop," Beverly said. "After all, it's not like you've been the one instigating this."
"Of course not," Lore replied with a small smile.
Omicron Theta Colony 2336
"Of course not," Lore insisted.
"Then how do you explain this?" Noonian demanded.
He waved his hand and indicated to the contents of the room around them.
Lore shrugged.
"Why don't you ask Data?" Lore inquired.
Noonian frowned.
"What happened?" Juliana asked softly.
"I don't know," Lore lied. "Ask Data."
Juliana and Noonian had returned home from a day in the colony village to discover that Lore's room was completely trashed.
Data had discovered the damage.
Upon Lore's return, they had moved Data out of Lore's bedroom. He was now sharing with B-4. But in Lore's absence, Data had been given his room – and all of his things.
Data had made himself at home with Lore's art supplies and violin. All of the wonderful memories he had of his time with Juliana, memories that were his and his alone, had now been violated.
Data and Juliana painted together.
They studied music together.
Every Wednesday they would play for B-4.
It made Lore sick.
Those were his special memories, his time with her.
While Data had left his room with no complaint, Lore couldn't shake the feeling that his space had been ruined by his brother's presence.
So Lore had destroyed all of the paintings – both the ones completed by Data and the ones he had done himself.
He smashed his violin.
Lore emptied his art supplies, ripped his brushes apart, broke his easel, and tore the limbs from his little wooden figurine.
Lore already loathed having to share Juliana with Noonian. It was bad enough that she wasted her time on that bumbling old fool.
He didn't mind B-4. B-4 was his brother. And the bond that Lore shared with him was unbreakable. Lore felt a sense of responsibility to watch out for him.
And B-4 wasn't a threat.
But Data was.
If Lore couldn't have Juliana to himself, then he wasn't going to stand by and let Data take her from him or impose on the special activities that they had always shared together.
"I said ask Data," Lore repeated nonchalantly. "I'm the victim here."
"Don't," Noonian said. "You belittle your own intelligence when you lie. I made you better than that."
"If you made me so much better, why did you create Data?" Lore snapped.
There it was.
All out in the open.
It was something Lore had wanted to say for a long time.
"We love all of our children equally," Juliana assured him.
Lore shot them both a look. He didn't believe it for a second.
If they loved all of their children equally, they wouldn't have written Lore off so quickly after he left home. In Lore's mind, giving his room and things to Data was proof that he was replaceable.
He felt like he wasn't special.
It made him feel like he wasn't even a person.
They had so easily swapped him for a replica – a replica that was compliant. Everything old Noonian had always wanted.
"All the paints," B-4 commented.
He didn't understand, but he knew that all of their paints were gone.
B-4 was sitting on the floor in Lore's room. He was on his knees looking at all the empty tubes of acrylic paint and the scattered dust from the cracked watercolours.
"It is possible to procure more," Data said.
Data had always let B-4 join in painting with him. And Data let B-4 use all the colours – not just the few Lore had been willing to share. Data had also let B-4 use his other tools including his charcoals.
Lore had never permitted B-4 to use his fancy supplies. He considered it a waste.
Because of Lore's return, the Soongs had been forced to work out a schedule to allow all the boys to share the space.
"Perhaps we shouldn't have pushed them together?" Juliana suggested.
She suspected Lore was feeling crowded.
"Maybe I should just go again?" Lore suggested wildly.
"Fine," Noonian shrugged.
"No!" Juliana said quickly.
She gripped Lore's hand, desperate to ensure he didn't walk away.
"Please, Lore," Juliana pleaded.
She had just gotten her boy back. She couldn't stand the thought of losing him again.
"Clean this up," Noonian ordered.
"Or what?" Lore hissed.
"Or don't clean up. I don't care," Noonian replied. "You're the one that has to live in this mess."
After they left, Lore sat down against the wall.
He kicked away the remnants of his easel in frustration.
Downstairs Juliana and Noonian were talking. If he strained his audio receptors, Lore could make out their conversation.
"He's just sulking," Noonian said.
"It's a perfectly normal reaction," Juliana argued. "It's no different than a human child feeling jealousy over a new baby."
"He's not a child," Noonian insisted.
"Then stop treating him like one," Juliana retorted.
Lore grinned at her comment. She always knew just how to put Noonian in his place.
"Why don't we turn one of the storage rooms into a creative room for the boys?" Juliana suggested. "We can give them all their own little workspace."
"We have a third bedroom," Noonian reminded her.
There was a long pause.
Eventually, Juliana found her voice.
"Noonian, please. I can't," Juliana confessed.
"Well, I don't see the sense in reducing our storage capacity when we have a perfectly good room sitting unused," Noonian commented.
Lore couldn't figure out why they hadn't given Data that room in the first place.
That wasn't entirely true.
Lore knew exactly why they hadn't given Data that room.
Nova's room had sat untouched and perfectly preserved since her life had terminated. Juliana maintained it faithfully, dusting her daughter's possessions weekly. She would occasionally lock herself in for hours at a time, running her hands across the unused cello that would never make music beautiful again.
Sometimes Juliana would fall asleep in there after a good cry.
Nova's birthdays were always a solemn day in the Soong house.
Noonian had refused to step foot in the room ever again, though he would occasionally pause in front of the door before shuffling along with a sad look in his eye.
No, Nova's room was off limits.
The next evening, Lore returned home in the late afternoon.
"Where have you been?" Noonian asked as Lore stepped through the door.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spied activity at the top of the stairs.
"I said, where have you been?" Noonian repeated.
Lore had been gone most of the day – though he would never tell his father where he'd been.
Lore ignored him, pushing past his Father, and heading straight upstairs where he found the corridor full of furniture and knickknacks.
Data and B-4 were moving things around.
The door to Nova's room was open. Juliana was sitting on the bed. She was holding one of Nova's paper flowers.
Lore stepped inside and sat down next to her, taking his mother's hand.
"It was time," Juliana said sadly.
She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.
Lore hated to see Juliana in pain. And he knew just how agonising it was for her to box away the last memories of her beloved daughter. All of her possessions, all that was left of Nova was going to be put into storage - just like the very remnants of Nova herself.
Data stepped in carrying the case of a brand-new violin and set it down in the corner.
"What do you think you are doing?" Lore demanded.
"Moving in," Data replied simply.
After much debate, Juliana and Noonian had decided that giving each boy their own room was the best way to resolve the conflict that had plagued their household as of late.
Lore was furious.
He felt as if all the love and warmth he had once felt in this home from Juliana had evaporated before his eyes.
Lore scoffed.
"Is there a problem, brother?" Data inquired sincerely. "Would you prefer this room?"
"No, no," Juliana said as she got up. "It's all settled. Data, this is your room now."
She wanted to try and stop any argument before it went further.
"I wouldn't want it anyways," Lore said, his resolve failing. "Seeing as how I wasn't even good enough to have my room saved when I went away!"
Juliana tried to reach for his hand, but Lore retracted it.
"Lore, we never meant to hurt you. We're doing this because we want you to know how special you are to us," Juliana explained. "This is for you."
But Lore didn't want to hear her excuses.
Nova had been gone for years.
Lore had only been gone a year and they had erased him.
"Take your precious Nova and pack her away!" Lore fumed. "We're just objects to you anyways!"
Lore grabbed one of Nova's snow globes and threw it at the wall.
"You can just build another one when it suits your fancy!" Lore shouted. "We're all just replaceable to you!"
"Brother, please," Data said, stopping him before he broke another one of Nova's possessions.
They struggled for a few moments. Lore was blinded by fury and that allowed Data to gain the upper hand. After a few minutes, he had Lore secured by holding his arms behind his back.
Juliana stepped forward and cupped her son's face.
"You're my son. No one could ever replace that," Juliana told him.
"Except your precious Data," Lore replied, hot tears beginning to pool in his eyes and threatening to spill down his face.
"I love you," Juliana assured him. "You are my boy."
Present
"I love you," Tasha said softly.
It was their last night together free of Lore.
In the morning, he would be released from the brig.
They were in Data's quarters sitting snuggled together on the sofa. It was now the only place they had any privacy with Wesley Crusher bunking down in Tasha's quarters.
"On the orders of Captain Picard, both Lore and I will be under supervision," Data shared as he stroked her hair.
"I know," Tasha replied simply.
After all, as Security Chief she had been tasked with assigning two officers to monitor them.
"Let's not talk about him tonight, please?" Tasha requested.
"What would you like to do?" Data asked.
"Take me to bed," Tasha said.
Data blinked.
"I believe I have a better idea," Data said as he scooped her up.
"Mmmm, this was a better idea," Tasha said.
She had her arms folded over the edge of Data's bathtub and was resting her head on top of them as Data rubbed her back.
When he finished, Data planted a soft kiss between her shoulder blades.
Data snaked his arms around her body. Tasha let him pull her back against his chest as he moved to his own end of the tub.
"This is better," Data whispered against her ear.
He pressed his lips against the side of her neck as Tasha allowed herself to go limp against him.
She felt like a noodle in a pot of warm water, and it was nothing short of divine.
Data's left hand slipped down between her thighs as he began to stroke her clit.
"Data-" Tasha breathed.
"Shhh," Data said, shushing her.
Tasha adored his hands – especially when they were on her body.
The downside of being in the bathtub meant that Tasha didn't have much room to spread her legs.
With his free hand, Data caressed her thigh and up over her abdomen. He gently squeezed her right breast, brushing his thumb across her nipple.
"Data," Tasha repeated.
She desperately wanted to spread her legs and sit on the stiff erection that was poking her back.
Tasha rocked against his hand. She threw her head back against Data, panting as his long, adept fingers continued to work their magic.
Tasha gasped softly as Data pulled her onto his cock.
"Is that what you wanted?" Data asked as he nuzzled against her exposed neck.
"Oh gods, Data," Tasha panted. "Please."
She clenched around him, encouraging Data to move.
"Come for me first," Data said.
His breath was warm as it tickled just below her ear, coaxing her along.
"Come for me and then I will take you to bed," Data urged.
Tasha let herself melt into his touch, slipping away from the world and wholly into his arms – utterly bound to his touch and completely beholden to the sound of his voice.
"Can you do that for me?" Data inquired as he rested his hand on her chest.
"Mmm hmm," Tasha squeaked.
Data increased the speed and pressure of his finger on her clitoris.
He held Tasha close as she shook apart in his hands.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They were content to sit there in silence surrounded by the steam, their bodies wet against one another.
Data tentatively kissed her shoulder and Tasha responded with a lazy affirmative.
"Is it still your desire that I take you to bed now?" Data asked.
He wanted to be certain.
"More than anything," Tasha said as she turned in the water.
While she regretted that turning meant losing the wonderful sense of fullness from his cock, Tasha longed to see him and touch him properly.
She captured his lips in a heated kiss.
"I want you, Data," Tasha said.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her face against Data's, kissing along his jawline as she rested her hands on his chest.
In their current position, she didn't have the room necessary to sink down into lap properly.
"Fuck me, Data," Tasha pleaded.
She kissed the edge of his mouth gently.
"I want you," she repeated against his mouth.
Out of the bath and into bed, Tasha felt a shiver of excitement as Data crawled up on top of her. She was sitting up on the end of the bed.
Tasha spread her legs as he closed in, planting his arms on either side of body. She fell back as he descended toward her, the weight of his frame making her heady with anticipation.
For a moment, they stared at one another.
Without breaking eye contact, Data watched the change register in Tasha's face as he slipped inside of her.
He began thrust into her slowly, their bodies moving in tandem as they both found pleasure together.
Data nipped tenderly at her neck before moving down over to her shoulders and collarbone. He worked his way down before settling to nibble at the soft swell of her chest.
Tasha keened, wrapping her legs around his waist. She twisted her fingers into his wet hair, signalling for Data to pick up the pace.
As he continued to plunge himself into her, Data was grateful for her warm embrace. He loved when Tasha played with his hair. And he loved the feel of her beneath him.
In Data's experience, there was no greater connection to humanity that being buried deep inside of her.
Wordlessly, Tasha indicated that she wanted to change positions.
Data let her call the shots, rolling them together so that she was on top.
Straddling him, Tasha sat up and back.
Data was entirely captivated as she arched her back and began to ride him.
It was easier for her find her own release in his position – especially when she could control the speed and depth at which they went.
A part of Data wanted to close his eyes and give himself over to this sensation. But he could not tear his eyes away from the sight of her. He was enthralled by her exposed neck as Tasha threw her head back and rolled her hips on top of him.
Data reached up to grip her backside. There were certain advantages to having long arms.
Holding her in place against him, Data matched her thrust for thrust as pumped up into her.
There was a delicious pressure building in her core. Data could feel she was getting close. There were always tell-tale signs of her impending orgasm.
Her breathing rate had increased. Words had been replaced by low vowel sounds. The muscles in her thighs tightened.
Her body jerked on top of him as she came with a whimper.
Data stopped.
Tasha collapsed on top of him.
"Don't stop," Tasha urged.
She wanted him to come too.
Tasha wrapped her arms around Data. Resting her head against his chest, she bounced her hips on his stiff cock.
"Don't stop," she repeated as she snuggled against him.
Data closed his eyes, inhaling the soft scent of her conditioner as he plunged himself into her.
He felt his balls tighten just before his cock spasmed, spilling himself deep inside of her.
Data rolled them once again so that Tasha was on her back.
Holding her gaze, he thrust into her a few more times slowly, shooting another load of biofluid as he drained himself into her warm cunt.
"Data," Tasha breathed.
"Shhh," Data shushed her.
He rutted into her at an agonisingly slow pace. Data was holding her tight, almost suffocatingly slow.
"Ah," she inhaled softly at a newfound sense of fullness as Data came again.
Tasha clenched around him as she felt his biofluid leaking out around his cock.
Data stilled.
He loosened his grip, pulling back just far enough to look at her.
For a moment, he said nothing, simply watching her as his artificial breathing programme worked to regulate itself.
"I am sorry," Data apologised.
Tasha blinked in confusion.
While the continued orgasms were new, they certainly weren't unwelcome. Tasha felt deliciously full -from both the cock that was still snug and hard within her and the huge load of biofluid that was encased inside of her.
"I felt an overwhelming urge to-" Data trailed off.
"Data?" Tasha questioned as she reached up to caress his face.
"I felt an overwhelming urge to…to take you," Data confessed tentatively.
Tasha closed her eyes and keened softly as she pulled him down against her chest.
Data relaxed as she stroked his hair, both of them too spent to say anything.
Down in the brig, Beverly was just preparing to leave.
She had spent several hours there with Lore – playing a few rounds of cards and chatting for a while about the latest news from sickbay.
Lore was keen to keep tabs on Lieutenant La Forge's progress.
No visitors were permitted in the brig after 22:00 hours. And Beverly knew she was already bending the rules as they were.
"I should go," she said reluctantly.
Whenever she left, Lore's mood shifted. He tried to hide it, but she could sense that he was uncomfortable.
"I'll be back in the morning," Beverly assured him.
"I look forward to it," Lore said.
He reached up and caressed her cheek.
"A ray of sunlight in the morning," Lore said fondly.
Beverly put her hand over his, closing her eyes as she savoured the feel of it.
She kissed the inside of his wrist and stared at him longing for a few seconds.
"In any case, I heard through the grapevine that Data and Tasha may be taking some leave together alone,' Beverly shared. "That will give us some time without them aboard."
She smiled.
"Is he leaving as part of a disciplinary action for his assault on Lieutenant La Forge and myself?" Lore inquired.
Beverly shook her head.
"No, I guess they want to celebrate their engagement," Beverly said.
She sighed and shrugged.
"Apparently they didn't feel our last shore leave was adequate," she said with a hint of disapproval.
"Well," Lore said as he moved his eyebrows.
He had to spend the night in the brig and his baby brother was getting to take a holiday. It just didn't seem fair – especially when Lore suspected that dear Data wouldn't have the first clue about how to treat his Lieutenant on their little celebratory trip.
"Do you know where they're heading?" Lore inquired.
"Not really," Beverly replied. "Deanna thinks they might go back to Tauphi IV. Either way, it will be time when we're free to wander the ship without you having to worry about him," Beverly smiled.
No, no we won't. Lore thought.
He grinned, which Beverly assumed was in reference to the idea of spending some time free to roam the ship.
She had no idea that Lore had been struck with a deviously brilliant idea.
"Goodnight," Lore said as he kissed the top of her head.
"Night," Beverly replied.
He watched her go, thrilled at the prospect that in less than twelve hours he was going to have his fill of his beautiful Doctor after his release.
Lore laid back on his cot, resting his head on his arm.
He chuckled to himself.
In the morning he'd be free. He'd make Beverly breakfast. She deserved to be treated with affection. He'd stuff her with strawberry crepes and then he'd stuff her little cunt with something even sweeter.
"No one to talk with. All by myself. No one to walk with, but I'm happy on my shelf," Lore sang aloud.
He crossed one leg over the other as he tapped his foot in the air.
"Ain't misbehavin', I'm saving my love for you," Lore sang.
Tasha stirred the next morning, snuggling down into her pillow.
A lazy affirmative slipped from her lips as she felt Data's hand on her back.
Tasha scooted up next to him.
"G'morning," she said in a hazy voice.
"Good morning," Data replied as he brushed the back of her head with a kiss.
"What time is it?" Tasha asked with a yawn.
"06:28," Data responded.
"Mmmm," Tasha replied as she rolled over.
She wrapped her arms around Data, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder.
"Have you decided if you would like to go on leave together?" Data inquired.
Tasha had thought about it ever since they had first discussed the idea.
It would be nice to get away for a while.
Just the two of them.
Alone.
They needed some time away from the ship. It would be a way to celebrate their engagement and let things cool down.
Word of the incident on the beach – and Tasha's subsequent public profession of love for Data in the transporter room during his arrest had spread quickly through the ship.
In fact, the only person still in the dark on the matter was Geordi who had been unconscious in sickbay.
"We could head back to Tauphin IV and spend a few days making new memories together," Data suggested.
"We could," Tasha replied. "Or we could tell everyone we're going to Tauphi IV and go to Neira instead."
Data was familiar with the planet. It was a sparsely populated cold-weather planet. There were two main settlements where almost the entire population existed. Its vast wilderness made it a destination hotspot for winter-sport seekers.
Outside of that, it wasn't considered much of a destination for those seeking leisure.
Tasha pushed herself up on her arms so that she was hovering over Data.
"Just you and me and nothing but the mountains," Tasha said.
Running away to the middle of nowhere with Data sounded far too tempting a chance to resist.
"You know they have these little cabins? You could curl up and read a book in front of the fireplace and I could curl up on your lap," Tasha proposed.
The idea of heading off alone to a romantic mountain getaway was tempting. Data had never travelled to such a place. He had read plenty of stories about such destinations. As he accessed his internal database on the planet, Data was blown away by the descriptions of snow-capped mountain ranges, alpine forests, and panoramic views.
"We should probably inform the Captain," Data advised.
"Alright. But just the Captain," Tasha replied.
She nestled down against Data.
"This trip is for you and me. Only for you and me," Tasha said contentedly.
Lore did his best to keep his face neutral as Captain Picard ordered that the forcefield on his cell be dropped. He didn't want to appear too eager.
On the other side of the forcefield, Captain Picard wore a tight expression. There was no evidence to keep Lore detained – even though Jean-Luc knew that Lore belonged there.
Wesley Crusher couldn't recall any additional details from his attack. And Tasha had made it abundantly clear that she had no desire to file charges against Lore – not that Jean-Luc could blame her.
It made him sick to his stomach that he was about to unleash Lore back upon the ship.
And upon Beverly.
She was practically giddy standing next to the Captain.
As soon as the shield was done, Lore remained still.
"May I leave the cell?" Lore inquired politely.
Jean-Luc's lips grew thin.
He had grown weary of Lore's feigned compliant attitude. Jean-Luc also recognised this was a trick. Lore was baiting him in hopes of drawing out an outburst. Such an angry reaction would only make Jean-Luc look worse in Beverly's eyes.
"You are free to go," Jean-Luc replied in an even tone.
"Then there will be no guard?" Lore asked innocently.
He was pressing the Captain's buttons in hopes of cornering him.
"No, both you and Mr Data will remain under supervision to ensure that you keep a healthy distance from one another," Jean-Luc explained.
"And I'm sure you'll soon find that Lore is doing everything in his power to follow your orders," Beverly added.
Jean-Luc turned and gave her a sad look.
She was such a confidant and assertive woman. She was one of his dearest friends and Jean-Luc had always admired her determination and sharp wit. Yet he knew Beverly was a nurturer.
It was in her nature – even before she practiced medicine or became a mother.
Jean-Luc suspected that Lore was using that to his advantage. It was easy for Lore to lay his emotional burdens on Beverly, manipulating her by playing on her desire to heal.
His fists clenched as he watched Lore press his lips to the back of her hand.
"How can I ever repay your kindness?" Lore asked softly.
Jean-Luc fought the urge to roll his eyes.
Beverly blushed.
"How about we start with breakfast?" Lore suggested.
They departed the brig arm-in-arm, leaving Jean-Luc alone with his resentment.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Beverly asked.
She picked up her saucer and took a sip of tea, observing Lore over the edge of her cup.
He seemed to be excited ever since he had picked up his PADD. For the last ten minutes, Lore had been clicking away at it with a smirk on his face.
"Just browsing Federation news," Lore lied. "I spent so many years deactivated that since my reactivation I've become accustomed to staying in touch with current events."
He looked up from his tablet.
"I missed it during my time in the brig," Lore said.
He turned back to his tablet and continued to punch in the commands to convert his message into the appropriate harmonic frequencies.
It had been over twenty years since he had last seen his friend – she was a beautiful, misunderstood creature.
Just like Lore.
They had been two lonely, unappreciated creatures brought together by chance.
No, not chance. Fate. Lore smirked.
And once again, Lore was going to call upon her. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement – Lore gave her the sustenance she craved, and she would take care of all of Lore's problems.
She always cleaned things up neatly.
Lore's face twitched as soon as he hit send. As soon as the message was sent, Lore wiped the system, erasing any evidence of his outgoing transmission.
A pleasant tingling radiated through his system.
He glanced back up at Beverly.
"What?" she asked before popping a forkful of food in her mouth.
"Push your nine o'clock back," Lore said suddenly.
Beverly quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I've got plans for you," Lore grinned.