A/N: It's been a long time. Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for reading/reviewing/kudos/likes.
Lore's redesigned Ferengi Thought Maker is now in full swing.
C/W: Contains abusive behaviour, smut, and dub con/rape. Will contain Data/Tasha fluff. Lore is a master of manipulation. This chapter also includes a dark moment from Lore's past where he hurts an animal and then later (in the present) a person.
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.
"You're very nearly late today," Riker grinned as he checked his timepiece.
"I'm five minutes early," Tasha protested.
"For you, that is late," Riker teased.
Typically, Tasha was always at least fifteen minutes early for morning report.
"Well fortunately today you are the only crew member on report, so your secret is safe," Riker winked.
Tasha just rolled her eyes.
"Good morning?" Riker inquired. "Or a late night?"
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"No," Tasha answered honestly.
Riker shot her a disbelieving look.
"Really," Tasha said with a casual shrug. "I just got caught up reading messages on my tablet this morning."
I wish it had been. Tasha thought to herself.
In truth, she had spent the night mostly alone. After a quiet dinner with Wesley, Tasha had been far too sleepy to stay awake. Data had been preoccupied all evening.
And while she'd had the most wonderful dream, it had been just that – only a dream.
Nothing more than fantasy.
Upon waking, Tasha had hoped Data would be keen to help her finish what dream Data had started.
Only he had rushed out without explanation. In the moment it had felt almost like Data was trying to get away from her as quickly as possible.
Tasha knew that she shouldn't put too much emphasis on it.
They were under a great deal of pressure from the situation with Lore and Beverly, figuring out their own relationship, and their regular duties.
Add the mystery regarding the destroyed planets, vanished ships, and people to the mix – it was like living in a pressure chamber.
Tasha understood that Captain Picard expected Data to put in extra time on the matter. After all, they had a responsibility to investigate.
Resolved that the ache in the pit of her stomach was nothing more than self-doubt, Tasha pushed her concern aside.
Data spent the morning in the lab working on his monthly report. Normally such a task would be done at the comfort of his workstation.
But Data felt he couldn't go there – not after his dream.
Nightmare. He corrected himself.
Dreams were pleasant experiences. Occasionally they could be confusing. More often than not they were mundane.
But there had been nothing pleasant about his nightmare.
Every time he closed his eyes, all Data could see was his workstation and Tasha in pain.
It hurt.
It made his heart ache in a way that Data had not known was possible. Worst of all, Data was utterly overcome with guilt for the simple fact that he seemed to enjoy the experience.
Data knew it was wrong.
Every fibre of his being screamed that it was unethical to use another person like that, to cause someone pain. And worst of all – to relish in it.
Yet Data could not deny that he found the experience thrilling.
He did not produce endorphins like humanoids. But his neural net did have the ability to stimulate pleasure receptors in his positronic matrix. Whether it was by design or merely part of what Tasha called Data's soul, in either case, he had been enticed and delighted by the experience.
Even as he involuntarily replayed the engram, Data could not deny that he was aroused by it.
This self-spiral of conflicting feelings was threatening to overwhelm Data. It disrupted his concentration on his work.
And in what was quickly becoming a frequent occurrence, Data felt like he had no control over himself or his emotions.
And Data wasn't the only one feeling uncertain.
Over in sickbay, Beverly wasn't sure where she stood. For the first time in years, Beverly felt like her love life was going in the right direction.
Things certainly hadn't been easy as of late.
But she had Lore. He was so affectionate and attentive. Whenever they were together, Beverly could forget about the world. She could push aside all the negative thoughts and feelings that came with their relationship.
It was isolating to know that their friends were taking sides. Losing Jean-Luc and then Wesley had nearly driven Beverly to the breaking point.
Yet Lore had been there with her through all of it.
At least, he had been - right up until he wasn't.
Lore had promised to be back in the morning for breakfast. Only he hadn't shown. He hadn't even bothered to check in.
Beverly was trying not to feel too beat up about it. That was a tall order. Lore was her only solace on a ship full of people that had distanced themselves from Beverly.
At least Jean-Luc had shown up.
Beverly had been grateful for some company with breakfast. She was beginning to feel like a pariah. Jean-Luc was her oldest friend and their breakfast together had gone well.
Though she dreaded the inevitable questions about Lore and Wesley.
To Beverly's surprise, Picard had asked about neither.
Instead, he asked about her recovery and chatted about the latest peace talks between the Bolians and the Maropa.
And when Jean-Luc had been forced to return to his duties, Beverly had felt an unmistakable pang of loneliness.
"I could stop back for dinner if you are otherwise unoccupied?" Picard suggested.
Beverly was beaming.
She opened her mouth to say yes and then stopped herself.
"Oh, I uh, well, I should be getting out of here today and-"
"Say no more," Jean-Luc assured her.
Since Tasha was the only person on report that morning, Riker decided to use the time to get caught up on paperwork.
Tasha had the experience and clearance necessary to assist. Truth be told, Will Riker was grateful for her input. Tasha was a whiz when it came to understanding Starfleet regulations.
In her role as the Security Chief, Tasha had logged more hours than most writing reports.
Tasha paused and frowned.
"Do you have the interdepartmental logs from Stardate 41263 to 41297?" Tasha asked.
"Mmm," Riker nodded.
He scanned the table, shuffling several isolinear chips before his eyes settled on the right set.
"Right here," Riker said, handing it over.
"Thanks," Tasha replied.
"You know at this rate we might just get through Stardate 41300 by the start of our duty shift," Riker remarked.
As if on cue, their combadges pinged.
"Security to Commander Riker."
"Security to Lieutenant Yar."
Tasha immediately recognised the voices of two of her overnight duty officers, no doubt splitting the duty of informing them.
Tasha and Will exchanged a concerned glance. It had to be something serious if they were both getting a page.
"There's something you need to see," Lieutenant Belzer said.
Riker tapped his communicator.
"On our way," Riker acknowledged.
By the time Will and Tasha arrived on deck twelve, they found a full ensemble waiting for them. There were four security officers, Doctor Selar, and two medics.
Tasha could immediately sense something was very wrong.
"Lieutenant?" she asked.
Lieutenant Belzer pointed to the organic waste receptacle.
"Maintenance crew came by to investigate a faulty sensor and found her," Belzer explained.
"Good thing they did," Riker remarked as he eyed the body.
Ensign Emily Evers.
"She was a maintenance technician," Riker said. "Is it possible that she was here investigating whatever caused the faulty sensor?"
Tasha frowned and shook her head.
"I don't think so. Look," Tasha said, pointing to the bruising that marred Evers's neck.
"I'd place the time of death between 22:00 hours and midnight. I conducted an initial scan but have waited to conduct anything more thorough," Doctor Selar advised.
Doctor Selar was familiar with the proper procedure. After confirming that Evers was deceased, she knew there was nothing more she could do to save her. In order to preserve the scene, she left the body untouched.
"We've already collected the logs and are checking access codes," Belzer explained.
"Check for prints too. I want this all scanned," Tasha ordered, indicating to the whole of the unit. "The lifts too. Anyone that's been in or out on this level in the last twelve hours. And let's get a 3D image scan of the scene."
Captain Picard and Data came around the corner. Belzer had taken it upon himself to notify them as well given the seriousness of the discovery.
"Lieutenant?" Picard prompted, looking to Tasha for an explanation.
"It's Ensign Emily Evers, sir," Tasha said.
"She was discovered dead this morning by a maintenance crew," Belzer explained.
He paused.
"And we've taken them back to the Security Office for questioning," Belzer added.
"Right," Tasha nodded.
"You have reason to suspect foul play?" Picard asked.
"I'd say so," Tasha said.
It was eerie seeing a young, lifeless body atop a pile of refuse. It was the type of thing they read about in antique detective novels – not something Tasha ever expected to encounter on the Enterprise.
"This is horrifying. Something I only ever expected in the pages of fiction. Not unlike Dixon Hill," Picard remarked.
Tasha winced.
"Please don't say that," Tasha said.
Jean-Luc assumed her reaction was because she didn't want to compare the two. Though he was aware there was an incident on the holodeck, Picard didn't know it had occurred during a Dixon Hill programme.
For Tasha, the mere mention of the fictional detective was enough to make her want to vomit.
"I'll need to conduct a full autopsy. But I can tell you the preliminary scan would indicate her neck snapped. There are signs of strangulation. And I noticed a foreign object constricting her airway but have not removed anything yet," Doctor Selar noted.
Tasha snagged a pair of protective gloves from the security kit brought by Lieutenant Belzer.
She tentatively moved forward and opened Ensign Evers's mouth. She spied there was indeed something in there.
Tasha began to extract the object and then suddenly stopped as she recognised the garment. They were knickers.
More specifically, they were her knickers.
Don't react. Tasha told herself.
"Lieutenant?" Picard pressed.
"Belzer, evidence bag please," Tasha said.
"Tasha?" Picard asked.
She felt almost like she was on autopilot as she removed the article and deposited it into an evidence bag.
"My god," Picard gasped.
"Do you think this is personal?" Riker asked.
"I don't know," Tasha lied.
"Yes," Data answered without hesitation.
He had immediately recognised the garment in question. And the similarities between Ensign Evers and Tasha were not lost on him.
There was a striking physical resemblance between Tasha and the deceased Ms Evers. They were both technically under the umbrella of Operations and wore the same uniform.
They were both tall with blue eyes, short blonde hair, and an athletic build. Measure for measure, they shared a remarkable likeness.
It hit all too close to home for Data.
The only thing he couldn't determine was if poor Ensign Evers had been a surrogate or a warning.
Jean-Luc turned to Data for an explanation.
"Data? Why do you say that?" Picard inquired.
Tasha knew she had to intervene.
"It's nearly time for alpha shift to come on to duty. This corridor is going to be crawling with people soon," Tasha warned.
They couldn't risk contaminating the evidence.
"With your permission, I'd like to lock down this section. Nobody in or out while we finish up," Tasha said.
They would still need to compile imaging and a number of evidence scans.
"The fewer people here, the better," Tasha said, looking to Captain Picard for permission. "I'd like to limit access for now to myself, my team, and Doctor Selar."
"Of course," Picard agreed.
"And she wasn't seeing anyone?" Worf asked.
"No," Ensign Wade replied. "I mean, not seriously. Not, well, not like that."
Ensign Wade was a friend of the late Ensign Evers.
As part of their investigation, Worf and Tasha were talking to everyone – friends, colleagues, her neighbours.
"I mean she went out with a bloke from the geology department a few times. But it wasn't serious. Just drinks at Ten Forward," Wade explained.
"Thank you. That's all the questions we have for now," Tasha said.
Worf scowled.
It was the fifteenth interview Tasha had ended with little interest.
Ensign Wade stopped just shy of the door and turned back.
"You are going to find whoever did this, right?" she asked.
There was a pregnant pause.
"We're looking into it," Tasha assured her.
As soon as the door shut, Tasha could feel Worf's eyes on her. Tasha kept her own line of sight fixated on her tablet.
"Well?" Worf questioned.
"Well what?" Tasha asked in response.
Worf grumbled.
"Do you care to enlighten me as to why you seem to be utterly disinterested in this investigation?" Worf asked.
"Of course I'm interested," Tasha protested.
"We're looking into it?" Worf remarked, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Since when have you ever been so dispassionate about justice? It's like you don't think we can solve this."
Tasha set her tablet down and turned to face Worf.
"Look, I don't want to give her false hope. I can't promise to bring her killer to justice when I don't know if that will ever happen," Tasha replied in earnest.
"Of course it will," Worf said. "It is what we do. When injustice occurs-"
"It's not always that simple!" Tasha said hotly, cutting him off.
She closed her eyes and took a breath to steady her nerves.
"I'm sorry," she apologised.
She did feel bad for snapping at Worf. It wasn't his fault that Lore was slippery enough to evade getting caught.
They were still waiting for the results back from the logs. But Tasha knew that Lore had covered his tracks.
He always did.
"Look, I just don't want anyone to panic. Not now," Tasha lied. "We're all on edge with this communications blackout. The last thing this ship needs right now is the rumour of a killer on the loose."
After he was sent away, Data counted every step between deck twelve and Tasha's door.
"Hey, Mr Data!" Wesley said brightly, passing him on his way out the door.
Data said nothing.
He marched directly into Tasha's bedroom with one thing on his mind.
Then he stopped, his hands hovering just above the drawer that housed Tasha's most intimate personal belongings.
Data was hesitant – but he had to know.
He flung open the drawer and began digging for an object he knew was no longer there. With each passing second, he grew more and more on edge.
Having shuffled through every pair of knickers, stockings, and socks, Data reached the bottom of the drawer.
They weren't there.
It was confirmation that Lore had taken them.
Though it remained a mystery how.
Lore was tormenting him, taunting him with how close he could get. He had invaded their personal space and their minds. And he was mocking Data, flaunting that he could get away with it.
Worst of all, Tasha was caught in the middle of it.
And now, Ensign Emily Evers had become collateral damage.
How many more people would Lore hurt?
In a sudden, uncontrollable fit of rage, Data pulled the drawer clean out and threw it against the wall.
Then Data sat down on the bed and wept.
Data stayed there for hours – completely missing his early morning meeting with the Sciences division departmental heads and failing to report to his lab.
While it wasn't unusual for Data to disappear like that (he had enormous responsibility and was often pulled from one crisis to the next), Tasha began to wonder when he didn't come to the bridge.
She found him shortly before noon.
Data was lost in his own thoughts when the door to the bedroom slid open.
Tasha saw the damage from the broken drawer, cracked wall, and spied her undergarments scattered about the floor.
She said nothing and simply slipped into bed, spooning up behind Data.
He was overcome by a fresh wave of thick, golden tears. Tasha simply held him tighter.
"I do not want these emotions," Data sobbed.
He couldn't stop Lore. He couldn't protect Tasha. His failure had resulted in harm to Tasha, Geordi, and now Ensign Evers.
"What happened was not your fault," Tasha assured him.
"She is dead," Data replied.
Tasha's mouth went dry.
Ensign Evers was dead. And she was dead because Lore targeted her simply because she resembled Tasha.
Tasha felt like if there was anyone to blame, it was herself.
"It's not your fault," Tasha repeated.
Data rolled over and pulled Tasha flush against his body.
"I do not know how to keep you safe," Data confessed.
"I will admit that was fast," Captain Picard said.
It was 16:00 hours and Doctor Selar had arrived at Captain Picard's ready room with the results of her autopsy in hand.
"It will be a few more hours before we receive the full results from her blood samples and toxin screen," Doctor Selar acknowledged. "They may offer information relevant to the investigation, but not to her cause of death."
Picard raised an eyebrow.
"Ensign Evers's neck was snapped so violently that it broke the spinal cord. With communication between the brain and her organs, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems ceased to function," Selar reported.
"Then she died instantly?" Picard asked.
He was hoping he could at least tell her family that it was painless.
Doctor Selar hesitated.
"I can't say that for sure, sir. It could have taken as long as several minutes for her to lose consciousness. We simply don't know," Doctor Selar said.
Jean-Luc could sense this was far from the worst of it.
"There is more, sir," Selar went on. "There were obvious signs of a physical struggle including bruising on the neck, bite marks on her body, and petechiae."
Jean-Luc's stomach turned.
"The garment that was found on the victim was so violently jammed into her mouth that it obstructed her airway. In the ensuing panic, she likely tried to breathe hard and choked on the fabric. I found fibres in her trachea and lungs," Selar explained. "And-"
She paused.
"And what?" Picard demanded.
He had already heard more than enough but knew he owed Ensign Evers a complete investigation. Jean-Luc knew Doctor Selar was just as concerned with finding her killer as he was. And he didn't have it in him to dismiss evidence simply because it made his stomach squick.
"I can confidently say that there was evidence of sexual activity both in the hours before and after her death," Doctor Selar continued. "There's trauma consistent with penetrative sex."
Captain Picard's suspicion immediately fell on one name.
Lore.
"Sir, you should also be aware that I have run a number of tests and can locate no DNA evidence to identify the perpetrator," Doctor Selar continued.
She shifted in her seat.
"There is some sort of fluid present. For all intents and purposes, it appears to resemble humanoid semen. But there is no DNA present," Doctor Selar said.
It was confirmation of everything Picard suspected.
Across the ship, Worf was making great progress with the investigation.
Video recording was not a tool he had at his disposal. Such ancient devices were largely antiquated as most crime had been eradicated.
It was rare for any sort of crime to occur on a Starfleet vessel.
The logs had been a complete bust. There was nothing indicating any use after 19:37 hours – a fact that was not consistent with the time of death.
Worf suspected the logs must have been tampered with. Unfortunately, he could find no evidence of interference.
So he'd been forced to get creative.
Fortunately, all waste disposal units were equipped with weight sensors. According to the sensors, at 04:22 that morning, the unit had registered a change in weight.
Specifically, there was a 68.4 kg change in weight – precisely the body of one Emily Evers.
He didn't know the identity of her killer.
But at least they knew when the killer had disposed of the body.
It was as good a place as any to start.
Beverly had just been discharged from sickbay and was about to leave when Lore came through the door – escorted by Worf, Tasha, and Data.
Captain Picard and Doctor Selar were directly behind them.
"What is the meaning of this?" Beverly demanded.
"Relax, Doctor," Picard said.
"Don't tell me to relax!" Beverly snapped. "As Chief Medical Officer I have a right to know what's going on here."
"Doctor Crusher is correct," Selar pointed out. "Now that she's been discharged-"
"I am ordering you to handle this investigation, Doctor Selar," Picard interjected.
Beverly scoffed.
"Investigation into what?" Beverly asked. "What are you accusing him of now?"
"Doctor Selar, please escort Mr Lore into one of the private examination rooms," Picard ordered.
Beverly was confused and furious. She felt like she was being completely side-lined.
"Doctor, may we speak in your office?" Picard inquired.
From behind the glass, the trio of Worf, Tasha, and Data watched as Beverly berated Captain Picard.
"Murder?" Beverly asked in disbelief as Captain Picard explained the gruesome details of Ensign Evers's demise.
"There's evidence to indicate Ensign Evers injuries were consistent with the type of force Mr Lore is capable of," Picard shared.
"So naturally it must be Lore," Beverly spat.
She was pacing back and forth behind her desk.
"Beverly, we found.. fluid," Picard settled on.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"That's why we'd like a test. Doctor Selar is going to check the-"
"They're indistinguishable," Beverly said suddenly, cutting him off.
Captain Picard's brow furrowed.
"What?" he asked, not following.
"They're indistinguishable," Beverly repeated. "The two of them. Data and Lore."
Data was cited in half a dozen medical and engineering textbooks. His anatomy was a marvel. Beverly had previously seen the molecular breakdown of Data's own biofluid in her research.
She knew Lore's was the same – both from personal and professional study.
"You said there was a pair of knickers found with the body?" Beverly asked.
"Unfortunately, it does seem that-"
Beverly didn't wait for permission.
She stormed out of her office.
"Test him too," Beverly ordered, pointing at Data.
Picard blinked in confusion.
"Doctor, if they have the same-"
"Test him too!" Beverly insisted. "It's only fair, isn't it?"
Tasha was the first to realise what Beverly was asking for.
"You think he was responsible?" Tasha asked, stepping in front of Data.
"You're damn right I do!" Beverly replied.
"Data didn't do this," Tasha said.
Tasha lifted her chin, pulling herself up to her full height.
Beverly crossed her arms and sized up her former friend, debating just how hurtful she could make her next remark.
"And we both know Data has a-" Beverly paused for a moment.
She smirked and dropped her voice.
"Problem," she settled on. "How many pairs of your knickers has he ruined?"
Tasha lunged.
Data and Worf caught Tasha, pulling her back just before she hit Beverly.
"Stop it!" Picard shouted. "All of you, stop it!"
Jean-Luc was aghast that it would come to this – two of his senior officers ready to devolve into physical violence. For Picard, the whole situation was a reminder of why personal relationships between officers were best left at a distance.
"Surely we can resolve this without the need for blows?" Picard asked.
"Easily," Tasha hissed. "Data was with me last night. All night."
"We have determined the time the body was dumped. 0422 this morning," Worf said.
Tasha visibly blanched – and it did not go unnoticed.
"While we were together most of the night, I left your quarters at 04:12 this morning," Data confessed, blowing a hole through his own alibi.
Beverly chuckled.
"So you don't have an alibi," she pointed out.
She rounded on Tasha.
"Data wasn't with you," Beverly said, satisfied with herself.
Tasha's eyes narrowed.
"And Lore wasn't with you," Tasha retorted. "You were here in sickbay. Let me guess, he didn't show up for breakfast, did he?"
Beverly's smug look faltered.
"Probably failed to check in too, huh?" Tasha pressed, sensing she had touched a nerve.
They were at an impasse.
"We'll obtain a sample from them both," Picard declared, flashing Data an apologetic look.
It was the only fair way he could determine to move forward.
Data and Lore stood on opposite sides of one of the private exam rooms, separated only by a curtain.
To Data's horror, Lore was whistling.
Lore could tell he was getting on his brother's nerves.
Data had fallen unusually quiet. Even his artificial breathing had come to a stop. Lore knew his irritating efforts were working given that usually their breathing increased when their sexuality programme was engaged.
"Trouble?" Lore asked.
"Do not speak," Data replied.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on producing a biofluid sample for analysis.
They had been left alone for privacy. Doctor Selar and the others were waiting just outside in sickbay – Beverly keeping watch at the door while Worf tried to calm down Tasha in a far corner.
"It had to be you. It had to be you," Lore began to croon.
Data clenched his teeth and tried to shut out the sound of his brother. Only he was flustered and didn't think to shut down his audio receptors.
"I wandered around and finally found somebody who-"
"Stop!" Data demanded.
"I'm sorry, brother. Forgive me. Are you having trouble getting it up or getting it off?" Lore pried.
There was no answer.
Data simply wanted the whole situation to be over as quickly as possible.
"You know, I like to think of a memory. Something that helps to get me in the mood. I'm sure you would have no trouble thinking of something," Lore said.
Data couldn't see Lore, but he was certain his face was plastered with a sickening smirk.
"Surely the thought of your Lieutenant-"
"Do not," Data warned.
Lore chuckled.
"I do not want to hear the sound of your voice," Data said.
"Well, by all means, I will be only happy to honour that request," Lore replied.
You asked. Lore thought.
Closing his eyes, Lore accessed his memory engrams. Using his audio output capabilities, he broadcast snippets from his last encounter with his brother's precious Lieutenant.
Data immediately recognised the sound of Tasha's voice.
"Baby please… ah… please fuck me," she panted.
Data stopped.
"Yes. Data…ah," she groaned.
Data's hands clenched into fists. Fighting would only serve to make Lore look like a victim. Data knew he couldn't protect Tasha if he wound up back in the brig. And Lore would certainly exploit any opportunity to get Data out of the way.
Lore felt a surge of power as he listened to his brother struggle.
They were sounds Data had heard Tasha make on dozens of occasions. But Data also knew that under these circumstances, they had occurred due to deception.
It may have sounded like pleasure – but it was rape.
Data couldn't get off knowing that.
"Mmmm. Fuck me, Mr Hill," she pleaded.
"She's a greedy girl, isn't she?" Lore asked.
Don't react. He wants you to react. Data told himself.
"Pity you'll never be able to satisfy her," Lore commented, twisting the knife.
Data snapped. He whipped around and flung aside the curtain that had divided them. He was seething.
Lore was amused.
"Brother," he said coolly.
Data wanted to tackle him, to throw Lore clean through the wall and make him pay for what he'd done. But Data caught himself, settling for words instead.
"For your information, we are very happy," Data said.
Lore's eyes lit up.
"Are you?" he asked.
"Yes," Data hissed.
Lore cocked his head to the side and looked Data up and down, wordlessly trying to shake Data's confidence.
"We are," Data insisted. "We share a mutual, loving relationship in which both find fulfilment."
"Hmm," Lore mused aloud. "I bet she does find… fulfilment."
Data did not respond.
"Tell me, dear brother. Have you ever thought about it? What it would feel like to watch her squirm under you, your hands wrapped around that lovely neck?" Lore asked.
Data panicked.
How could he know?
Data's mind reeled. He had been gravely concerned ever since his nightmare – was this all part of their programming? Did Data and Lore share some sort of mutual flaw?
Is it only a matter of time before I hurt Tasha too?
Lore stepped out of the room with his sample vial in hand which he immediately handed over to Doctor Selar.
"Where's Data?" Captain Picard asked.
Lore put on his best look of feigned pity.
"Oh, I think he's having a spot of trouble," Lore said.
He turned his attention to Tasha.
"Lieutenant, perhaps you should check on him?" Lore suggested.
Tasha bristled at the remark.
"Let's let Doctor Selar do her work," Captain Picard said, politely shooing everyone away. "And for the time being, I'm restricting you to quarters, Mr Lore."
Beverly was about to protest when Lore stepped in.
"It's alright. The Captain is only trying to get to the bottom of this," Lore said, taking hold of Beverly's hand. "I am, of course, happy to comply."
For a moment, Lore and Jean-Luc eyed one another as if daring the other to challenge that assertion.
Beverly and Lore left in a huff, escorted by Worf who made sure Lore made it back to his own place.
As soon as the room was clear, Tasha knocked on the door.
"Data?" she asked.
On the opposite side, Data froze.
He had almost finished when Tasha knocked. While her voice was normally the sweetest sound, in this instance it was like ice water.
"Data, is everything alright?" Tasha asked.
"I am fine. Please do not come in," Data called back.
"Okay," Tasha replied.
She turned and leaned against the door. Tasha wasn't quite sure what to say or do, but she desperately wanted to be supportive of Data.
She had inkling Lore must have said or done something in there.
"Data, I'm here. And I love you," she said through the door.
"Tasha, please… please do not talk right now," Data replied in a strained voice.
"Oh! Uh, sorry I-"
"Tasha, please," Data urged.
He badly wanted to finish with the humiliating task of providing a biofluid sample. And each time Tasha spoke, it was like his neural net needed to reboot.
Tasha fell silent.
Ten minutes later the door opened, and Data emerged with his sample.
After turning it over to Doctor Selar, Data took hold of Tasha's hand. He knew he'd been a bit sharp with her and didn't want to come on as cross.
As soon as they were on the lift, Data sought to make amends.
"I am sorry," he apologised, planting a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.
"It's alright," Tasha assured him. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."
She embraced Data – but Data's body stiffened at the touch.
"Captain Picard has restricted you to quarters this evening," Tasha said.
She grinned.
"So I figure we might as well take advantage of that," she said.
She had been waiting nearly three days for some alone time with her fiancé.
Only Data wasn't so keen.
"You should not leave Wesley alone," Data said.
"Lore's confined to quarters," Tasha pointed out. "He's under guard – just as you will be. But there's nothing preventing me from-"
"Wesley should not be left alone. What if he has another blackout? One of us should be there with him," Data urged.
He was reaching for any possible reason to avoid being alone with Tasha. He couldn't risk the possibility that he might hurt her.
"Oh," Tasha replied, disappointment evident in her voice.
She bit down her thumb.
"I suppose you're right," Tasha agreed with reluctance.
The lift stopped at Tasha's floor. Data pulled her back and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head.
"Sweet dreams, my love," he said.