"Hey, Data, come on in," Juliette greeted him when the door slid open to her quarters.

"Thank you, Juliette."

As usual, Data found Juliette's quarters – intriguing. She was neat, but she loved color. Silk fabrics she'd painted with starfields hung on the walls, and several sculptures in glass were strewn around the living area and on her workstation.

The ambient light cast long shadows, giving the space a slightly mysterious, almost otherworldly feel. Data found it oddly comforting.

"I see you have created a new vase," Data said as he studied the new addition at her table. The scarlet, gold, and sage green lines in geometric patterns in the clear glass were intricate and intriguing. The container appeared to shimmer in the golden light, but he realized it was also full of water.

"I was testing the effect of the light before I added the flowers," she pointed to the scarlet Andorian roses lying carefully on a sheet of green tissue paper.

"It will be – beautiful, Juliette," Data said as he studied the flowers intently. "Your use of color is fascinating. I have read that certain colors can evoke specific emotions in humans. Do you find that to be true in your work?"

Juliette smiled, pleased by Data's interest. "Yes, I do. Colors can be potent. For instance, the scarlet in the vase evokes passion and energy, while the green adds a sense of calm."

"You have succeeded in your vision." Data agreed.

"Thank you, Data. What can I help you with?" Juliette asked as her bare feet whispered over the carpet.

Data opened his mouth as a cat with black and white fur strolled into the room. The animal looked up at Data, chirped a greeting, and went to the cat tree in one corner of the room. Jasper leaped to the first level, began to scratch vigorously at the center pole, and climbed rapidly to the top.

"Hello, Jasper," Data greeted.

"He's lazy today," Juliette smiled as she studied her pet. "Still, having a pet when you come home from a long shift is nice."

"It is," Data agreed as Juliette picked up a mug of some liquid and sipped. "Oh, that's good."

"I hope I am not interrupting your evening meal," Data asked.

"No, I just finished and was having coffee. Oh, I didn't think, do you want something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Shall we sit?"

Juliette padded to the sofa near two large windows that faced the ebony and star-studded sky.

"As you wish," Data followed her and sat, leaving a space between them.

Juliette took another sip, swallowed, and turned to Data. "So, you said you needed to talk to me."

"Yes. I am unsure if you know, but Spot recently had a litter of five kittens."

"Really," Juliette's eyes lit up and reminded Data of a nebula he'd once seen during his time on the Trieste. "I hope you're not planning to start a cat colony on the Enterprise."

Data cocked his head and said. "Are you telling a joke?"

"Yes," Juliette chuckled.

"Ah! I am attempting to determine the father. I have narrowed it down to five possibilities but have not performed a DNA analysis on the candidates. I wondered if I could ask you – "

"You think it was Jasper," Juliette said as she looked toward her cat. "Sorry to interrupt Data. I was thinking the same when you told me that Spot had kittens. Jasper has escaped several times, so that might be possible."

"You are not upset that I have accused Jasper without cause," Data asked, and Juliette smiled.

"No, he can be a handful when he wants to be so I wouldn't be surprised. Do you know the date of conception?"

Data told her the Star Date, and she thoughtfully nodded as she finished her coffee. "Hm, I'll have to check, but I think he did sneak out that day. It's a good possibility. So, how will you perform a DNA analysis?"

"It is a simple process," Data assured her. "A swab from Jasper's mouth should suffice."

"Data," Juliette began to chuckle. "Do you think sticking a swab in his mouth will be easy? He'll fight you every step of the way."

Data cocked his head. Perhaps he hadn't thought it through. Maybe he should consult with Dr. Crusher first. "Perhaps you are right. I have – as humans say – put the cart before the horse. I did not wish to cause Jasper harm and believed that a swab was less painful than extracting a blood sample."

Juliett sobered a little. "Thanks for thinking of Jasper. What will you do?"

"I am going to speak with Dr. Crusher."

He moved to stand, but Juliette said. "Do you have to go now?"

Data looked down at her, and his eyebrows lifted at the expression on her face. He'd only seen that expression twice before, with Tasha and Jenna. He sat and turned to her. "Juliette, are you asking me to stay because you – "

Juliette leaned in and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "I'd like to talk more about colors, stars, and cats. Is that acceptable, Commander?"

Data cocked his head sharply to the left. "That is acceptable, Lieutenant."

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

Data found Spot on her cat tree and the kittens all sleeping when he returned to his quarters. He would see Dr. Crusher in the morning, and Juliette had promised to come by to see the kittens after her shift.

Data settled into his workstation, and he tried to concentrate, but most of his neural net still buzzed with the knowledge that Lt. Ashford had indicated with her actions and words that she found him attractive.

He didn't want to think about his failures with Jenna and Tasha. What if he failed a third time? Perhaps Dr. Soong never meant for him to have a romantic partner.

Data asked the computer to play one of his music programs, which included one of his favorite pieces, Albonini's Adagio. He ordered the computer to remove the sixteen pieces and leave the Adagio playing alone. It reminded Data of how Juliette moved, her effortless but mysterious grace, captivating green eyes, and the waterfall of her red-gold hair around her shoulders. He liked it down instead of up, as she wore it on duty.

Spot appeared and leaped onto the desk. She meowed and began to rub her head along his arm. "Hello, Spot."

His cat sat down and began to wash her face. Data studied her in the low light over his desk. "Spot, Lt. Juliette Ashford will visit us tomorrow. There is a twenty percent chance that her feline, Jasper, is your kittens' father."

Spot chirped and jumped to the floor. Data watched her slip away into the shadows that obscured his quarters. His android eyes could see the room as clearly as his cat. He did not need light at all, and for a moment, his mind began to study why he used light in his quarters. He'd never thought about it before and wondered if it were a sign that he was more – human.

His ears picked up the mewing of Spot's kittens as she joined them in their box, and Data was distracted. The music ended, and he sighed. He had many projects to work on and no time now to think about kittens, glass vases, and green eyes.