Shaka, When the Walls Fell

Author's Note: Just a short, sweet update. Unabashed DaTasha. They deserved these moments.

I've been writing a lot of heavy DaTasha stuff lately and needed to remind myself where we're headed.

This is set during The Course We Set (S3–S4).

-X-

A loud squeal brought Commander Data out of his train of thought. He glanced up from his work and down at the jumper where his daughter was happily occupied.

All of nine months, her attention was focused on the polymer whale in her mouth.

They had intended to name her 'Yara' because it meant 'butterfly' and sounded like 'lala.'

But in the end, what they chose was far more apt for their wee ball of sunshine. And it made her nickname of 'Shinebug' all the more fitting.

The circumstances of her birth had been anything but routine.

They had been messy, chaotic, and terrifying for everyone involved—save for the wee lass that had decided she would not wait any longer to arrive.

Weeks early, during the most uncomfortable twenty-four hours of mum's life, their little girl had announced her own arrival in the midst of a tense situation that turned out to be an ambush.

It started as a routine away mission.

That quickly devolved when Captain Picard, Geordi, and Tasha found themselves hiding on a frozen moon in nothing more than a shuttlecraft, trapped there as two rival Klingon factions battled it out above them.

It couldn't have been a worse time to give birth. But if Data and Tasha had learned anything, it was that there was no 'normal' in their relationship.

Shinebug had arrived after a long, agonising, and protracted labour, showcasing powerful lungs and a wisp of blonde hair. It was a great relief to all—even if the Enterprise had still been hours away.

On that bleak day, in the midst of a frozen wasteland, and with the growing concern of civil war threatening to destabilise the Klingon Empire, her arrival was a welcome bit of happiness.

Geordi had called her a 'little ray of sunshine.'

And Tasha knew that that there was no way she could name her 'Yara.' Not when there was something more appropriate to capture the beautiful, messy reality of her little bean.

When they arrived back at the Enterprise, Data had been a nervous wreck. He could have cared less what Tasha named her—he was simply grateful they were both alright.

Data had only half been listening anyways when Tasha apologetically explained she couldn't go through naming their daughter Yara anymore. Data had been far too captivated by the tiny hand grasping his finger for the first time.

"Eeeeee!" his daughter shouted, pulling Data from his thoughts.

Shinebug brought her hand down, slapping the toy on the edge of her jumper and sending the beads spinning. Data's daughter squealed with delight.

She glanced up at papa for approval.

"Ah na ah an ah na ah na," she babbled, her chunky legs bouncing her up and down as fast as she could manage.

She gripped the dangling star and brought it to her mouth, gripping the star with all six of her teeth as her tongue lolled about to taste it.

It was nearly 18:00 hours and Data's daughter was doing remarkably well considering she hadn't had a cracker or snack in nearly ninety minutes.