"And you're sure he isn't... overcome with emotion? Perhaps it's too much for him to take, being in love."
You sighed, shaking your head silently. Geordi La Forge nodded thoughtfully, toying with the pen on your desk. He'd dropped by after your last lesson, inquiring after the cause behind Data's sudden decrease in productivity. You felt comfortable confiding in him, though you had to admit it was hard. You drew in a shaky breath and elaborated on your nonverbal answer.
"No, he's... quite himself. He's the most rational lover I think anyone could ask for. He's established a perfect balance between passion and reason, I think. But sometimes... he feels physical pain. A headache, for instance."
"Sounds like it might warrant a physical examination," Geordi mused, cocking his head to the side. "I suppose something in him must have physically changed, some chemicals must have shifted around, if he is truly experiencing emotion." He glanced up, and through his artificial sight, must have somehow detected the distress on your face. "It'll all be okay, y/n. It's not a huge deal, I promise. It's just a little decrease in productivity, that's all. It's not life or death, I promise." He paused, hesitantly. "In fact, you've done a lot of good for Data."
"You really think so?" you asked quietly, leaning back in your chair somewhat bashfully.
"Yeah." Geordi smiled gently. "He's already worrying about what to get you for your anniversary, and you two only started dating about a month ago. He cares for you, and it's made him happy."
You smiled, about to respond, when you heard your classroom door open. "Hello, Geordi," you heard Data say cheerfully.
Startled, Geordi jumped and turned to face his friend. "Hi, Data," he replied guardedly. "How was your duty on the bridge?"
"It went quite well, thank you. May I inquire the reason for your presence?" Data clearly didn't suspect anything; it was a friendly question, directed in a curious manner. Geordi glanced at you before concocting a quick lie.
"I was helping y/n make lesson plans. I'm somewhat of an expert on Dracula, believe it or not."
You relaxed. Data seemed to believe it, and you didn't want him to know that you were worried about him. He'd been so joyful lately, aside from the occasional complaint of a headache or pain in his throat. You didn't want to ruin his mood, certainly not based off of your unestablished fears. "Would you like to help as well, Data?" you asked, pulling up the file for your lesson plans. He nodded, and you were soothed. It would be such a stress-reliever to spend time with two of your favorite people, and you knew that Geordi really did have good background knowledge of Dracula. The three of you could really get a lot done-
"My, it's an outright congregation in here." You groaned internally when the classroom door opened once more, disrupting your peace, but straightened up in your seat once you realized it was the captain, followed by Worf. "I'm sorry to break up the party."
"That's alright, Captain. What's going on?" Geordi said, looking somewhat anxious. Worf was stone-faced, as usual; there was no information to be gathered from his facial expression. Picard did look somewhat concerned, and you became worried.
"Well... I'm afraid we have a hooligan in our midst," Picard said cryptically. Behind him, Worf almost imperceptibly rolled his eyes.
"Sir?" Data asked, tilting his head to the side.
"He means that there have been several reports of Q appearing around the ship," Worf said bluntly.
You and Data exchanged glances, and it scared you to see the fear in the android's golden eyes. You hated to see him afraid, and you hated the thought that Q was still monitoring your relationship.
Data paced around the desk to your side and stood beside your chair, putting an arm around your shoulder. You melted at the comforting gesture, and despite your fears, you felt calmer. It was such a natural part of him now, this romantic side that always seemed to know exactly what you needed. "What do you recommend, Captain?" he asked, squeezing your shoulder gently.
"I'm at a loss, Data." Picard observed the pair of you, crossing his arms in concern. "I'll certainly let you know once I've come across any insight. For the moment, all we can do is wait until he's appeared again and perhaps imprison him until he lets us in on his motivations. Worf has the entire security team on alert, and they're all stationed at high-risk points throughout the ship. Worf himself has elected to stay with you, y/n, as a personal bodyguard."
"Thank you, Worf," you said, smiling warmly at him. He simply grunted, seemingly embarrassed. Your classroom door once again opened, and you sighed; if any more uninvited guests came in, your classroom might as well become the new Ten Forward.
Speaking of Ten Forward, its owner came strolling in just then. Guinan halted once she saw the crowd, and, smiling, addressed you. "I suppose you're awfully popular now, Miss y/l/n."
You hadn't talked too much to Guinan before, but you knew that she was close with Data and even closer with Captain Picard. Beside you, Data smiled at her, and his evident fondness for the woman made you trust her.
"I suppose so," you replied, smiling back. "I couldn't have gathered more people here if I sent out invitations."
"I hope you don't mind my intrusion." Guinan glided further into the room, and you gauged everyone's reactions; Data looked delighted, and perhaps a little comforted, to see her; Geordi simply looked amused; both Worf and Picard looked confused and slightly irritated. "Data, I've got a new drink that you might want to try later on." She turned to address the rest of the room. "Data has become a bit of a taste-tester for me now that he's developed preferences. He's really enjoying experimenting." She smiled, oblivious to the incredulous looks she was getting from Worf and Picard, and she seated herself at one of your student's desks.
"The one last night was particularly excellent," Data responded enthusiastically. "I found the amount of fructose to be carefully chosen and..."
Data continued his assessment, but you stopped paying attention, focusing on the congregation that had gathered in your classroom. "Maybe... we can all move to my quarters?" you ventured hesitantly, glancing at the captain.
Picard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he exhaled. "Miss y/l/n, we've intruded on you too much for one day. Guinan and I will take our leave, and Worf will stand guard outside the door."
"I'll get out of here as well," Geordi said, standing briskly. "I'm hungry as a bear. I'll see you two later."
The crowd trooped out; Guinan and Picard were the last to leave, and you caught the tail end of their conversation as they vacated your room.
"-came here to find you, Q's onto something..." Guinan was saying, and it piqued your curiosity. You had half a mind to follow along and spy until you remembered Worf was right outside the door.
"I have been considering trying to get into contact with my brother, Lore," said Data. Somehow, this information didn't surprise you any more than anything else had that day, and you leaned tiredly back into your chair, resigned to the insanity of the situation.
"Why's that?" you asked, more for something to say than for the purpose of knowing his reasoning.
"Lore has dealt with emotion before, but he was specifically manufactured so that he could experience emotional stimulation. I, however, was not built for this purpose. I would like to understand his construction in order to understand how my own might be altered after our experiment," Data explained, seating himself across from you.
You admired him once more; the authoritative manner in which he conducted himself, the angled features of his face, the daintiness of the pale skin. You wondered if he had the same concerns you did about his physical pains. "I don't think it's a good idea to get into contact with Lore," you said softly.
He was about to respond before there was another knock at your door. You buried your head in your arms, irritated. Why couldn't you just get a moment alone with Data? Just one tiny moment? Sensing your irritation, Data put a hand gently over yours.
"Identify yourself," he demanded of the knocker.
"Captain Picard has come back to see you, Commander," Worf responded. You'd almost forgotten he was standing guard outside.
"Come in," you said reluctantly, giving Data's hand one last squeeze before you let go.
Picard poked his head in. "Sorry to intrude again. I thought I'd pass on what Guinan wanted to tell me. She believes that Q is delivering a legitimate warning."
"I refuse to acknowledge that particular belief system," Data said, and, despite the situation, you had to choke back laughter.
"Data." Picard entered the room- internally, you screamed, wishing only to be left alone with your android- and put a comforting hand on Data's shoulder. "I trust Guinan. She's never steered me wrong. All I'm asking is that both of you reconsider the approach you're taking."
"I realize that. And I replied that I refused to acknowledge her beliefs," Data responded, almost aggressively this time. Captain Picard retreated back towards the door, holding his hands out as one might to discourage a mad dog from coming closer.
"I apologize, Commander, I didn't mean to anger you-"
"I told you I should have been the one to tell him." Geordi entered the room again as well, and you wanted to throw something. "I've been pushing for a physical examination for weeks now."
Calmer now, Data stood. "I will agree to a physical examination," he said quietly. "I apologize for my anger, Captain."
There was a moment of silence, a moment for you to snatch another look at Data. He was so achingly handsome, the way his golden eyes seemed to penetrate everything they came into contact with, the way he stood, noble and peaceful. You bit your lip, partly relieved that he'd agreed but partly concerned for the results.
As the silence continued, Data furrowed his brows, tilting his head to the side. "Was that not your desired response from me?"
Geordi glanced over at you, and you knew that you were both sharing the same thought: we're afraid of what we might find. If the emotions had been physically impacting his system, then you knew it would break your heart to find out. Picard cleared his throat, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, and Data raised his eyebrows, waiting for a reaction from the three of you.
"Captain?" Data said again, stepping in Picard's direction.
"Of course, Data," Picard said hurriedly. "I was not expecting you to agree so readily. When shall we proceed?"
Pensively, Data turned to you, and you caught his golden eyes, held onto the gaze he gave you. Ever since he'd confessed his love, he looked at you so adoringly; you didn't want to know what might happen after the examination.
Data turned back to the captain. "I do not see..." he paused, glancing back at you, before returning his attention to Picard. "I do not see the purpose of delaying my examination. If Geordi is ready, I believe that we should proceed right now."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :)