LESSONS ACROSS TIMELINES ^{© 2003-2007}

By Lessa Soong

Chapter Six - Attacked

The next morning went off just like Data and Harper had planned. The truck was just what he needed to transport the supplies that were necessary for the house repairs. He unloaded the truck, and Harper got ready to go to work. Harper would drive the truck to work and Alex would pick it up there. Alex’s husband had agreed to drive his wife to work and Data would pick up Harper this afternoon. A foolproof plan.

Data came in the store at five before four o’clock and was greeted by Susan, Betty and Alex. He noted that their greeting to him was significantly warmer than the one he had received last week. Even Linda, when he finally saw her, seemed less hostile.

“May have to start calling you by your name if you can keep this job, Bad Company.” she mumbled as Data passed her. He raised his eyebrows, but declined to comment.

“Down girl!” Data turned to see Harper returning from the backroom of the store. “He’s been a good boy today, so don’t pick on him. Haven’t you, Jayden?” Harper asked, smiling warmly at him.

He returned her smile. “I believe so. It was a productive day. There is still much to do, but our current financial situation hinders my progress.” Harper laughed at this.

“Yeah, being broke sucks!” she agreed.

“It also bites!” he added. Harper looked shocked for a second before dissolving into laughter.

“The best way to not be broke is to stop letting him spend all your money.” Linda lectured.

With a sudden flare of temper, Harper turned on the woman. “So, new batteries for our smoke detectors, new siding to replace the broken down old stuff, and sealant to stop the leak in the basement were bad purchases? Come on Linda, give me a break! My house was falling down around me and while I can fix the stuff inside, I am not an outdoorsy type person and hate cleaning up outside. Jayden has improved the condition of my tattered abode and I am grateful to him for lighting a fire under me. So, zip it!”

“Okay don’t have to tell me twice,” Linda muttered as she moved back to the cash/wrap counter.

Harper turned back to Data and shrugged. “Some people have trouble changing gears. So, did you have any problems today?” She knew the answer to this question, but what the hell.

“No, I truly was quite successful in my efforts today. If you are ready to leave, I will show you.” Harper grinned; Data looked very pleased with himself, but it made him just that much more attractive to her. She tried to put that thought aside.

“I’m ready.” They said good-bye to the remaining work crew and headed out. In the van, Harper noted the backseat was gone. ~ Why did he do that? ~ she wondered.

They pulled into the driveway and Harper noted how much improved the house looked. The new siding gleamed in the sun and Data had even mowed the grass. He’d painted the front steps with some paint that she had in storage and they were now drying. Inside the garage, she saw the back seat from the van.

“What are you planning on buying now, Data? We really can’t afford any more until you get paid.” She shut the door to the van and found herself staring at the removed beach.

“We are not buying anything. Rather the reverse.” Data came around from the driver’s side to stand before her. He looked worried.

“Oh? How so?” Harper asked. He did not reply for several seconds.

“While I know I bare no resemblance to her, I wish you to imagine that you are now talking to Counselor Deanna Troi. You need to fully mourn the loss of Robin Talenger, Harper.” Data was purposely standing just close enough to offer her support should she require it. Harper drew herself up and stood firmly instead.

“I have done the best I can with that, Da-Counselor. I don’t know what you expect, but I can’t just turn these feelings off with a switch.”

“So I have also been cautioned. In order to grow as an emotional being, one must experience the emotions and not hide from them or...turn them off.” Data gently took Harper’s hand and guided her to the door and through to the basement. Boxes neatly lined one wall. All were labeled, but some rather vaguely. The vast majority of them carried Robin’s name on the side. Robin’s School Memories, Robin’s Yearbooks, Robin’s Shoes and so on. These were just a few of the ones that were visible.

“Why are we here, Data?” Harper asked, looking displeased. She was not going to like his answer.

“One of the first steps in the healing process is what could be considered a symbolic ritual of letting go of the past by the packing away of items that belonged to the deceased.”

“I did that,” she pointed at the boxes.

“Yes, but rather than giving them away, you kept them. You have no need for most of these items, Harper. Why are they still here?” It took longer than he had expected, but Harper now looked stunned.

“When the husband dies, his property goes to the wife, unless his will gives it to someone else. Robin left everything to me. These are my things!” she said, defiantly. 

“What is the name on this box? Is it your name?” Data asked. He knew that it was important to ask these kinds of questions. Answering them was difficult, but it was moved the process along.

“The name is of my husband.” She said between clenched teeth.

“Then I am living with a married woman?” Data asked.

“I am a widow. Don’t play with me, Data. This is not a game.”

“No, it is reality. It is a painful one, but a reality nonetheless. Where is your late husband, Harper?” he asked, moving one step closer to her. He could see that she was beginning to break.

“In...in Westwood cemetery,” Harper whispered.

“Is he ever going to need these clothes again? Or the shoe, will he need them?”

“No,” she said, even softer.

“Why are they here?” Data asked her.

It was hard and long and drawn out, but Data had to slowly push Harper into admitting that she only kept them because she just could not let go of what she had left of Robin. She sniffed and tears ran down her face as she went through all of the boxes for the last time. Data had instructed her to pull out any pictures and five mementos. She would be allowed to keep these but everything else was to be taken to Goodwill. Data brought her tissues, food and drink, but would not allow her to leave until it was done. Harper only put up a token resistance, as she knew Data was right.

Fortunately, she was too involved in her own misery to notice that after his stint of being counselor, Data had turned off his emotion chip. The temptation to attempt to ease her suffering was just too strong. He turned it off as soon as he had left her to sort and repack. Ten minutes later Data came to the conclusion that he was falling into his own vicious circle. He had to learn to resist temptation and Harper had to learn to let go.

Data turned the chip back on and suffered right along with Harper. 

He wanted to carry the repacked boxes to the van, but his research indicated that if they were not too heavy, Harper should load them in the van and be the one to hand them over to the charity. Data did drive her, though. It was an hour from dark when they arrived at Goodwill. Once she turned over the boxes to the sympathetic clerk, who seemed to sense the reason for the donation, Data held Harper briefly as she said a silent good-bye to items she had clung to for years.

“Harper, how long has it been since you visited Robin’s grave?” Data asked her while she rested her head against his chest.

His question was answered by her reaction.

Harper's head came up sharply, but her eyes were pleading.

“No,” she begged.

“The cemetery is only twenty three minutes away. Do you wish to purchase some flowers to leave by the grave?” Data tried to sound unemotional, but he hated to see her suffer. It was only the knowledge that this pain would hopefully lead to healing that allowed him to continue. His ethical sub-routines may not be giving him problems, not so his emotions.

“I can’t. Please don’t make me go, Data,” Harper whispered. Suddenly his ethical subroutine was giving him trouble! He wanted to do as she asked. He wanted to take her home and hold her. Hold her close. Cause her to forget her husband and remember him. ~ I am not dead. I am here and I think I want you... See me for what I am, not a dream or an escape, but a being with feelings. Feelings that are turning to you... ~

~ No! ~  Something inside Data screamed, ~ She cannot be pushed. She must complete the process and be allowed to heal. She cannot be approached during this time of vulnerability. I cannot use her. If I try to force her to me, I will undermine any of the progress she has made. Harper may never choose me, but she must be free of Robin. ~

So they went.

Data stayed in the van and just watched her. His feelings ached with the pain she must be feeling. He thought of his own lost loved ones again and of those that were not dead, but just missing to him.

His family. Data had been thought dead before, but this time he assumed they would consider him just missing. Would they still mourn him? He did not think it vanity to believe that they would miss him. He missed them all intensely, but he had not given up hope that he would see them all again...one day...maybe. But missing those he loved from the Enterprise did not change the fact that his presence was needed here, now.

Could it be that the lesson was Harper's to learn and not teach? Q was not known for honesty. Actually that fact that he had told Data anything at all was unusual. Still, if the entity appeared next to Data right now and again offered to take him home, Data would again have to decline.

He was needed here.

Data drove Harper home. She was silent for the entire journey.

In the house and up the stairs, he walked behind her. Harper trudged spiritlessly before him. Without a word, she went to her bedroom and threw herself on her bed. She failed, however, to close her door. She sobbed for over an hour before finally falling asleep.

Data came in to check on her and found that she had not removed her shoes. He carefully slipped them from her feet and put them on the floor beside her bed. Unfortunately his actions caused Harper to wake with a frightened start.

“What are you doing?” she asked angrily.

“Removing your shoes. I did not want you to dirty your bed. The bottoms-“

“What else were you planning on removing?” Harper accused. Data recoiled, but she wasn’t done. “Get out! I don’t enter your room unless invited and I expect the same courtesy from you. Get out!” She was almost screaming at him. Due to his long legs and superior agility he was able to make it out and close her door before the shoe could hit him.

“I think she has moved from denial to anger,” Data noted out loud as he returned to the living room.

Sunday morning Harper only glared at him. Data offered to drive her to work and this was all the excuse she needed to explode.

“It’s my damn van, remember? I have not forgotten how to drive just because you appeared! I’m taking my van and driving to work. I don’t need any damn help from you, got it?” She seethed.

Data backed away slightly and exited the kitchen. He was sealing the basement and had planned to wash the laundry, including their bed linens...but he wondered if she would remember and pull them off her bed for him. Data decided against doing this himself but was hesitant to bring the matter to her attention just now.

Harper left for work and Data sighed with relief. Perhaps denial was better than this. His research in the matter indicated the next stage was self-recrimination or bargaining. He could not see how she could blame herself from the details he had pieced together, but it was too late to bargain. As a result Data did not know what to expect from her next.

He returned upstairs to find that Harper had indeed forgotten about the bed linens. Steeling himself, Data went to the phone.

“Good Morning Miss Betty, this is Jayden. No, I do not believe it would be best if I spoke with Harper at this time. She is angry with me. Will you please ask her if I may attend to the washing that we agreed upon Wednesday? Yes, thank you I will wait.” He heard Betty put down the phone and after a moment the woman came back.

“Yes, thank you, Miss Betty. I will attend to it at once. Thank you again. Good-bye.” Data hung up the phone and headed for Harper’s room.

Betty hung up the phone and turned to face a steaming Harper.

“What happened with you two? You finding out why his wife threw him out?” Betty asked. She was using her high-pitched ‘this is bad’ voice.

“His what? Oh, right. No, I mean...He’s just trying to take over my life and I’ll be damned if any man is going to tell me what I am or am not going to do.” Harper said this in a hush, so that no customers could hear her. They were both standing in the cash/wrap, but people were all around.

“You were fine yesterday-”

“Well, that was yesterday, this is today. Keep up!” Harper snapped angrily.

Once the workday was through, Harper was exhausted. She walked to her van and stared at it. She didn’t want to drive home. HE was there and she was still pissed at HIM. Robin’s face drifted into her mind.

“Gonna play you like a harp,” She could hear her husband’s voice. She leaned against the van and closed her eyes. “How’s the harpy I married?” She could feel Robin’s arms wrapping around her middle and his breath on her neck. He always liked to tease her before he would kiss her. Hot, curl your toes kisses.

“You should be here. Damn you, why did you leave me? Why couldn’t you have just turned the damned steering wheel! Why did I marry a man too stupid to just avoid being hit! You would think a semi was large enough that you would notice it coming at you. How large did it have to be for you to notice it and just turn the God damned wheel?” Harper was not making any real sense, but she didn’t know this. She was too lost in her grief to realize that she was arguing with a ghost.

Harper didn’t remember walking to the pay phone, but here she was. She put the money in and dialed her number. Data answered on the first ring.

“I’m going out for a while. I’ll be in later,” she informed him curtly.

“You do not sound well, should you not come home?” Data asked, gently. His effort to not upset her was wasted.

“I can go anywhere I want to! You don’t have any claim on me and I owe you nothing! You damn men are more trouble than you’re worth. I called so you wouldn’t worry. I shouldn’t have bothered. You men never remember to call!” She slammed the receiver down so hard that she thought for a moment that it would break.

There was a bench just a few meters away, so Harper made her way to it. It was after seven o’clock and the mall was closed. It wasn’t dark, but even security was clearing out. It may not have been wise to be here at this time, but Harper wasn’t thinking clearly and nothing short of a terrorist attack was going to pull her from her misery.

Harper remembered Melody when they had found out that Robin had been killed instantly in a head on collision.

“I’m glad he didn’t suffer. I couldn’t have stood it if Daddy suffered.” Melody had said. She had taken days to cry. Harper had taken years to stop. Harper had been so confused at Robin’s funeral. She kept wondering where Robin was. He was late. If he didn’t show up soon people would think him rude. This was a formal affair, she had been thinking. Everyone is so dressed up, but in such somber colors! Why was she here? Where was that Robin? She was going to have to work on that man. Harper still remembered her confusion like it was yesterday. All the things she couldn’t remember and this she couldn’t forget.

“Hey, Legs. You need a ride somewhere?”

Harper was pulled from her turmoil to see a young man, maybe in his early twenties, dark haired and wearing clothes that did not seem to fit even though he was not small. She had always despised this ‘fashion’.

“No, I’m good, thanks,” she answered, not looking afraid at all. Harper was born up north and had never hesitated in walking the streets of the big city alone. She knew how to handle herself...most of the time. She dismissed him and went back to her thoughts, but was instantly alerted to the fact that he was not moving anything but his head. He was looking her up and down.

“Those pants fit you nicely, how hard are they to take off?”

“Bad ideas seem to be floating in your head. But you’ve picked the wrong target. I’ve taken plenty of self defense courses and I’m in a really bad mood, so don’t fuck with me!” The fury that Harper had harnessed this morning with Data was again at her fingertips, and she knew how to use it to inflict quite a bit of pain on a male.

Since he chose to ignore her warning, Harper came to her feet, leaving her purse on the bench. While most women had a good weapon in their bags, Harper never carried enough to do any damage. She stood her ground, making sure that her footing was solid and her knees slightly bent. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Leave now,” she commanded in an almost sultry tone, but her stance was challenging.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with, but I’m gonna show you. You got fire though. Like a little fire in my women.” He paced around her for a moment, but lunged suddenly. He made to grab her by the hair, but Harper had brought her hands together, linking her fingers to make a larger fist. She swung her arms up to deflect his attack and when he was knocked slightly off balance, she brought her arms down again and smacked him in the nose...hard.

“Bitch!” he screamed. He grabbed his nose to see blood. “I’m gonna fuck you over for that, bitch!” Enraged, he threw his body against her and knocked her onto the bench.

Her legs flew out from under her and they both went down on the bench. Harper just missed hitting her head on the armrest by inches, but the breath was still knocked out of her. Her torso was pinned and this made her fighting less effective. But she didn’t give up! He was much bigger than her, though and his weight alone was hard to counter. Harper did her best to wiggle and squirm out from under him, but he had one arm latched on to the side of the bench, blocking her escape.

She had to think!

His eyes!

He was trying to pull at her shirt and she was having trouble fighting her revulsion enough to get a clear shot.

“Do anything other than move away from her, and it will force me to injure you!”

The slime looked up to see Data standing there, in his prepared for action stance.

“Don’t be a hero, fool. You can’t take me. Too small.” Slime said, with a very threatening expression on his face. He did not move off of Harper.

“I may be smaller in stature, but I am solidly built. Remove yourself now. I will not ask again.”

Slime seemed amused. “Be right back, baby. Have to swat a fly,” he said to Harper as he rose to tackle Data.

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” she spat under her breath, but he heard her.

“Then you’ll lose that too.” He got to his feet and Harper sat up hoping that Data could keep from killing the slime.

“Don’t kill him, Commander,” she cautioned, not wanting to use any name.

“I will make every effort to avoid it,” Data replied. He sounded pissed!

Slime threw a punch and Data grabbed the creep’s hand before it could make contact. Slime tried to hit him with the other hand, and Data just deflected this one with no apparent effort.

“You cannot hope to win. I suggest you surrender before you are injured permanently.” Data informed him. Slime didn’t like this suggestion.

“She yours?” he asked Data, as he pulled the hand that Data had captured back. Data allowed him.

“No, I am not even sure she is speaking to me. She is angry with me.” Data glanced at Harper as he said this, but was still able to easily dodge the next punch.

“You asked for it. Did you expect me to be happy yesterday?” Harper shouted at Data, wondering at her sanity for yelling at him, now.

“It was necessary. You were still in denial. You have now moved into anger.” Data informed Harper as he continued to dodge and deflect.

“Thanks for the update! I hope you made my bed up; I’m going to be tired after all this. Are you going to let him keep lunging at you like that?” she gripped. She knew Data was in no danger.

“I’m gonna get you, and then get her while you watch!” screamed the slime. 

“What do you suggest I do with him? Should we take him to the authorities?” Data grabbed one of the man’s fists again to insure that he could not escape. Data’s jaw looked set with fury in reaction to the attacker’s threats.

“Can you knock him out good?” Since Data was facing her and the slime was not, Harper made a motion that she hoped Data would recognize as the Vulcan neck pinch and shrugged. Data nodded and moving to close the distance between himself and the thug, he reached out for the correct spot. The slime stiffened with a gasp and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Data disregarded the man and came to help Harper to her feet.

“Did he injury you?” he asked, very worried.

“Just knocked the breath out of me. Thanks for the save, but why are you here?” Data had not released her hand, so Harper pulled it away gently. She was still not happy with him.

“I felt certain that you were not in the proper state of mind to drive a long distance. I reasoned that if you simply wished to avoid me that it would be logical to remain here. You do have strong practical tendencies. You are certain you sustained  no injures?” Data was looking her up and down as though he did not believe her and was looking for a sign of blood. He found one. He touched her neck and wiped it off, but found no trace of a wound beneath it.

“I hit him in the nose. He bled on me.” Data looked startled, but relieved.

“You injured him?” he asked, looking like he wanted to believe, but was not sure.

“Yes. I took self-defense courses. I’m not helpless.” Harper tried to walk over to the pay phone, but as she was known for doing, she began to react to the danger of the moments past. Her hands began to shake and her insides seemed to trying to come out through her skin. She felt awful! Data took note of her sudden change of condition and coaxed her back to the bench.

“What happened?” he asked confused.

“I’m good in a crisis, but after it’s over I fall apart...figuratively,” she explained, shaking and staring at the man. “He wanted to...”

“But he did not. Your own attempts to fight him off gave me the time to arrive and you are undamaged...physically. He will awaken soon, we need to call the authorities.” Data had taken a seat beside her and she reached over to touch his knee.

“Call the police on the pay phone. 911 is free. Use my voice,” Harper instructed, her voice shaking.

“Why do you wish me to use your voice?” Data asked, getting to his feet.

“Because you’re going to hide. Do you want to be interrogated?” she asked. “That would be the moment the holo-disguise decided to malfunction.” He looked at her funny.

“The holo-disguise as just a device I have stored in my right forearm, Harper. It does not have access to my cognitive functions. It cannot decide anything.” He informed her. Harper covered her eyes with her hands and sighed.

“Then how about fate? Could fate be the one to cause it to malfunction? It would you know, and you would be in some scientist’s lab quicker than you could calculate pi to a thousand decimal places. Listen to me; call, report the crime, I’ll stay here you go around the corner and jump on the roof or something. You can keep an eye out for me and keep out of sight.” Her shaking was subsiding as her frustration with him was growing. Perhaps that was good, Data decided.

Data called the police and did use Harper’s voice as she had instructed. The slime was coming around as soon as Data hung up the phone so Data promptly applied pressure to just the right area on the slime’s shoulder to knock him out again.

“The response time is great here. You can hide now. I’ll be fine,” Harper assured him, but her shaking was on the rise again.

“I do not believe that this has been properly thought out, Harper. What will happen now?”

“They’ll arrest him and ask me for a statement. I’ll give them one. It will work out. Now be quiet and hide!” she shouted. Data reluctantly hid.

The police arrived in only three-minutes and twenty two seconds. The slime only woke up after they had him in handcuffs, but he started cussing as soon as he was. A female officer spoke with Harper and took a brief ‘on the scene’ statement. Harper was then asked to come to the station to make a full statement and formally press charges against Slime.

Harper was taken by squad car to the station and Slime was taken in a separate car to jail. Once the officers had all vacated the scene, Data emerged. He had seen Harper covertly drop her van keys in the bushes for him to retrieve. He did so and went back to the house to wait Harper's call as she had asked the female officer if she could call her ‘boyfriend’ to come pick her up from the station. The officer had promised to allow her to use the phone as soon as they were done at the station.

 It took one hour and thirty-seven minutes of waiting before the call finally came.

“What has been happening?” Data asked, more forcefully than he had intended.

“Why are you worried? I was at the police station. I’m safe here. They had to question me about everything. I was beginning to think they would ask my favorite color, favorite ice cream and when was the last time I had sex...I mean...shit! I can’t believe I really said that. Guess I’m still upset. Come get me, I want to go to bed...I mean sleep. Oh, God!” Harper sounded more frustrated than embarrassed.

“I am on my way, Harper. I should arrive in under fifteen minutes,” Data assured her. 

“I’ll be waiting. Bye.”

When Data arrive at the station, Harper was sitting in a chair out in the main reception area. A female in a blue pantsuit was talking to her. Harper looked up at Data’s entrance but the other woman said something that caused Harper to remain seated. The woman came over to him and offered her hand.

“Jayden Soong? I’m Theresa Samples. I’m a crisis counselor and a liaison for the department and the DA’s office. May I speak with you for a moment before you take Miss Talenger home?” At his nod, the counselor directed Data to walk with her a little further away from Harper.

“She is unharmed?” he asked, knowing that he was not supposed to have much information.

“She did more physical damage to him than he did to her, but she’s not handling this very well. She’s not even reacting normally for a victim of this type of assault. She’s angry where she should be frightened. She’s frightened where she should be relieved. I believe that she may need counseling for a while to help her deal with this trauma.”

“Miss Samples, perhaps I can shed some light on the reasons for her unusual reactions. She is in mourning.” The woman looked stunned and confused.

“Who’s death is she mourning? She made no mention of one.”

“He husband died five years ago, but she remained in denial until I recently forced her to deal with her grief. I believe she has entered the second stage of anger, but has not progressed passed it. I am concerned as to the affect this attack with have on her progress in this area as well as her ability to cope with this added trauma.”

“Are you a counselor of some sort?” Samples asked, more confused.

“No, I attempted to persuade her to return to her counselor, but she refused and I could understand her reasons. However, I felt that it was vital for her mental health that she confronted her repressed grief. I was left with no alternative but to help her to face it myself.”

“While I can agree that hiding from one’s grief is not healthy, I still believe that she needs professional help. Here’s my card and here’s a prescription for a mild sedative to help her sleep tonight. Have her call and make an appointment or do it for her, but one of you call. I can see that you care about her and that you’re trying to do what’s best for her, but you’re trying too hard. Admirable, but foolhardy. This is my job and I know what I’m talking about. Let me help. Ok?” Data just smiled.

“I will talk with her and attempt to gain her compliance. I cannot guarantee success. She is very headstrong at times.” Miss Samples smiled understandingly.

“Try very hard. Get that filled tonight and get her to take it. Keep an eye on her tonight and call this number if you have any questions. This is a crisis hotline number. Does she work?” Data nodded. “Is she due to work tomorrow?” again he nodded. “I’ll write her a doctor’s excuse. You work I assume?” a third nod. “If you can, stay home with her. If you can’t, that’s okay but call her and check on her every couple of hours. Any questions?”

“How close of an eye should I keep on her tonight?” he asked, recalling that Harper had not wanted him in her room last night and Data wondered if he would have to stand just outside the door and watch her all night. He was willing, but he suspected that Harper would not be.

“Well, don’t try to initiate sexual contact tonight or the next few nights. It would be best if you let her take the lead in when she’s ready for it again. Even thought the attempted rape was not successful, her reactions to your advances may be the same as a rape victim’s. Be prepared for her to be afraid of your touch. It may take a while for her to get past that, so don’t try to force her. In her mind she may see you as her attacker and try to fight off your advances. Just be patient and your sexual relationship could return to almost normal in a short period of time.”

Data was too stunned by her assumption that he and Harper had a sexual relationship to respond properly. All he could manage was a weak, “Thank you, Miss Samples.” He turned, still stunned, to go to Harper. Sitting beside her, he kept the counselor’s warning in mind and did not touch her.

“She gave me orders to keep you from going to work tomorrow. She is going to write you an excuse. I assume that is similar to Deanna calling the captain and asking for someone to be temporarily relieved of duty?” Data asked his housemate in a hushed tone.

“Yes. Can we leave when she gives us the excuse?” Harper asked, whispering back.

“I believe so. I am to give you this, but I do not understand why and how it will help you sleep. What does ‘get it filled’ mean?” Harper took the prescription from his hand and smiled.

“It means we have to stop at the drug store before we go home. I know of one that’s open late on Sunday.”

“Ah!” he said, and she smiled at the familiar mannerism. “I am also instructed to keep an eye on you tonight. As you were upset but my attempt to remove your soiled shoes last evening and seemed convinced that I would attempt to remove other-“

“It’s possible that I overreacted last night. I was very angry with you and I still am, but I know you were just there for the shoes. Sorry.” Harper offered the apology begrudgingly. “So she told you to drug me, watch me, and keep me home from work. Anything else?”

“She asked me to see that you made an appointment to see her regarding this incident and your grieving process.” Data worried how Harper would respond to this.

“No! Anything else?” Data was dismayed by her succinct refusal, but the only other order he had received he was hesitant to mention. But she was already angry with him and Data did not want to further incur her wrath by refusing her request. He nervously replied.

“She told me that I was not to initiate sexual contact with you, but that I should allow you to initiate it. Why did she say this?” He asked this in a hushed voice that reflected his discomfort.

Harper was floored! She jumped to her feet stared at Data, aghast. After a moment she replayed his statement in her head and also remembered that she had referred to Jayden as her boyfriend because she doubted anyone would believe him otherwise. No one ever believed that a man and a woman could live together and only share a platonic relationship. Naturally the shrink had warned Data against what she assumed he would want. After all, men often used sex as a way of establishing their territory. ‘I’ve had sex with her, she’s mine!’ It was barbaric, but it was still a part of the male psyche. And it was also related to why some men raped... Harper imagined the thoughts running through Data’s head as this counselor warned him against trying to sleep with her. Suddenly it seemed ridiculously funny.   

Harper sat back down and stared at Data’s shoes.

“I told them that you were my boyfriend, because it was less of a  hassle. You tell people that you live with a man and no one believes you if you say there’s nothing going on between you. I’m too tired to fight, so I just said boyfriend. I didn’t think about her talking to you. Sorry.”

“I believe I understand. I must admit to being quite unprepared for my emotional response to her assumption. How did you react?” he asked, still unnerved.

“She only told me not to be surprised if I reacted sharply the next time I was touched. You almost never touch me and at work no men usually do, so I wasn’t really worried,” she explained. The counselor came back out of her office and handed the work excuse to Harper, informing her that she should stay home tomorrow. After that Samples thanked Harper for her cooperation and sent the pair on their way. Data of course drove, but Harper didn’t really mind this time.

They picked up the sedative at the drugstore and finally headed home. Data was very much at a loss in how to react once they were home. He wanted to keep a close eye on Harper, as the counselor had instructed, but Harper seemed to want to be alone. He was torn between respecting Harper’s privacy and fearing that left alone she may need him, but he would not be there to know.

“I know that you wish a bath, Harper. I strongly suggest that you take a shower. I want you to return to the living room in no more than thirty minutes so that I may dispense your sedative. Will you do as I ask, please?” His tone was gentle, caring and firm. She had a great deal of trouble arguing with him when he looked like this.

“I’ll shower.” She turned to go. “Be back,” she assured him. Her voice held almost no emotion and that worried Data. In the car Harper had told him that the he could not stay home with her tomorrow since he had just started a new job and it would look bad.

“Surely the fact that you were attacked-“ Data had argued.

“Only if you lie too, and tell them that I’m your girlfriend. I’ll be okay I’ll probably call work and tell them what happened and go right back to sleep.” She had refused to be swayed in this just as she had refused to be swayed in her refusal to see a counselor.

Data was convinced this was well beyond his ability to cope with alone. He needed outside intervention, but knew of so few people here. Locating Harper’s telephone list from her second job, Data considered whom he should call. Betty seemed the most logical choice. She was older and seemed sensible. He also knew that she had a great deal of affection for Harper.

Data had no trouble at all in enlisting the woman’s aid. She agreed to call Harper tomorrow and also agreed to be available should he feel the need for female advice. Relieved, he went to Harper's bedroom door to listen for her progress. The water was running in the shower, but he could not quiet his fears that she could be in danger.

He went to the computer and did what he did best. He looked up information on sexual and physical assault, in addition to the victim’s and the victim’s family’s reactions. Though they had neither formal arrangement nor a relationship that could truly be considered that familiar, he was the closest thing Harper had to family since he did live in the same house with her. Harper's daughter would need to be informed of what had happened, but Data could not attend to this as Melody was not aware that her mother was living with a...man.

The information that Data found on the web told him that his frustration and confusion were normal and that he should also expect some anger. This was a relief as he had experienced a great deal of anger when he had come upon the man when he was on top of his housemate. Instantly, Data also realized that thinking of Harper as ‘his housemate’ was an attempt to assign a possessive quality to his relationship to her. This realization stunned him. He wished he had the time to further analyze his feelings in this matter, but finding out what to expect from Harper was paramount at this time. 

Data located a site that listed do’s and don’ts in supporting a victim of assault. He kept this simple list in mind as he went back to her door. The water was off now, but he could hear no movement. Returning to the kitchen, Data retrieved one of the sedatives and a glass of water. Back at her door, he still could hear nothing...excepted for quiet breathing.

“Harper. Are you-” he did not want to ask if she was all right, as he knew that she was not. “Dressed?” he finished.

“Yes, Data.” she answered softly.

“May I come in, please?” he asked through the door.

“Yes,” came her insipid response. He could hear that she was not moving and the door was locked. The design of the door was such that he could easily unlock it, but...

“Harper, the door is locked. Do you wish to unlock it or shall I?”

“You can.”

He did not hesitate any longer. He opened the door to see her in a long flannel nightgown of white with pink rosebuds. Her feet were bare and her hair was wet and uncombed. She was sitting on the end of her bed, with her hands in her lap, staring at the wall in front of her.

The list Data had read instructed him to allow Harper as much control as she was willing to take. It warned against giving her orders and forcing her to do anything. Once he had read this, he recalled firmly asking her to take a shower instead of a bath, but Data felt it a necessary evil. He simply did not like the thought of her slipping in the water or falling asleep and... Harper was out of the water and he needed to focus on now.

“Would you like the sedative now? I brought it for you,” he said, showing her the pill and the glass of water.

“Okay,” she answered. She took the pill that he dropped into her hand and drank down the water in her glass. When she handed it back, Data went to the kitchen and put it away. He returned to find her still staring. He did not want to leave her.

“Your hair is disordered. Would you like me to attend to it for you?” Data asked.

“Okay,” came the sluggish response after a moment. Data retrieved Harper’s brush from her bathroom and stood beside her to brush her hair as gently as he was able.

“How are you feeling, Harper?” Data asked as he gathered strand by straightened strand.

“Weak,” was all Harper said.

“Why do you feel weak? Your countermeasures against the attacker were quite impressive, Harper. I could see you from quite a distance and you were defending yourself efficiently. Had you not been so close to the bench, I believe that you could have escaped him. You were attempting something when I arrived, will you tell me what it was, please?” Data wanted to get her talking and to see that she had done well in her efforts to resist her attacker.

“I was trying to poke him in the eyes since I couldn’t move anything other than my arms and hands.” Her reply still had no feeling behind it, but she was talking.

“Excellent reasoning,” Data complimented her. “Had you proceeded, it is possible that you could have disabled him without my intervention. Your initial attack stance was innovative and successful. You deflected his first attack with alacrity. Your response was perfectly timed. You heeded your defense instructors well.” Data completed brushing her hair.

Harper seemed to notice that he had stopped and looked up at him. “I know what you’re thinking. If I’d come home like I was supposed to, this never would’ve happened.”

Data had expected this and was prepared. “I wish that you did come home. But because you chose to stay there and be alone, did not give him the right to attack you, Harper. I understand your motivation. I cannot understand nor condone his. I do not blame you. I blame him. Please do not blame yourself. You-“

“But I am to blame! I know better than to sit in an empty mall, alone. I should’ve come home like you told me too,” she insisted.

Data sat next to her on the bed, but rejected the urge to take her hand. “You are not to blame. It is natural for one to blame themselves, but you did not make the conscience choice to hurt someone. He did. He would have hurt you and me as well, were I human. You fought back. You should be proud that you did not allow him to hurt you then. Do not allow him to now. You are stronger than that. I know you are.” His words reach her, but he was not sure until she slowly leaned over and rested her head against him. He felt intense emotional warmth fill his chest as she relaxed into him.

“Counselor Samples told me not to touch you, Harper, unless you wanted me to.”

“Just hold me,” she whispered. He could hear the tiniest hint of resolve in her voice. A touch of strength. An inkling of will.

Slowly, as to not frighten her, Data wrapped a single arm around Harper’s shoulders.

Harper was waiting for him to bring his other arm around her, but Data did not move. She remembered how the counselor had told Data not to be intimate with her and that Harper had told him that Samples had warned her about a bad reaction to being touched. Harper realized that Data was only going to touch her if necessary and as little a possible.

This realization hit her with two feelings; it made her again ache of the comforting hand of her long dead husband and made her feel very lonely in the half embrace of her most trusted new friend. This attack had pushed Data way from her and even if there was no intimacy between them, there was still a loss. Data had not been hesitant to touch Harper; it was just not necessary for him to touch her often. Still, he would take her hand or hold her willingly when she was upset, but now he would distance himself. Slipping deeper into depression, Harper was not able to tell him that this was the exact opposite of what she needed.

Tears rolled soundlessly down her face.

The lack of sobs caused a delay in Data’s awareness of her crying. His sensed moisture on his shirt and looking down, saw the wet streaks lining her cheeks. He released her and rose to get a tissue from her bedside table. In doing so, Data caught sight of something that caused a sharp reaction. He was monetarily stunned by what he saw sitting innocently on her table.

Why was this here?! Why did Harper have THIS here?

Data pushed the fierce reaction and emotions away. This was not the time. But this would be dealt with. He would have to wait until she was able to deal with him, but she would explain it then. He retrieved the tissues and went back to Harper; still sitting with shoulders slumped at the foot of the bed. He handed her the tissues, but she didn’t seem to notice.

The words of a gentle command to dry her eyes were on his tongue when he decided that this would fall into the ‘don’t’ side of the list he had read. He sat back down next to her and dried her eyes himself. It was a pointless exercise as the tears were replaced in seconds.

“Why are you crying, Harper?” he asked, hoping her could coax her out of this.

“I...” She could not bring herself to tell him of the forces that seemed to be pulling her apart. She felt so alone. His arms could be her salvation, but she just couldn’t make herself ask again. He should not even be here. He was an important man. A unique being. The only Soong-type android functioning and with knowledge of his superior nature. Yet, here he was acting like a nursemaid for her. Making her coffee in the morning. Driving her to work. Fixing up her house. It was ridiculous! Q was being cruel to Data again! Causing him to be a prisoner here was a travesty. It was a supreme waste of Data’s talents and abilities to be here with her. He could not let his true nature be known or allow it to be seen.

He had to be...human.

Just Human.

And it was all her fault!

She wasn’t important. She was not a star or a president or anyone of ANY importance. She was just a simple, pitiful woman who didn’t have the sense to come home when the man with the IQ of millions told her to!

“I don’t understand why Q would send you here. What purpose could there be? I’m a nobody! To stupid to realize that I should have come home when I should. You should not be here. It’s a waste for you to be here. I’m sorry I’m wasting your time, Data.” Harper was sobbing loudly now. Her little speech told Data that while she was suffering from guilt over her actions that led to her being attacked, she was simultaneously progressing down the path of mourning. As bargaining with a deity for Robin’s return would be too late at this point, she had jumped ahead to depression. Hopefully this would be her last stop before she accepted her loss and could then leave her obsession with Data behind. Maybe they could even move to a real relationship that could be beneficial for both of them. 

“We could question my being here for days and it would gain us nothing. The fact is that I am here. While I do indeed miss the life that I once had and may or may not have again, I am not...unhappy here.” Data worried about this next move, but felt it vital to combat her depression and guilt over his being here. He lifted her chin and turned her head with a gentle touch of his fingers. Red and swollen eyes looked into amber eyes full of concern.

“Do you wish me gone? If you woke up tomorrow to find me missing, would you be disconcerted?”

“I would miss you,” she admitted, reluctantly. “But don’t you wish you were home and not stuck here with me?” she asked, sure Data would say he would.

“I am where I am. I see no point in belaboring this issue. I do not have the power to change my circumstances and while the circumstances have not been ideal, I am learning. It is more difficult to understand a culture from the outside. At this time I am...on the inside. I hope that once I can be of assistance with our financial situation, that there will be more opportunities for us to explore your culture. I have many questions and there are many things I wish to see. You have been working too much to even have much free time to enjoy your life. I hope that I can change that. I believe that we can help each other. If you allow it, I believe that you will learn and enjoy the experience with me.” His eyes seemed filled with anticipation of imagined wonders yet to be discovered. Harper found it startling what an affect Data’s change in attitude could have on her.

But she was tired. The emotional day was taking a toll on her. Data offered to make her some canned soup and she accepted. After eating, Harper told Data she was going to bed. He told her that if she needed anything that he would be happy to help her in any way.

Chapter Seven – Getting Over It

Monday morning Data woke Harper at 6:45 AM. He had to go to work, but Harper would need to wait until 8:00 to call in to her office. He brought her the telephone, promised to call her from work at exactly 8:00 and instructed her to go back to sleep for now. Harper admitted this would have all been easier if she just kept a phone in her bedroom, but she didn’t like to. Data just told her to call him if she needed anything today and that he would come home, or if it was not vital, he would pick it up on his way back from work. Harper agreed, thanking him, but felt like she should be kissing him good-bye. Instead she just thought about how handsome he looked in his dark blue suit and tie. He had sat hesitantly on the edge of her bed, so she was able to look him over and make sure he looked perfect. She straitened the tie that was fine before she touched it and nodded her approval. 

When Data was gone, Harper could not get back to sleep. The house felt oddly empty without Data there. She hadn’t been in the house alone since the moment he had arrived. It was nice in the sense that she didn’t have to worry about him seeing something or feel guilty over him waiting on her hand and foot. Yet there was no one to talk to, and she had gotten used to having someone here...again.

She hated to sit here and cry, but the damn tears wouldn’t stop. Harper plucked a tissue from the box on her bedside table and wiped her eyes. She glanced over and looked at the picture of Data and the Queen. Harper wished that this picture was just of Data, but she was careful to keep it... Shock suddenly filled her.

~ Oh, my God! He was here last night...gotten a tissue for her...I didn’t even noticed the thing was left out. ~

Data had seen it!

There was no way he hadn’t.

Harper decided that she had to be the worst excuse for a human being there ever was! Data was going to hate her before long!

This was the last straw, she decided. Harper got out of bed, headed to the basement, and found an empty box. Heading back upstairs, she went through every inch of the house and packed up every item that pertained to Data. Turning on the computer, she deleted every item there that pertained to him there. Once this was done she took the full box, labeled it “Star Trek” and put it down stairs. She had left the DVD’s of the Next Generation that she had upstairs but she took them to her room and put them in a storage area in her closet.

She would not inadvertently hurt him again!

Looking at the clock, she saw that it was just before eight. She knew that one of the ladies in the office always got there early so Harper placed the call to the office now. Carmen was very shocked to hear what had happened to Harper, but was sympathetic. Carmen told Harper that she should not worry about a thing. They would miss her, but would be able to limp along without her for a few days. Harper assured her that she would be in Tuesday.

Data arrived at Comp-Tech early and waited until his superior arrived. Data asked if he could speak to the man for a moment, so Collin Windsor told Jayden Soong to have a seat in the large office that he occupied.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Soong?” he asked with a friendly smile.

“At this time, I require nothing, I simply wished to inform you of...something that has occurred. My housemate was...attacked yesterday evening and while she escaped physically unharmed, she was quite disturbed by what happened.” Mr. Windsor looked wide-eyed and his smile vanished.

“I’m very sorry to hear of this. I’m surprised that you came to work today if this happened just last night.” He looked truly confused, though sympathetic.

“I suggested my remaining at home with her, but she rejected this stating that it would not ‘look good’ since I have only been in your employ for one week.” Data explained.

“She’s a brave woman and thoughtful. Were it anyone of my other employees I might just agree with her, but you are already surpassing all my expectations. You have completed assignments not due for two weeks. Do you think your girlfriend will be all right alone?” This question surprised Data. Data had referred to Harper as his housemate, but Mr. Windsor and assumed that she was his girlfriend...just like Harper had talked about last night.

“I am not certain, sir. She most likely would have preferred me with her, but my income here is vital for our survival. We could not jeopardize-“

“Jayden. I appreciate your dedication, but your mind is going to be at home with your girlfriend and I think we can let you go early for today. I haven’t had this particular kind of thing happen to my wife or me, but it happened to my brother’s wife. He had to stay home with her for a week. Listen, I have some items for you today, but as soon as you complete them, you can go home. I don’t want you thinking you have a heartless bastard for a boss.” The man smiled gently and got to his feet. Coming around his desk to shake Data’s hand, and pat him on the back.

“Oh, if she...what’s her name, Jayden?”

“Harper Talenger, sir.” Windsor nodded.

“If your Harper needs any counseling, I have the number of the lady that my brother’s wife spoke to. Rachel raves about her, so let me know and I’ll get you the number if you want.”

“Thank you, sir. Harper did speak with a counselor at the police station last night, but I will mention your offer to her. Thank you again, sir.” Data got to his feet and after a final handshake, returned to his desk.

At exactly eight o’clock Data called home...and got a busy signal. He became worried, but forced himself to look into the work he had to complete before he could go home. It was not going to take long. He waited five minutes and called Harper again.

“Hi,” she answered when Data announced himself.

“You were not sleeping?”

“No, I couldn’t relax.” She thought about bringing up the picture of the Queen on her bedside table, but rejected this idea. That would be a face-to-face talk. “The house is too quiet without you here. Can’t sleep.”

“I was not aware that I have been...noisy. I will attempt to pay closer attention to the sounds I create in the future.” He sounded confused and disturbed that she thought he was a loud housemate. The memory of Betty complaining about her lover’s snoring came to mind.

“Do you snore, Jayden?” she asked, and immediately wondered why.

“No, I have always been told that was not an admirable human tendency. I decided not to incorporate that into my...I have not...I do not snore. Why do you ask, Harper?”

“I’m not sure why I asked. My mind’s not working right. I don’t think you’re loud, Jayden. I just...miss you. But, I’m okay and I don’t want you to worry. I’ll be okay until you get home.” She assured him. Data did not sound convinced. Harper told him that she had already called work and he assumed this was the reason for the busy signal.

“Harper, are you going to call Melody and inform her of what took place?” She sounded upset at this question, but Data reminded her that she had not spoken to her daughter in over a week and that she still had not informed the girl that her mother was now living with...him. Harper promised to call her daughter.

Data had decided not to tell her that he was coming home early just in case something came up that prevented his early departure.

But nothing happened and Data was in the van and driving home just after noon.

He did stop by the grocery store and purchased a few items that he knew they needed and went home.

Harper was happy to see him, but was still quiet. Her depression had descended again and had a firm grip on her. The day was warm and she was sitting outside on the front steps when Data came to join her. He sat next to her on the step.

“You did something with the boxed doll of me.” Harper looked up to make sure this was not a question. His still just looked worried.

“Yeah. I packed it away. Time to wake up and realize that it was bothering you. I put away all the stupid stuff that could offend you, including the picture I had on my bedside table.” She looked Data straight in his blue eyes. “Sorry, Jayden. I should have gotten rid of it the first day, but I was being selfish.” She looked very apologetic, but he was still bothered by the pictures presence there.

“What was the significance of that image to you? Why did you have it there?” Data tried not to sound hurt, but he was very disturbed that Harper had a picture on her table of one of his most troubling days.

“In the picture you are almost smiling. I don’t have many of you smiling. The reason its there is because it’s laminated and I use it as a coaster. I’m very sorry you saw it there, Jayden. I know I upset you again. That’s why I went through the house and boxed up everything. I’m tired of upsetting you. I’m gonna try and stop doing it. I hope you can forgive me. I really am sorry.” For some reason the tears started again. He had not meant to make her cry and was dismayed by the sudden burst of emotion from her. He wanted to hold her, but he again could hear Miss Samples warning. He was startled when Harper jumped to her feet and started to walk away into the grass. He got to his feet and chased after her.

“Why can’t I just stop it? I keep finding ways to tick you off!” Harper roared.

“I am not ticked off,” Data assured her, “I am...I was stunned to see that image and confused by seeing it there. I thought you understood how this incident...affected me. I must have been wrong,” he said sadly.

“I think I do understand. Mostly anyway. But I...I have to let go of everything else and I...couldn’t let go of it all.” Harper seemed so remorseful, but that picture...why did it have to be that picture!

“Could you not have clung to any other image? Were I...” He lowered his voice and continued, “Were I human I would have been trying very hard to forget that ever happened, Harper. I cannot forget it unless I remove- I have to live with these images, but I had hoped that you understood...came close to understanding what I felt...how confusing...how...exciting....” Data was experiencing a bit of depression of his own mixed with intense anger. He could not continue this conversation. She was not ready to have this conversation. Data turned and went back into the house.

Harper followed quickly behind him. She closed the front door, but turned to see him stomping off towards his bedroom. She knew he wasn’t tired, just tired of her. But she still had to try. She owed it to him.

“Data, wait. Please, listen to me. Please wait!” He made it to his room, but did not close the door. Harper ran in after him. But how did she explain why she kept that damn picture? She had stared at that picture so many times. She’d watched that scene so many times. Imagined the scenes not shown and had tried to work out what Data must have felt.

Harper had written one story in which Lessa found out more than she wanted to find out about what had happened between Data and the Queen. Lessa had been horrified! But Data had gotten angry with her. It was Harper’s belief this experience would eventually lead Data to a realization. While he was not happy about the situation that led to this encounter or the person with whom it had taken place...the feelings were ones he would want to experience again. And if this could happen with someone like little Lessa, someone Data could love...it would be like nothing he had ever experienced before.

But Harper had been certain that the encounter with the Queen would scar Data. If Troi did not handle it right, he may never...or at least not for a long, long period of time, get past it. Data had to get past this in order to want to find someone. He needed to know that he was lovable. Not just as a friend, for certainly he knew that. Data had friends everywhere he went. In was almost impossible to be in the same room with this man and not fall in like with him after mere moments. Harper had witnessed it happen again and again. Even people who started with feelings of fear or mistrust for Data, liked him by the end of the episode. Everyone liked Data.

Now Harper needed to find someone to prove to him that he was lovable too. But she had to get him to the right point first. If only her character, Lessa were real! In Harper’s imagination she could just see Lessa walk up to Data, smack him across the face and tell him to get over it. Then she would probably kiss him with a kiss so passionate it would knock his socks off.

But Harper was not Lessa.

Harper drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Data was staring at her. Waiting for her to explain her way out of this mess.

“Please sit down, Data. This may take a while.”

“I will not grow tired by standing. You know that.”

“Humor me, Data.” He relented and sat. Harper took another deep breath and began to pace as she spoke. She explained about how her story writing had caused her to want to try to get into his head. To imagine how he had felt. Reenact in her head how he may have felt.

“When I write, I feel what the characters feel, Data. I was writing a part where Lessa was in the same room as Lore once.” Data looked stunned at this. “Don’t worry. Lore was confined and you confined him. He was taunting Lessa about you, but Lessa’s a tough cookie and is not fun to be around when she cracks...like me...anyway, while I was writing this part where Lore was being especially pissy, my phone rang. It was Melody. I was still in Lore’s mind-set and couldn’t pull myself out that quickly. I was not very nice to her that day. Since then I warn people that if they call and I sound funny, to tell me they will call at a certain time later and I will try to not be writing an emotional part then.”

“I do not see how this applies to our conversation,” Data said flatly.

“Sometimes I can be longwinded. There was another part of that same story, earlier in, where Lessa finds out about what happened with the Queen. She does not react well. Neither do you. To write about it, I had to try to understand it. To watch it happening on the screen and envision what was not shown. That picture helped me to focus on it, Data. To focus on the moment. The events before and the recovery after. You were moments from your triumph in that picture, Data. The captain told you to leave, but you couldn’t leave because only you could do what was planned and not die. If Picard hit that plasma coolant, he may not have broken it in one hit, he may have died too soon, or he may have not been able to make the attempt. But you could.

“The Queen believed you were taken. Won over to her cause. But she did not know the heart of the man at her side. And that gave you the very opportunity you needed. The Queen was so sure of herself that she became careless. She wanted to rub Picard’s nose in winning you over from him. But you showed her she was wrong. Worf might have called it a glorious moment.” Harper drew out the word ‘glorious’ as though Gowron were saying it. Data came to his feet and stood in her pacing path. She stopped and faced Data for the last part of this, but looked like she would begin again. His presence prevented any forward movement.

“It was not glorious! It was terrifying! The captain could have been killed! The Queen could have escaped!”

“Stop living in the ‘what ifs’, Data. You did everything right! You did what no one else could have done! What no one else could resist long enough to do!” Harper felt her own frustration with him rise, her temper flare.

“But I did not completely resist. The temptation-“ Data guilt was written across is face.

“My God, Data! You know what happened? You were tempted, yes. She made an offer, promised you pleasure you had never known before and Data the android reacted...like a human. Just like a human. He was tempted to go with that desire and follow it to the end. He was human. You have been trying to be more human for most of your life. Did you really think that being human would entail all the good stuff and none of the bad? Did you think you could incorporate all of our strengths and none of our weaknesses? Do you really think for one moment there is any human that is on this planet right now that has not been tempted to do something selfish or wrong? We are all tempted, Data. Some of us even give in to that temptation...completely. Never giving a second thought to the consequences of doing so. These people live just to find a new temptation to give in to. You find most of these people in jail at one time or another.”

“Like the man who attacked you...” Data reminded her. Harper nodded slowly. She reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“One of our strengths is learning from our mistakes. Yes, you were tempted, but should something tempt you again you will be wiser and stronger. Next time maybe you will only be tempted for 0.34 seconds.” She grinned up at him. Suddenly she noticed a tear rolling down Data’s face. Oddly Harper thought of Melody.

She had gotten through to him. Data was coming around. Whatever groundwork Troi had done had to be pretty good for Harper to have been able to get through to him so quickly. Or maybe Data was just ready to heal.

They really were quite a sad pair. Both so wounded, both in such desperate need of healing. Harper knew it was selfish and maybe this was giving in to temptation, but she still really needed to be held. She wanted a hug, just a good solid hug. Was that so wrong? She decided she was going to ask.

“Data,” He was staring into her eyes, tears trickling down his cheeks. ”I think we both need a hug. I know I need one. Do you?” He did not stop crying, but he did tilt his head to the side and consider the matter. After a moment he nodded. Harper sighed. She had really been worried he would say no. She moved a little closer and so did he. Their arms when around each other and Harper could not resist any longer. She squeezed him for all she was worth. And then just stood and soaked up the contentedness of being in a warm hug.

“I love hugs,” Harper sighed.

“Why?” Data asked, sounding calmer and giving a small sniff.

“You don’t like them?” she asked without moving. Her eyes were closed and she had a tranquil smile on her face.

“I did not say that.” Sniff. “I simply wish to understand why you love them.” He sniffed again. “I think I need a tissue.”

Harper opened her eyes and looked at Data’s tear-streaked face. “If we don’t get better soon, I think we’re gonna need to take out stock in the company that makes tissues to recoup our losses from buying it.” She smiled compassionately at him and wiped his face with her sleeve. He just kept sniffing. She went to her room and came back with a hand full of tissue. She had to go back to her room for the garbage can as well; silly man didn’t even have one in his room.

“You did not answer my question,” Data reminded her. He was sitting on his bed and she was just coming back into his room.

“Hugs?” Harper asked, he nodded. She sat next to him, with her leg up on the bed, knee bent in so she could face him. “I like the warmth. The contact. I think I could be a hug junky,” she admitted with a sheepish grin. ”I don’t think the people at my second job ever gave each other hugs until I started there. Now they almost all do. You didn’t get anything out of it?” she asked. Data’s expression changed. He glanced at her sideways.

“I think I did. I enjoyed it when you...tightened you hold on me. I experienced a rush of... feelings of comfort and acceptance. I have noticed that most of the hugs that I have received contained a tightening at some point. Why is that?” He tilted his head to the side it his endearing manner.

“I think a good hug needs to have a firm squeeze in there to...start the transfer of warmth. But you should not hug with your full strength, of course.”

“No,” he agreed quickly. “Question, ‘transfer of warmth’?” Harper looked away and thought about this.

“Well, yeah. If you hug someone who is not feeling well, it’s usually to...well send them your strength and warm feelings. Like connecting to another computer for a download of information except this is an emotional transfer instead.” Data smiled at her. Harper wasn’t sure if it was because he understood and she had over explained again, or because she had used an illustration she knew he would fully understand. She grinned back at him.

“Okay now I have a question. You said that you’ve received hugs, but that sounded like you don’t give them. Do you?” He looked a little uncomfortable.

“I have never had a clear indication from someone else that they wanted one. A kiss, yes, but not just a hug. I did consider it yesterday evening when you asked me to hold you.” Data looked helpless, but Harper remembered how she felt in that moment. She still felt some of those feeling now. She had really needed a hug then and the fact that she had not gotten one had allowed the emptiness to reign supreme over everything else last night. She had cried herself to sleep, but had been quiet so Data wouldn’t be alerted. Harper looked away from him. She admonished herself and her tear ducts. Now was his moment.

“Did I err in my judgment, Harper?” Data asked. She looked up at him, confused. “Should I have given you a hug then?”

She tried to smile at him reassuringly, but just couldn’t make it convincing.

“I see. Perhaps I am not nearly as human as you need me to be. I am sorry I was not...there for you.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t deserve you being here at all. Don’t think I don’t appreciate your being here at all. Although you should not be-“

“We discussed this issue last night. I believe this is what is referred to as beating a dead horse. The imagery is quite unpleasant, but I do understand the pointlessness of the exercise. I am here. You are not the one who is responsible for my being here. Accept this,” he implored her.

“In other words...get over it,” she said. He did his head tilting for a second and then nodded. She grinned. “You have a disconcerting talent for cutting me to the quick, Data. I’ve always been one of those people who could get away with mur- um...more questionable behavior than most. I don’t think I’m gonna get away with it any more with you around.”

The day proceeded better, however as the evening approached, Harper seemed to fall into a pit of darkness that no amount of friendly teasing could coax her out of. Apparently, Data had only pushed her mourning out of her mind for a time. Data often experienced momentary discomfort when he turned his chip back on, even if the time when it had been off was brief. He tended to relive the ‘off’ moments again looking through emotional eyes. Sometimes the rush of emotions was quite disconcerting. The fact that Harper had pushed it back for five years caused Data to believe that she had infinitely more emotions to experience before she was going to be able to move on. Data could understand this, as it had been 34 years of emotional reliving for him.

When Harper went to her bedroom for her nightly bath, Data shuddered inwardly. Pulling out the leftover components from his communicator, he went to work on something to ease his mind. When Harper returned from her bath, over an hour later, Data had what he was sure she would call a new toy. He was standing at the end of the hall when she returned and held up the two pieces of the ‘toy’ to show her.

“Did it chirp?” Harper asked, since the distinctive outer casing from his communicator was in his left hand.

“No, but you can cause it to. I have borrowed components from the tricorder to make a...two way radio.” He uses this term so she would understand.

“Why? We have phones. And as you and I are only out of touch when we’re at work, I don’t see the need.” Her expression made it clear that she thought he was nuts, but he knew that.

“This could be used at any time, but I created it for one purpose. I have found that during your bath time each evening, I experience...anxiety,” Data admitted. Harper’s jaw dropped.

“You still think I’m gonna drown! I am corrupting you. You’ve developed an obsession. What am I supposed to do, press this if I’m falling? Not gonna work.” She chided him.

Data looked surprised that Harper did not understand. “No, if you keep it activated I would be able to hear should your breathing cease and-“

“You are teasing, aren’t you? Data, I’m not going to take that thing in there while I’m in the bath. It’s a private activity...I’m naked in there...I’m...I don’t think so.” Harper pushed the proffered device back towards Data.

“There is no visual, it would only send audio. I could not hear the fact that you are unclothed,” he noted, with a lifted eyebrow.

Harper sighed at him. “You don’t need to hear me taking a bath. I have been taking baths for years and I have never drowned once. Robin never came in to find me submerged unless I was getting my hair wet.” She lectured the android before her.

“Robin would come in while you were taking a bath?” Data asked, surprised.

“Don’t get any ideas! Yes, he came in. He was my husband, you know!” She sounded shocked that Data would not assume that Robin would have come in while she was bathing.

“I am aware of his relationship to you. But you stated that it was a private activity. Why would he come in? Was it for another reason that had nothing to do with your presence? Was it a sexual activity?” The last, he asked with a worried expression.

“No, none of that. He came in to check on me or because he would think of something and didn’t want to forget to tell me. We both had very bad memories.” Harper's expression changed, she had a far away look in her eyes.

“He was checking on you. Then perhaps he was concerned, as I am. Perhaps he invaded your privacy because he wished to assure himself of your safety...as I now wish to.” Harper rolled her eyes at Data, sighed heavily and poked him in the chest with her index finger.

“You’re trying to manipulate me into this and having written about you doing just this, I can spot it! I am not letting you play ‘listening Tom’ while I’m in the bath! I have a bad habit of talking to myself when I’m in there and...I used to talk to myself all the time, but you’ve caused me to put a stop to most of that. I-“ Data put up one finger to interject. “What?”

“Perhaps a compromise. You could activate the unit every five minutes to inform me of your condition.”

“It would get wet,” Harper argued.

“It is waterproof,” Data assured her.

“I would forget, bad memory.”

“I could signal you. I am sure you are familiar with the sound.“

“Every twenty minutes,” she countered.

“Fifteen,” he countered.

“You know, even if I didn’t answer and you knew something was wrong, the chances that you could revive me are really small after fifteen minutes.”

“True, ten minutes.”

“I had to open my big mouth, didn’t I?” Harper sighed, snatched the communicator out of Data’s hand and stomped back to her bedroom. When she returned Harper asked, “You’re going to work all day tomorrow, aren’t you? Good, so am I. I have to get out of this house before I succumb to the overwhelming desire to strangle you!”

Data gave her that, ‘you are crazy’ expression again. “That would be an ineffective defense against me,” he informed her, trying not to smile.

“I know where your off switch is,” she said tilting her head and looking innocently up at him.

“That would work.” He looked very nervous now.

“Relax, you hardheaded man. I have no intention of putting that knowledge to the test. And no, the comment about you being hard-headed had nothing to do with what your head is made of and everything to do with your being a stubborn ache in the backside!”

Data grinned. There was something to be said for being a pain in the ass! 

Harper was soaking in the tub. The water was so hot, it was making her sweat. It made her wish that she could find a way to sneak a glass of cold wine in here with her.

 “He’d go into cascade failure or something if he saw that,” Harper muttered to herself. The day back at work had been hectic with everyone asking what had happened to her. Not being able to tell anyone that Jayden had helped her was a pain since Harper kept forgetting and almost mentioned his name. She was glad the day was over. She closed her eyes and let her head sink into the water. Just as her ears had filled with the water, she heard the beep.

“Damn!” She sat up in the water and tapped the badge.

“No one here but us fish,” she said, sinking back down into the water.

“You have fish in there? I have been in that room before...when-“ came his voice.

“Kidding! I’m fine, Data. Bye.” She tapped the badge again and ended any chance of a rebuttal. “He’s gonna drive me crazy. All I want is one hour of peace and quiet, but no! Now I just get ten minute stretches. Maybe I should just drowned myself and really show him.” She laughed to herself and the ridiculousness of that idea. Then something else occurred to her.

Ten minutes later...

Beep! Tap. “I’m fine, Data. What are you doing?”

“I am watching a television show about people entering metal cages and submerging the cages into ocean water to lure and study great white sharks. I cannot believe they would endanger themselves in this manner,” came his confused sounding reply.

“Can’t argue with you there, always thought they were insane to do that too. Have you seen-Whoops!” Thump! Gurgle, gurgle.

In the living room, Data leaped from the couch and raced to Harper’s room. He opened the door to her bedroom and then the one to the bathroom in quick succession. Harper had her head resting on folder arms, leaning over the side of the tub. She was fine and she was grinning at him.

“Gotcha!” was all she said. Data’s jaw dropped open. He was standing just inside the doorway to her master bathroom and was two and a half meters away from her. She had wrapped a towel around herself, but was still sitting in the tub full of water. Steamy moisture filled the room.

  “A practical joke. Very clever. But I hope you recall the story of the boy who cried wolf,” Data said, recovering the instant he realized that Harper was in no danger.

“I do. I have no plans for doing this again. I just had to get you, Data. You’ve been asking for it, you know. Didn’t you have a roommate in the academy?”

“Briefly. He requested a reassignment and I was allowed to room alone from then on.”

“And you don’t remember living with you parents...or do you?” Harper did not move, she just stared at him.

“I do not remember, precisely. Images were stored on my emotion chip, but they were downloaded hurriedly from the computer on Omicron Theta and there are many...omissions. The information bares less resemblance to a memory than the logs from the colonist that were stored in me.”

“So, do you remember living with them at all?” Harper asked, tilting her head to the side. Her wet hair was dripping water over the edge of the tub and onto the rug below.

“Not in the sense that I consider it a memory. I was very confused most of the time and had a great deal of trouble in my journey to sentience. One could say they are unpleasant....images.” 

“So, you’ve really never lived with anyone before.”

“Spot...but she would not like to bathe the way that you do,” he noted. Harper laughed.

“And I wouldn’t like her method either. Okay you can see that I am fine, so please let me finish my bath in peace and quiet. Please.” She sounded as though she were almost begging.

“Now that you have saturated your towel, how will you dry yourself?” Data asked, sidestepping her plea. Her expression told him that she had not thought of that.

“I guess I was hoping that the kind and forgiving android I live with would fetch me a new one?” she said, hopefully. Data acted like he was searching the room and the bedroom behind him for something.

“You live with another android? Is he bigger than I am? Please let me know if he decided to fetch you that fresh towel.” In his mock search of the rooms he had noticed one thing she had not, her towel was floating.

“Data!” Harper cried, indignantly, reacting to his apparent refusal to bring her a new towel.

Turning back to face her before he left the room, Data grinned brightly. “Gotcha! Oh, and by the way....nice ass!”

Harper looked quickly behind her and pushed the towel back down, but it was too late...She could hear Data laugh all the way down the hall.

Harper raced into the living room twenty minutes later, looking drenched. Standing in front of and over Data as he sat on the couch, she shook out her very wet hair. Data threw up his arms in a halfhearted attempt to shield himself from the downpour, but he was not very successful. He was laughing again. Harper was laughing too, but she did not seem to have any intention of ceasing her watery attack. Data had to admit, practical jokes were much funnier with his chip. He had not understood, nor enjoyed them without emotions. And he had been the target of more than his share in the academy.   

Harper was getting his shirt wet and his pants as well. She pulled her locks together and looked as though she intended to wring the water out on his lap! Data grabbed her arms and pulled her playfully down to fall on her back, next to him on the couch. He laughed as she bounced and looked back at him, shocked at his sudden offensive action. Data stretched out to lean directly over her and grinned triumphantly down at her. She looked like she was planning her next attack.

“I have read about many more practical jokes than you can think of, Harper. I warn you, you will be outmatched in this area.” Data held her arms and was leaning over her, but she was now grinning up at him.

“In what area would I not be outmatched by you, Data? Just because I’m gonna lose doesn’t mean I would not still try it. I lost, but the look on your face when you burst into my bathroom was priceless. I wish I had a camera at that moment!” She smirked up at him. He laughed since she was right. He could see himself in her bathroom mirror and thinking about now, it was funny.

“You nightgown is sticking to your body. You look very...unkempt,” Data teased, still laughing. He had released her arms and she was moving them up between them.

“This coming from Mr. Fashion plate.” Harper reached up and to his utter shock, unbuttoned the collar button of the blue dress shirt he was wearing. When they had gotten home, Data had changed out of his suit and tie, but had left on the shirt and switched his suit pants for a pair of khakis. He stared at her, unmoving, as she finished with the first button and moved on to the next one...and then the third! Was she planning on undressing him? Was she trying to initiate sexual contact? Just as Data was going to ask her what her intentions were, Harper spoke.

“You know, no man ever wears his shirt all buttoned up like that unless he has a tie on. You took your tie off-hours ago. Umm, three may be too many. Oh, look...chest hair! Nice touch! Almost hate to cover that back up. There! Much better.” She finished her task and patted his chest to indicate she was done. She smiled up at his stunned reaction.

“You’re not blinking, Data. Are you feeling all right?” she asked innocently. “Let me up, I need to get cleaned up so I don’t look so...unkempt,” Harper said now pushing on his chest. He let her up and she instantly disappeared down the hall.

Lying in his bed hours later, Data replayed this incident in his mind and came to a startling conclusion. The reason that he had momentarily believed that Harper was intending to undress him was because he had suddenly wanted her to do just that. He had wanted to press his lips to hers and taste her mouth.

It was happening again...Data was tempted.

But was it so wrong this time? He was still not sure about the last time, so how could he be sure here? He needed to know if Harper had any real feelings for him. Not the character, not the actor, not the dream of him. But the real android that she had only known for just over a month. Was the dream intriguing, but the reality appalling, or just not so interesting? Had there been something buried in her eyes tonight? Could he bring it to the surface?

Data recalled the first fan fiction story Harper had shown him. The physical reaction. Data knew there would be a risk involved in this, but decided to implement her suggestion. With only a remote sense of hesitation, Data began rewriting and rerouting subroutines.

Harper rolled over on her side and clutched one of her pillows to her chest. She was sleeping happily, but a sudden noise caused her to sit bold upright in her bed. In the dark, she could see the outline of a man in her bedroom doorway. His hand still clutched the knob.

“Harper,” he whispered.

She let out a breath of relief, it was just Data. He moved into her room. “What is it, Data? Did you have a nightmare or something?” she asked, yawning. He came over to the side of the bed and sat next to her.

“No, it was not a nightmare. I dreamt of you, Harper,” he told her. She could see that he was in his pajamas, or rather, his pajama pants. His chest was bare.

God but was he sexy!

He moved further onto her bed, simultaneously pulling the blankets that covered her from her grasp. One hand slid up her leg to her thigh as she gasped. Data balanced on the other arm to look into her eyes.

“Tell me that you wish this as much as I,” he breathed.

She could barely manage a weak, “Yes,” before his mouth came crushing down on hers.

Harper had no resistance to him. She threw her arms around Data and greedily accepted his onslaught. He rolled her over on top of him and knocked one of her many pillows on the floor in the process...the sound of it hitting a lamp woke her up.

Harper sat bolt upright and looked to see that a pillow had indeed fallen. It must have been what had awakened her.

“Damn! Just when it was getting good,” she groaned, crestfallen. Harper collapsed back on her pillow with a dejected sigh.

“Harper,” Data called from behind her door.

~ Oh, my God! Am I still dreaming? ~

“Yes, Data.”

“Are you all right?” he called, sounding very worried.

“Come in, Data. I don’t want to yell through the door.”

He obeyed her command and came in. He was not only in his full pajamas, but was also wrapped securely in his robe. Damn, that meant she was awake, and Data wasn’t going to try a thing. He had been so shocked last night when Harper had unbuttoned his shirt. The poor boy had also looked like he wanted to button it back. His hand had kept reaching for the buttons throughout the rest of the evening. He would take notice of her grinning at his discomfort and would quickly lower his hand. He just couldn’t wrap his programming around it, and Harper had found it great fun.

“Are you all right?” Data repeated, coming into the room.

“I’m fine. Why?” She didn’t think the sound of a pillow falling could have alerted him too. The pillow hadn’t knocked anything over...

“You were calling me. Were you dreaming?” he asked. He was close enough for her to note his buttons on his pajamas were all buttoned...and he smelled good. Ah, well...one out of two...

“I guess I was dreaming. What did I say?” she hoped nothing suggestive.

“You called my name three times. That is all I heard. You did not sound upset, but you were calling.” He sounded concerned that she would think ill of him for coming in to her room in the middle of the night.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“2:36 and twelve seconds. Are you feverish? Are you upset with me? Are you angry regarding the incidents that took place last night? Were you having a nightmare?”

Feverish...yes...nightmare...no!

“No, sweetie, I’m not upset. I enjoyed kidding around with you as much as you seemed to. You were enjoying it, weren’t you, Data?” He came to sit on the side of her bed and smiled gently.

“Yes. It is an area of humor that I have some experience with, though certain elements are different.” She wished he were just a little closer.

“What elements?” she asked.

He rose from the bed; suddenly he seemed to throw up a wall between them.

“I was not cohabiting with the previous person.” He walked back to the door. “I will have your coffee ready for you in the morning, Harper. Good night.”

That was odd, Harper thought, as she told him goodnight as well. Data closed the door and she could hear his own door close a second later. She had pushed him too far, Harper decided. She had made him too uncomfortable. She wanted to shake Data up a bit, but she didn’t want to scare the hell out of him.

Harper’s obsession with Data had mutated. His pushing her to deal with the fact that Robin was dead had shattered it, but it had reformed almost instantly...into something new. She had tried to ignore the growing feelings, but her obsession with the dream had left her with no resistance for the reality. But even if nothing happened between them, she hoped that she could help him to want something with someone. She wanted him happy.

No, more than that, Harper wanted Data to be in love. Positron blowing, sub-routine exploding optical sensory overloading love! Wouldn’t that be wonderful to see? She grinned at the thought of Data with a dreamy lovesick expression on his sweet face. She giggled, quietly. That would be fun, then his friends would not think bad of Harper if she sent him back to them ready to build the same kind of relationship with someone once Q let Data go home again. Harper picked the pillow up from the floor and wrapped her arms around it. With images of a happy Data danced in her head, sleep finally reclaimed her.

Harper stood before her bathroom mirror, applying the makeup she had decided to wear this morning. It was going to be an interesting day, one filled with anticipation. Data had finally gotten his first check yesterday and they had their big dinner tonight. Since they would be going out after work, Harper had to get ready now.

Harper put on some perfume just for the hell of it. Her dress was formfitting, but her form was not that bad. She wished she could lose a few pounds, but working out in skimpy exercise clothes with Data here was not happening! Robin had always made wise cracks at her and had been retaliated against, but if she bent over and Data came out with a ‘nice ass!’ and she would not be able to ever put those work out clothes on again.

Since her first practical joke, Data had kept up the teasing and she loved it! Data had gotten nervous a couple of times when he seemed to think it had gone too far, but he was recovering quicker each time and Harper was trying hard not to cause him to become uncomfortable.

She dabbed at her lipstick, ran the brush through her hair again and left the room. Data was coming to hurry her and met her in the hall. He noticed her attire and seemed confused.

“I was coming to get you. We will be late if you are not ready.” Harper pretended to straighten his tie. It was perfect, of course, but it was ritual now and she liked it. It made her feel...wifely. Data looked down, as he always did. “Are we ready?”

“I think we are as beautiful as we’re likely to get, so yes, we’re ready.”

In the van, Data kept glancing at her, but said nothing. Finally he glanced over to see Harper staring pointedly back it him and grinning.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Jayden Lee Soong?” she asked, sweetly.

“No, I was just wondering about your choice of apparel this morning. It differs from your traditional selection. Is there a reason for that?” he asked, hesitantly.

“Our dinner this evening...I know you didn’t forget.”

“No, I reserved our table at the restaurant last week. Then you are saying that you made your choice of attire this morning based on our expected activities this evening?”

“We’re not eating at a mud wrestling place, are we?” Harper asked, wondering why he seemed confused. Data shook his head.

“No, you are aware of my aversion to being unclean. I would not wish to soil my suit, nor your dress. It is a...flattering dress.” He seemed reluctant to say that.

“Thank you, Mr. Soong. It must be very flattering for you to comment on it,” she teased.

“What do you mean?” Data asked, wondering if he had just been insulted.

“Let’s just say you’re not free and easy with a compliment. Actually, I think that’s the first one...first real one you’ve ever given me.” Harper tried to think of any other. Nothing serious and about her appearance came to mind.

“At the risk of setting myself up for teasing, may I inquire as to the reason behind your choosing to apply makeup today as well?”

“Dinner,” she answered simply.

“And the perfume?”

“I was doing the rest, I figured...what the hell...why not perfume too. Why, not to your taste?” she asked, worried.

“I would not say that.” Data was avoiding her eyes, now.

“What would you say? If you don’t like it or you think it’s awful, I can wash it off before tonight.” Harper sounded concerned.

“No, it is pleasing. You both look and...smell aesthetically pleasing, Harper. I meant no offense.” Data was strangely quiet after this. Harper was not sure what his problem was, but hoped he got over it before dinner. He pulled up in front of her office and she leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek. She didn’t do this normally, but she hoped it would shock him out of his sudden funk.

Harper forgot she had lipstick on, leaving a pink lip print on Data’s cheek.

“Oh, sorry! Forgot I had that on.” She grabbed a tissue and handed it to him. “Think I’ll dash away while you’re busy cleaning up your cheek. Try to be in a better mood tonight, Son of Soong.” With a pat to his leg, Harper hopped out of the car and headed into work.

Data sighed and looked in the mirror to see the mark she had left on him. He stared briefly at the imperfect impression of her lips in a soft shade of rose on his right cheek. Had he known that she was planning to kiss him, he could have timed it to turn his face towards her at just the right moment and had reciprocated her kiss. Data felt a twinge of his ethical program. He unenthusiastically removed the lipstick from his face and drove to his own office.

Harper had been fixated on Data to hide from her grief. She has resisted, but Data believed that she had almost recovered from both this and the trauma of her attack. The court date was next month for the man’s trial, but Data had requested the time off to be with her. Once his boss knew of the reason behind Jayden’s request, he quickly approved.

Data too was still healing from his ordeal at the hands of the Borg Queen, but even though Harper was not a counselor, she was determined to get him over his uncertainties. As he entered the elevator that would take him to the third floor, Data smiled. Harper was indeed nothing like Counselor Troi and neither were her methods, but she was quite convincing. As Data was Harper’s only patient, she could give him her undivided attention...when she was not working.

That was another thing that he hoped he could address soon. Data believed Harper worked too much. His adding to their finances should help and he intended to encourage her to quit one of her jobs. He had talked her into letting him take over the bill paying just last week. Since he needed a checking account, he had asked her if they could have a joint account stating all the logical reasons behind his reasoning. She had resisted at first, but had come around to his way of thinking and finally relented. When he had checked their account balance this morning, it looked much nicer.

He was looking forward to dinner tonight. Data thought again of Harper’s appearance and how she now worn perfume for the first time since he had met her. She always smelled clean and...of roses. He had discovered that it was her conditioner that caused her to smell of roses. He had come to associate the scent with her and had even enjoyed a secret smile when they had done their shopping last week and she had bought more.

He remembered when he had been on the planet Angel I with Riker, Troi and Tasha. The bottles of perfume were everywhere. Data had commented on this and Riker had tried to explain. Data now wondered if Harper was using the perfume like the men had there, but did she want to use it on her housemate?

Lunchtime rolled around quickly, or so it seemed. Harper's head was in the clouds so it took a tap on the shoulder from Ann to wake her from her fog.

“You coming? Or is your boyfriend, I mean housemate coming for you today?” Ann asked with a disbelieving smile. Just like Harper had assumed, no one believed for a moment that there was nothing going on between her and Jayden, the blue eyed hunk.

“Jayden’s not coming today. And yes, I’m coming.” Harper followed her friend to the lunchroom and retrieved her sandwich from the fridge. Data had requested that they stop buying ham and cheese, so she was stuck with turkey. He likes turkey...figures!

Harper sat down with Ann, Meagan, and Janet. All were married except for Harper, so her relationship with Jayden was often a hot topic, despite her attempts to change the subject.

“How’s Melody, Harper? She coming back for Thanksgiving?” asked Janet.

“Yes, I talked with her last week and she’s going to stay the week with me in November, but for Christmas break she’s going to spend the time with her new boyfriend.”

“Oh, like mother like daughter. What does she think about you and lover boy?” Harper rolled her eyes at Janet.

“I haven’t told her about Jayden’s staying with me. Since I can’t seem to explain it to any of you, I fail to see how I’m going to properly convey it to her.” Gosh that sounded like Data, she thought. Except for the contractions. Counter data corruption? “I intend to send him to the store for milk or something before Mel arrives so I can explain it to her.”

“You really expect us to accept your word that he’s just rooming with you and there’s no hanky panky? You know too many dirty jokes for us to believe that you’re frigid, Harp. Is he? Is he gay?” Meagan asked putting a hand to her face a gasping.

“Aren’t we the gossipmonger? No, I don’t think he’s gay and as far as frigid goes, I would not know. He is staying with me to get on his feet after a terrible break up. He’s a good man and I couldn’t abandon him.”

“How good?” asked Ann, and then burst into laughter. The other’s followed. Harper found she was blushing. “See, you have thought about it. I’ve seen you, we all have. He walks in here and your face lights up. Is he that unapproachable? He likes you, find out how much!”

 “Hell, if it were me,” confided Janet, “I’d have definitely found out if he wears boxers or briefs by now.” More giggles around the table.

“I already know that.” Harper stated flatly. They all gasped. “We only have one washer and dryer. I went down to the laundry room once while he was doing the wash. He wears boxers. He says they don’t show when he wears his suits.” She laughed. “Ruined it, didn’t I?” they all nodded, disappointed.

“Jump him, Harp. It would do you some good. Who knows, maybe it would do him some good too. I never knew a man to say no...unless football was on.” Janet winked at her.

“Sex for the sake of sex?” Harper asked.

“No,” said Janet. “Sex for the sheer joy of it.”