LESSONS ACROSS TIMELINES ^{© 2003-2007}

By Lessa Soong

Chapter Twelve – Bombs Away

Harper ambled downstairs and put the coffee on. The smell would wake her mother, it always did. Data was outside walking his baby. She was relieved to be away from him for a moment. He was worried about her and this caused him to watch her persistently. He had even suggested that she should put on her coat and join him and Sadie for their walk, but she had declined. She wanted a moment alone.

She kept trying to shake off this gray funk that she had plunged into, but the way out eluded her. No emotions…he had died with no emotions. The Queen destroyed the chip. The bitch had hurt him even more that Harper had believed, and left him unequipped to deal with the pain and damage she had caused. Pain without emotion, was it possible? Data had shown her the parts of the book that had alluded to his developing emotional awareness, independent of the chip’s influence. This was great and something that she had always wanted to see anyway, but to have killed him moments later...it was just not fair.

The headlines on a magazine and even some thread on the Star Trek message board had called Data’s death his final step into humanity. Harper wanted to spit every time she heard or read this. She saw their point, but self-sacrifice was not an exclusively human characteristic and neither was death. Animals had been known to commit self-sacrificing acts and every type of life-form, even plants, died. Perhaps she was still too emotional to truly see their point, but damn it...he should not die!

Harper looked in the freezer and the fridge to take stock of the items with which she could make a breakfast. Cooking would help calm and center her. She pulled out frozen shredded potatoes for hash browns, sausage and biscuits.

The smell of the coffee and sausage cooking greeted Data when he reentered the house with Sadie. He spied one of the household cats racing for a hiding place at his entrance, but he did not pursue it. He detached Sadie’s leach from her collar and let her go looking for the elusive feline. He went to seek out his own prey.

Harper.

As he entered the kitchen, located in the back of the large house, he could hear sounds of movement upstairs. Harper looked busy, but the light was still missing from her eyes. He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She reached up and patted his cheek with affection.

“Don’t impede my progress, love. Timing is crucial in breakfast preparation. Would you get me a cup of coffee, please? Cups are in the cabinet to the left of the sink.” She was cutting up bananas for a fruit salad and watching the other foods cook.

“I would be happy to,” he told her and moved to comply. “Why do you not cook this way at home? You seem to be enjoying this,” he asked, pulling the milk from the refrigerator.

“Cooking for one is no fun,” she stated.

“If you cooked like this, I think I would be tempted to partake. The aromas are...enticing.”

She gave him a short laugh. “Now you tell me.” She looked over at him and smiled. “If you’re good, I’ll think about it,” she teased.

“When was I bad?” he wanted to know.

“When you allowed yourself to get blown up! Stop that and I’ll think about cooking for you and maybe even marrying you.” Data sighed.

“I believe that I have already promised to try and avoid that ending. But I cannot put the plan into effect until I leave your time, therefore I cannot see how it is practical to ask me to stop blowing up here and now.” He raised his eyebrows at her and Harper grinned.

“Do you realize that a large portion of our conversations are half crazy? I wonder if it will always be so?” She looked up from her work to see him move closer. Data took the knife and fruit from Harper’s hand and pulled her into his arms.

“Would you think I was malfunctioning if I told you that I would wish for our conversations to remain unbalanced?” His eyes were serious, despite the strangeness of the subject.

“Yes,” she replied, smiling. Some of the light was returning to her beautiful eyes.

“Good,” he said and kissed her. He was thinking about how much he had missed making love with her last night, when he heard sounds of movement behind them.

Someone coughed.

Data released Harper and they both turned to look at Marie and an older man that must be Harper's father, Marcus. Both of them were dressed in nightclothes and robes, while both Data and Harper had dressed already. Marie, who had hair as dark as Harper's though peppered with gray, wore it short and tightly curled. She was the same height as Harper and the same build, but had added inches on to a frame that must have at one time markedly resembled Harper's shapeliness.

Mr. Ista would have been as tall as Data, were it not for the older man’s stoop. He was a round man, with a full head of thick blonde hair. If he was gray, the gray was difficult to discern from his pale blond. However, in the man’s full beard, it was not.

“Good morning. Smells wonderful, Harper.” Mrs. Ista commented. “Jayden, this is my husband, Marcus,” she added turning her gaze to Data.

Both Data and Marcus extended their hands. “Good to meet you, Jayden,” Marcus said, smoothly.

“And you, sir. I thank you for inviting me into your home,” Data said, earnestly.

“If you’re foolish enough to want to be here, who am I to dissuade you of the notion,” Marcus said, humorously, as he turned to head for the kitchen table.

“Daddy!” Harper scolded, glaring at her father in motion. “Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know that what you meant was that he’s crazy for being with me.”

Her father chuckled a chuckle that caused one to want to join him. “Anyone who wants to date one of my daughters needs to be warned of the dangers. Especially if the daughter is you, Harper. With Brinna or Becky a man can get away, but if you get your hooks out, they’re goners.” The older man sat at the head of the kitchen table, but looked across to make eye contact with the only other male in the room.

“Has she cooked for you yet? Other than now? Invited you over for dinner?” Marcus asked Jayden.

“She cooks often, but if you are asking if she has prepared a meal with the intent of pleasing me, the answer is no.” Jayden answered factually. Harper rolled her eyes.

“Then you still have time. Once she starts cooking for you, it means she’s serious and if you don’t run, your days as a bachelor are numbered.” Marcus grinned at his daughter. Harper laughed and turned to await Jayden’s response.

Jayden walked from the kitchen after smiling warmly at Harper. He pulled out a chair that would allow him to see both Harper and Mr. Ista. “I have no intention of running whether she cooks for me or not. Breakfast does look and smell intriguing, however.” Jayden grinned at Harper and she blushed slightly.

“I’m not making this for you. I was hungry.” Harper said, defensively.

“I am relieved, since you did not eat well yesterday.” Jayden replied.

“Why, Harper? Was your stomach bothering you?” Marie asked, taking her seat at the other end of the table with her cup of coffee.

“No, I was just...worried about the movie.” Both of her parents exchanged knowing looks.

“Did he die?” Marie asked. No need to say whom.

“Yes,” Harper answered. Her color had been returning to her cheeks, but it was gone again.

“I’m sure you can write him fixed if you set your mind to it.” Marie said, dismissing Harper's sullen expression. She turned to address Jayden. “Has she told you about her Data stories. Since you went to the Star Trek movie with her last night, I assume she has.” Marie said.

“I know of them and she has told me about some of them, but she will not allow me to read them, no matter how often I ask,” he replied.

“That’s odd, I could never get her to stop talking about them. I think she would have mailed them to me had I shown the slightest interest.” Marie grinned teasingly at her daughter. This time when she turned to Jayden, she did so with intent. The questioning about him and his intentions towards their daughter began. Harper finished making breakfast, set the table and served the food while Jayden was drilled about his job, his past (most of which he dodged) and his plans for the future.

“I believe the future may involve significantly more travel than Harper is used to, if events proceed as I believe they will.” Jayden said this with confidence, but no one else around the table had any idea what he meant.

“Where will I be traveling and why?” Harper asked him, confused.

“Not you alone, us. I am in line for a promotion at Comp-Tech and I feel reasonably confident that I will be selected for the position. The position entails a significant amount of travel. I am hoping that you will accompany me should I receive the promotion.” He smiled at her, but Marie was the next to speak.

“What about her job? She can’t leave her job for days on end following you around, Jayden.”

“Actually, her last day was Friday. She only retains her employment at the store.” Jayden stated this so calmly, but he was surprised at the Ista’s reaction to his announcement.

“What? You’ve had that job for years!” exclaimed her father.

“Were you fired or phased out?? How could they do that? You have been with them for so long!” exclaimed her mother at the same time.

“Mom, Dad! I was not fired. I gave my notice and yesterday was my last day. I...Jayden and I decided that I didn’t need to work two jobs anymore. I guess I should have mentioned my leaving my job earlier, but it would have meant that I had to tell you that Jayden and I are living together as well, and I wanted to hold off on that.” Harper looked pointedly at Jayden, who looked repentant.

Both her parents’ jaws dropped for a second, but they exchanged looked with each other and recovered.

“Well, it is your life, Harper,” Marie said, in a dismissive tone.

“Mom, don’t sound like that. I should have better prepared you for this. I kept trying to keep our relationship under wraps and I guess I should have been telling people all along. Melody did not react very well at first either. But she knows now and she likes Jayden, mom. You know she’s not easily swayed.” Harper sounded part defensive, part pleading.

“How long have you two been living together?” Marcus asked.

Harper begrudgingly answered. “Almost four months now. A friend sent Jayden to me and he needed a place to stay. He was new in town and had nowhere else to go. He moved into my spare room and worked on getting a new job. I helped him out until he got on his feet and we became friends. Then it became more than friends.” She felt bad about saying that a friend sent him, as she didn’t think that Data truly thought of Q as a friend, but it just came out that way. The ex-wife story would sound bad here, so she wanted to try something that was as close to the truth as possible. This was less likely to cause Data problems should someone else ask him about it. It would also be easier for her to remember, and Harper had a terrible memory.

“I was at first a financial burden on Harper. I have made restitution and I now intend to see that her every need is provided and that her dreams are made reality.” Jayden said this with a straight face, but Harper was at a loss to explain how.

Dreams made reality? Wasn’t that exactly what he was?

Still his statement was laying a foundation for him to build on with her parents. His natural charm was not the same as her brother-in-law’s brand, but it still had power. Brandon together with Jayden would be interesting.

A good distraction...

Harper took note of Data, Jayden, whoever he was, sampling the small servings of food that he had placed on his plate. He seemed intrigued by the taste of the sausage gravy over the biscuits. She smiled to herself.

“And putting up with the third degree from my family is just one of the things he’s willing to go through to make me happy and work on my dreams. By the way, are Brin and Bran coming this evening?” Harper asked, changing the subject and hoping to take the heat off the man she faced.

Marie sighed to release tension. “Yes, Brinna asked if we could have beef stroganoff for dinner. Sound alright with you two?” she asked, focusing on a spoonful of the fruit. Data did not believe that she was truly interested in his or Harper's response.

“Sounds great. Can’t wait to see how big she is now. I finished the blanket. It’s in the van.” Brinna’s baby was expected to be born in the next month. Marie told the table of plans that her middle daughter had for the baby, and what the doctor told her at her last visit.

“I just hope she doesn’t go into labor for Christmas. Brin being born just before Christmas was hard enough. Two in one household will be a pain in the...a pain.” Marie said, catching herself. She turned to look at Jayden. “When is your birthday, Jayden?” she asked conversationally.

“February second.” Replied Jayden and Harper in chorus.

“Another February? With Brandon, that makes three,” Marie mused. Data looked across to Harper. Another? Three? He realized that he had never asked Harper when her birthday took place. Marie’s reaction indicated that is was also in the same month of his activation day, but of course his February second took place three hundred and seventy two years from now and in another timeline. 

“When is Brandon’s birthday?” Jayden asked, looking hopefully at Harper.

“February twelfth, six days before mine and ten after yours. This will make for a full month. If Uncle James lived here that would give us four, since his is the day before mine.” Harper answered, thinking out loud and answered Data’s unasked question at the same time.

The meal was coming to an end and this was Data’s cue to begin the clean up. Harper got up to help, but he encouraged her to remain seated and rest. He knew how to load a dishwasher.

Marie and Marcus watched this exchange, believing it rehearsed. Harper carried on with the conversation, as though this was a normal occurrence and her parents began to wonder. Sadie suddenly came running down the hall, from the living room, being chased by a gray-stripped tabby named Zak. Zak was hissing wildly at the frightened puppy, but did not seem too intent on actually catching her. Marie jumped to her feet to scold Zak and Harper sprang into action to rescue her pup.

Sadie’s heart was beating a mile a minute as Harper held her close, trying to soothe her. Data came to see what had happened from the kitchen.

“Did you put your nose where it did not belong?” Data asked his pet. “While the saying does state that curiosity killed the cat, that does not preclude the possibility of the same consequence befalling a canine.” Data lectured the ashamed looking Sadie.

Harper laughed and shook her head at him. Looking down at Sadie she said, “What daddy means is, no, no, bad dog!”  

Data went back to finish the dishes, but Harper stopped him, asking him to take Sadie for a walk instead, that she would attend to them, Marie volunteered to help.

“He certainly loves his dog,” Marie noted. Marcus had retired to the living room to watch TV, and most likely to fall asleep. Marie was putting the fruit salad away.

“He does. You should see them playing on the floor together. I didn’t think I would see anything get him on the floor. He is very...dignified in many ways. When Melody was with us, we stayed up one night and watched horror movies. Mel and I were on the floor and invited him to join us. You would have thought we had suggested he strip naked and do a jig down Main Street. He stayed on the couch by himself.” Harper recalled the expression of distaste that had played across Data’s face. She could not hold back a chuckle. “Sadie creates some problems for now since she’s so young, but he deserved her, so it’s worth it having a baby in the house.”

“Deserved her? What do you mean?” Marie asked, wiping down the counter.

Harper placed a dish in the machine and glanced back up to her mother. “I haven’t lived with anyone...a man...for a long time. He and I...as soon as he moved in, we did everything together. Slowly he found out just about all there was to know about me. Robin came up...and...well...Jayden realized that I never fully worked through my feelings about Robin. He helped me to work on that. He too had a trauma that he needed to work through. I can’t tell you about it, since it is not my tale to tell, but I helped him through his and he helped me through mine. I got him Sadie the day he had a major breakthrough with his problem. He was thrilled.” Harper absently thought of Data asking her if her parents had any furniture that they would not mind destroyed and grinned to herself. Already, it seemed that they had quite a history between them.

“Why haven’t you cooked for him, Harper? Your behavior doesn’t make any sense to me. You sound like you’re in love with him, but...” her mother asked gently. Harper turned to face her mother, turning off the water in the sink.

“He’s not a big eater. I know, I’ve always lead with my strong suit when I was interested in someone before, but Jayden is...not your typical male.” Harper became quiet and thoughtful for a moment. She looked back at her mother, who was leaning against a counter and staring at her.

“Are you in love with him?” Marie asked, point blank.

“Yes. It is why we’re here, you know. I’m doing the ‘introduce him to the parents’ thing.” Harper heard Jayden return with Sadie, but he didn’t come back to the kitchen. She realized that she had stopped talking but her mother was still staring. Sounds of puppy yips and a male voice telling her what a good puppy she was could be heard from the direction of the formal dinning room.

“Sorry, I was just wondering what he was doing.” Harper admitted, distractedly.

“Go, we’re done here. I’m going to see if your father is snoring yet.” Marie went in one direction and Harper went in the other. She found Data standing in front of her parents’ Christmas tree. This room and the family room where the only ones really decorated for the holiday. Most people chose a larger room for their tree, but Marie liked to have her morning coffee and wanted it at a table, so the tradition of having Christmas in the dinning room had been the result. Her mother must have flipped the tree lights on when she got up. The tree looked...magical.

“What ya doin’, handsome?” Harper asked, by way of announcing her presence.

“Looking at this...artificial tree.” He turned to face her. “I had, of course realized the Christian holiday was approaching, but I had not realized your family participated in its celebration.”

Harper sighed. She had held back on decorating this year. She just wasn’t sure about doing so.

“Were you aware that Brent Spiner is Jewish?” Harper asked him.

He looked confused. “I had read this...is there a significance to your mentioning this fact at this time?”

“The show does not really talk about your religion or even hint that you or anyone else, other than...Bajorans, have one. Still, since he’s Jewish...I was not sure if I would make you uncomfortable if I started to bring out all this Christmas stuff.” Harper shrugged, helplessly.

Data smiled. “I look like him. I am not he. He has been linked with his preferred female for over a decade, procreated with her, yet has not married her. I would not have done this,” Data assured her, meaningfully. Harper looked defensive.

“I’m not sure that’s fair, Jayden. While Mr. Spiner guards his privacy fiercely, I have read things that hint at a difference of religion being the reason that he and Miss McBride have never married. She is Catholic, or so I’ve read. We really have no way of knowing for sure if they have not married and even if not, it sounds like they are faithful to each other...that counts more than the little piece of paper.”

“Agreed. Does this mean that you are not interested in ‘the little piece of paper’?” he asked.  

Harper laughed. “Do we have religious differences?” She grinned as he considered this. “I go to church for Christmas and Easter, just like any good heathen. I have a bible and I have read it, I like church, but I worked so much I got away from going. I do try to be a good person and help my fellow...sentient being when I can, but if you feel that having a Christmas tree in the house would upset you, we may have to go the same route as Mr. Spiner.”

Data shook his head. “I wish to learn all I can about your culture. Religion plays a significant role in cultural variations. To exclude this area in my studies would be counterproductive.” His expression softened and he looked deeply into her eyes. “If you were created by a god, I was not. Yet it may surprise you to know that in reading the material that my father left behind, I discovered that he was...religious in his own way. He believed that he was intended to create Lore and myself as he felt a god created him. He even made reference to creating us in his image as the Biblical God is said to have crated His children in His image.” Data whispered most of this, since they did not wish Harper's parents to overhear. 

Harper tilted her head to the side, considering this information. Data found himself thinking that this mannerism looked like...his. “Wow. Did he mention anything about your mother’s beliefs?”

“Like Miss McBride, my mother considered herself a Catholic. The fact that my father was not, caused tension between my mother’s family and my father,” Data told her.

“Not to mention the age difference. I remember her saying something about that too. Fortunately, you and I don’t have that one. You’re what, 36?” Data nodded. “So that means you are one year and sixteen days older than I am. Good thing you are not Brent Spiner. His sixteen years older than I am.” Harper grinned, but Data narrowed his eyes at her.

“I do, one day, intend to meet Mr. Spiner. Will it be necessary to see that you are not present at this meeting?” he teased. She laughed.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He’s got his blond girlfriend, remember?”

Data did not look convinced. “This does not mean that you will not...flirt with him. You do have a tendency to...”

“Flirt with every man I see?” she finished for him. “I’m a friendly person. I warned you about that. I’m sure he gets it all the time. I’m sure he gets worse than me every day. Ignoring me will be a cake walk for him,” she assured him. Data still looked doubtful. “Oh, good God! You are jealous because you know I think he’s handsome. Trust me, honey, he is not going to give a tinker’s damn what I think about him, but if it makes you feel any better, I promise that I won’t try and slip him my room key.” Data’s eyes got wide.

“I would hope not, as I intend to see that your room will also be MY room!”

Harper's eyes gleamed. She slipped her hand in his and moved closer. “Oh, it will be...it will be.” She moved in to kiss him. He sighed as their lips touched. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her against him. Desire ignited, but Harper had other plans. She pulled away after only one minute and three seconds of kissing.

“So, we have decided that this year at least, we celebrate Christmas?” she asked, looking for confirmation. He nodded. “Then I think we have some shopping to do,” she said with a playful grin. He sighed. He had been hoping for a different activity, but...  Harper grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her, into the living room. Harper moved separately to her mother’s side, leaving him at the doorway. She whispered into her mother’s ear, as Marcus had fallen asleep. A moment later, she almost skipped back to his side.

“Let’s go!” she said with glee. “Mom will watch Sadie. Got the keys?” 

They grabbed their coats and were out the door moments later. Harper wanted to shop for her family since she had not had the opportunity to shop before this. She also admitted that Nemesis and Data’s prolonged period of gloom before the movie had kept her from feeling ‘the Christmas spirit’. Explaining that one took a while.

Since they would be returning with gifts for people that were home, Harper found a place to have the gifts they purchased wrapped. Before long, Data looked like a typical male during the Christmas season, buried behind loads of packages.

“It is a good thing that I am strong and untiring, Harper,” he teased her from behind the stack. I believe another male would be challenged by the physical demands you have placed on me today.” Harper stopped in her tracks, moved so she could look him in the eye and winked.

“Oh, I have not even begun to challenge you physically yet, buckaroo.”

Data was left to wonder if that meant what he thought that meant.

They arrived back at the Ista household in time for lunch. Data walked Sadie after unloading the gifts and placing them in perfect symmetry under the tree. Harper had to restrain herself from laughing at his efforts, but busied herself by turning on a radio station that was playing old-fashioned Christmas carols.

After lunch, Marie came in the dining room to check out the new packages and listen to the music. She took note of Jayden’s rearrangements and shot Harper a confused and disturbed look.

“Don’t mind him, madre, he’s nuts, but he’s harmless nuts.” Harper laughed.

“Why do you say that I am nuts? I am not arguing the point. I merely wish to know what has inspired you to comment on this fact.” Data’s question, and the fact that he owned up to being crazy, caused Harper to get the giggles.

“I don’t really think you’re crazy, sweetness, but the way you arranged the presents under the tree...well...it’s just too orderly. Too balanced. I bet they’re in order of item or something else too aren’t they?” she asked, teasingly.

Data looked embarrassed. “I did not know the content of all the packages, so they are grouped by the name of their intended future owner.” Marie looked very confused as Harper just giggled harder.

“You should see our closets. Everything grouped by color and function. His socks are all mated and...even his unmentionables are neat and orderly. He keeps trying to get into my pajama drawer to match up my pj bottoms to the correct top, but I’ve managed to thwart him so far.”

“You mean you still wear mismated tops and bottoms? Harper, are you ever going to grow out of that? Tell me you wear socks that match at least,” Marie looked disappointed in her daughter’s refusal to conform.

“Leave me alone! I wear the right mates when I wear my silk pajamas!” Harper defended.

“I cannot vouch for this, as you refuse to wear them claiming it is too cold.” Jayden offered.

“Complain about my eccentricities and you may not get the chance to see them, come spring!” Harper shot back. Data’s eyes went wide, but Marie just snickered.

“I would give up if I were you, Jayden. She has never been normal, and age is not going to make it any better.” Marie said, chiding her daughter.

“This from the woman who gets evil pleasure out of chasing her cats down the hall with remote controlled cars. You named one of our dogs “Bunny” and she was a collie. And last but not least, you once convinced your own husband that you were crazy when he came into the room as you were poised over me, and I was on the floor, with a glass full of coke, that you were just about to pour on my head.” Data looked astonished, but looked to Marie for denial or confirmation. Marie just looked guilty. “The hell of it was that as soon as daddy shook his head and walked back out, mom proceeded to pour the coke on me just as she’d planned!” Jayden grinned. Marie laughed and Harper steamed...and then laughed.

Still laughing Harper got up from her chair, kissed her mother on the cheek and excused herself for a shower. Both Jayden and Marie watched her go. Jayden wished he could follow, but he had a few things he wanted to ask.

“You seem to have an unusually playful relationship with your daughter,” Jayden noted. Marie studied his face for a moment before responding.

“Yes, and you have a very formal way of speaking. Some of my more...country friends think I speak in an uptight and formal way. I don’t think they would understand half of the things you say, Jayden. Where does that come from?” Marie did not seem to have trouble understanding him, but he wondered if she was being critical of his speech patterns or merely taking note of them.

“My mother is a geologist and my father...had many interests, but he was fascinated by robotics. He and my mother felt compelled to have their offspring behave in a particular manner and strove to see this accomplished.” Data sighed inwardly at having found a way to answer her question, without lying and without telling too much of the truth.

“Your mother is alive?” Marie asked gently. Data nodded, with a meaningful expression. “Are you close to her?”

“My mother remarried after she and my father separated. Her work and her husband keep her...far from me, but I spoke with her six months ago. I intend to see her as soon as she is able to see me. I cannot say that my family is as close as yours appears to be.” Data thought of Lore...not for the first time or even the hundredth time. He wished things could have been different between himself and his brother. There were so many things he would have liked to ask Lore. Things he would have enjoyed sharing with him. But Data was unsure it this would ever be possible.

Data waited three seconds to allow Marie to process his answer before asking a question of his own. “Mrs. Ista. I...may I ask for your advice? As I have not known Harper for a long period of time, I am unsure of my ability to locate an appropriate gift for her. With the holidays quickly approaching, my time is now limited. Can you offer any suggestions?”

Marie smiled, thinking again of how formally he spoke. “Well, Harper is a very practical girl. While most women might be offended by a gift that came with a cord, Harper would be pleased. So, is there anything in her house that you know needs replacing?”

An image of the ruined reclining chair immediately came to Data’s mind.

“You thought of something?” she prompted.

“The reclining chair in our living room recently met with its demise,” he explained.

Jayden had a very guilty expression on his face. “What happened, Jayden?” she asked.

“I broke it,” he admitted, trepidation displayed clearly in his currently blue eyes.

“Well, sounds like the thing.” Marie spread out her hands, palms up and smiled.

Jayden shook his head. “I cannot agree. While she was interested in replacing the chair, she indicated that she disliked the old one and was happy that it was finally gone. I doubt my ability to- -have I said something wrong?” Jayden asked noting the dismayed expression on Marie’s face.

“No, it’s just that I gave her that chair. I think you were trying to say that you were worried that if you picked a chair, she would hate it again,” Marie said, trying not to sound upset. After all, he had not been the one who hated the chair.

Jayden nodded.

“Well, maybe something to do with Star Trek would be a good idea. She asked me for one of the DVD sets, but I got her something else. If you know which ones she has...” Marie shrugged.

Jayden considered. He recalled her mentioning that she wanted these, but only had season one, two and four of the ‘show’. Still the thought of buying them...being who he was...seemed strange. He would have to give this more thought. He thanked Marie for her suggestions and excused himself to head upstairs. He grabbed Sadie on his way.

Data could hear from the dining room, that the water from the shower had ceased. He decided he would wait for Harper in the bedroom and hope she would come out soon. To his delight, the door to the bathroom opened just as he passed it. Harper had a very large towel wrapped around her; her hair was wrapped up in a second, smaller towel.

“Greetings,” he said.

“Imagine meeting you here. Come here often, gorgeous? My bed or yours?” She grinned at the confused look that took over his face.

“I do not come here often as this is my first visit to your parents’ home. Harper, we are sharing a bed. Was this some form of humor?”

“Yes, my golden boy. But seriously, what’s up?” They entered the bedroom and Harper locked the door behind them. Data put Sadie on the floor.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in order to watch her, he said, “Nothing is up. Your mother did comment on my tendency for formalized speech patterns.”

Harper pulled the towel off her head as she sat next to him on the bed. “What did you say about it?” she asked.

“I explained that my parents... felt compelled to have their offspring behave in a particular manner and strove to see this accomplished.”

She sighed. “Word for word?” he nodded. “Not bad. Turn the disguise off, Data,” she whispered. He hesitated.

“Are we going to remain here for a time?” he asked, still blue eyed.

“Yes. If you want,” she said reaching for his hand.

He turned off the holo-disguise.

“There’s my golden boy,” she said grinning, affection radiating in her eyes for him.

“You do know that I was never a boy?”

She laughed, “Yes, you were. It’s just that you looked like an adult and your mother deleted the memories.” Harper caressed his cheek. “I always wondered why they did that.”

He looked slightly embarrassed. “You saw the time when Juliana came to the Enterprise and mentioned my modesty subroutine?” he asked.

She grinned and nodded. Standing up slowly, she began to open the large towel that covered her body. “Oops, looks like my modesty subroutine just got deleted...how about yours?” she asked suggestively.

The towel hit the floor.

She lay in his arms, some time later. Her head was on his chest, and she was being very quiet.

“Harper, you are not sleeping. Did you wish to get dressed and get up?” He nuzzled and kissed her forehead.

“No, don’t want to move right now. If you want to go, that’s okay. Sadie will need walking.” She sounded depressed and since they had just made love, Data did not understand this.

“Have I done something wrong? Why are you upset? Your tone indicates depression.”

“I could hear his voice saying that he felt nothing. He never knew love. I know that he had friends who loved him, but he never got the chance to fall in love. Even Q got married and had a son.”

“He did?” Data asked, shocked. “When?”

“I told you that you needed to watch more Voyager. He does it to stop a civil war within the Q. He does care for his son though.” She sighed. “Everyone should know love.”

Data lifted her chin gently, meeting her eyes. He smiled gently. “If he and I are one in a sense, if I will face the events he faces in my future, then perhaps he faced the same past...here with you. I know love, Harper. In knowing you I have experienced love. If he and I are the same, he did too.”

Tears streamed down her face. “But then you are destined to die! I can’t stand the thought that you will die. I know that it will be in the future and I will never know and it won’t really affect me at all, but-“ she sobbed. “I don’t want you to die,” she choked out.

Data held her tightly to his chest. “While I found many aspects of the film intriguing...I believe that the end result can easily be circumvented. I will do everything I can to...not die. If it were necessary I would give my life for them, but if I die then without cause, I may not be there to save them at a later date. I will avoid it if I can, Harper,” he assured her.

“Do you think you can?” she asked.

“I believe so.”

“With what level of certainty? What percent chance do you give yourself of living through that day with what you now know?” she asked, sitting up.

He sat up too. “I calculate at this time, with the reduced amount of details that I have at my disposal, that my survival is 81% certain. Further details gathered at the time may increase that percentage. 

Harper grinned. After a moment, that grin was accompanied by a nervous, yet hopeful laugh. “You really think you can survive the day? Are you just making this up because you want me to stop crying?” She tried not to look suspicious.

“You are fully aware of my propensity for honesty.”

“You could be bending the truth,” she remarked.

“Am I?”

Harper chuckled and broke eye contact, embarrassed. “No. Do you think I’m a crazy woman for getting all upset about seeing him die?” she asked, looking at Data in the corner of her eyes.

“Mental imbalance seems to be a requirement for our relationship,” Data teases, tenderly.

“Does this mean that once Q does decide to take you back, that you’re gonna spend a month on Deanna’s couch in order to straighten out all the damage I’ve done?”

He kissed her forehead. “I should think that twenty nine days would be enough.”

She groaned and rolled her eyes at him. “I’m getting you a joke book for Christmas. You need help!”

“Will you promise to read it first?” he teased back.

Brinna and Brandon Charles arrived, with the items that Marie needed for the evening meal, at 4:30. Brinna was just an inch taller than Harper with bleached blonde hair and brown eyes. Her pregnancy was quite prominent, but she wore it well. She would have looked better with brown hair, as Data assumed she had been born with, but she was pretty even so.

Brandon Charles was a big man. He was 6’3” and larger in build. His blond was natural from his hair to his mustache. His eyes were a sparkling blue and held a twinkle that reminded Data of Commander Riker. Both Brandon and his wife were deeply tanned, even now, well into the winter.

Introductions were made and groceries were transported to the kitchen. Harper stood by Data’s side for the whole process.

“So, computers.” Brandon said to Jayden once everyone was around the kitchen table or in the kitchen beginning the cooking.

“Yes?” said Jayden.

“You’re good with them?” Brandon asked.

“You could say that he speaks their language,” Harper called from the stove. Brinna was behind her getting drinks for her husband and herself. Marie was slicing an onion on the counter. Jayden resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Know anything about cars? I manage one of the biggest dealerships in the area.” Brandon did not really sound like he was bragging, but Jayden was not sure.

“I know what is required to maintain proper function of our van,” Jayden replied. He knew more than this of course, but he was not sure where this line of questions was headed.

“Our van?” Brinna squeaked, handing her husband a beer and seating herself.

Harper sighed, but gave no indication of how he should answer. “I have thought of purchasing a second vehicle, but-“

“You have? Harper questioned, turning completely around from the pan of sizzling sirloin tips, to look at him.

“Well, the van is larger than I need. It is actually larger than you need. I have been considering discussing this matter with you, but had yet to feel the time was appropriate.” Data hoped he did not sound defensive.

“You want to get rid of the van? And get what, a little sports car? You’re a little young to be going through a mid life crisis, aren’t you?” She had her hands on her hips and her head tilted, looking expectantly at Jayden. Everyone else seemed to be amused that with no effort, Jayden had suddenly gotten himself into hot water.

“I could get you a good deal on two little sports cars if you wanted?” Brandon offered, grinning. He knew he was not helping.

“If it doesn’t come in purple, I’m not interested.” Harper turned back to her cooking and looked like she considered the matter closed.

“You know, He does have a point, Harper.” Marie observed. “You drive that great big thing for no good reason anymore. With Melody in college, you have no need for all those seats.”

Harper sighed. “I have quit my job, bought a dog, let you take over just about ever part of my life, Jayden. Now you want me to give up my van. What’s next, my house?” she huffed, but did not look at him.

Jayden paused a moment to consider his answer. “The house is too big as well. We do not need the extra rooms and the two downstairs are simple used for storage of unneeded items. But that can wait until I am informed as to whether my promotion will require relocation as well.”

“Relocation?” exclaimed Brinna and Marie.

“What?” exclaimed Harper.

“Are you two living together?” asked Brandon.

Jayden was unsure whom he should answer first. “It may require relocation, but it was not decided unequivocally. I have not received the promotion, so at this time, this is merely speculation. Yes, Harper and I are cohab- living together.” Jayden wondered what the next round of questions would bring.

Marie came over to Jayden with a can of tomato paste in her hand. “How long do you intend for this ‘living together’ to last? You sound like you are making quite a few long range plans.”

“I wish it to last...for the remaining time I have on this planet. I wish for Harper to marry me.” Jayden’s honest response again met with open mouths.

“He is very good at dropping bombs, Harper,” Marie commented, swallowing her shock.    

Jayden opened his mouth to object but Harper interrupted him.

“Figurative bombs, Sweetness. Just figurative! Yes, he is. I just wish he would drop them all on me before dropping them on anyone else.” Harper still smiled at him. The fact that he was planning out their lives together made it hard for her to really get angry with him.

“You mean he didn’t tell you that he wanted to marry you?” Brinna asked, still looking shocked at Jayden.

Harper laughed. “That one, I knew. I want to marry him, too. We thought we should let you guys get to know him under the circumstances, I just thought we were going to wait on that announcement.”

“Sorry,” Jayden offered, looking like he was trying to do an imitation of one for Sadie’s guilty expressions.

“I told you men can’t escape from you, Harper,” her father said, calmly. Making his first comment of the evening from his seat at the head of the table.

Jayden smiled. “I was given the opportunity,” he noted. “I declined.”

After dinner, Brinna informed Harper that they were going to get ice cream for dessert and pulled her out of the house.

“Where did you find him?” Brinna asked, once they were out of the house.

“Home shopping network. But they forgot to send his instructions. I may have programmed him wrong,” Harper laughed at her own joke. They got in Brinna’s car.

“He talks strangely.” Her sister commented, ignoring the joke. “Mom called me this afternoon and told me that you had disappeared upstairs with him. If you haven’t known this guy for long, how do you know that it’s safe to...be with him? I know you can’t get pregnant, but there are other things you could get.” There was half worry and half admonishment in Brinna’s tone.

“I am not that foolish, Brin. I’m a big girl and I may be out of practice in some things, but I am not completely lost!”

In the van, on the way back to Georgia, the next afternoon, Harper thought about Brinna and her comment regarding the safety of being with the man seated beside her. While the things that Brinna had been thinking about were not concerns of Harper's, Data’s leaving one day and breaking her heart was.

Harper's parents were not completely won over by Data like she had hoped, but the fact that he had been the one to mention marriage and making Harper happy seemed to have gone a long way towards that goal. 

Monday was a busy day for Harper. The men came to look at the kitchen floor and measure to cut the new tile. Harper also decided that since Data did not object, she would now decorate for Christmas. She didn’t over do it, but she did pull out the tree, the train that went around it and the Christmas village that went on the mantle.

Sadie did not like the train, but Data did.

The couple decided that they would stay home for Christmas, so that morning Data woke Harper with her morning coffee and perfectly baked instant sweet rolls. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he didn’t need to be. There was only one gift for Harper under the tree. She laughed very hard when she opened the package containing new gray fluffy slippers.

“They will match the night wear that you wore the first night I was here,” Data told her.

Harper kissed him and then handed his several packages of all shapes and sizes. It only took opening the first to determine the nature for these items. Harper had gotten Data new painting supplies. 

“You can set them up in the spare bedroom,” she suggested, pleased by the happy expression on his face. She did not even look upset that he had only gotten her one small gift.

Data seemed to be walking in a happy dream as he carted his new items to set them up in his old room. But he did not open them yet. He came back to the living room and pulled Harper to a stand.

“I have another gift for you, but I cannot give it to you now. We have an appointment on January third to have photographic portraits made of you and I.”

Harper's eyes lit up. “That sounds wonderful!” she exclaimed, but them looked a little sad. “But the portraits would have to be of Jayden...not you.”

“I do not believe that it would be easy to explain away my skin and eyes were we to try,” Data cautioned her. But he noticed that Harper looked lost in thought. “You should move your eyes back and forth, Harper. You will never convince anyone that you are an android if you fail to do so when you are processing information,” he teased.

“I’ll try and remember that, but maybe it would only be necessary to convince them that we were avid Star Trek fans,” she still sounded caught up in her thinking.

“I do not understand.”

“I would need a uniform. Can you sew?” she asked, grinning.

Data decided Harper's plan was so crazy, it truly could work. They moved the appointment back by one week in order to give Harper time to get her uniform made, but the results were worth the wait. She modeled the new garment for him three days before their amended appointment date.

“Why did you decide on medical colors?” Data asked her as she did a dramatic turn to give him the full view.

“Well, I know that I am by no means as lovely as Deanna, but I was thinking about our playing counselor for each other and...it was a choice of her or Beverly. I don’t have red hair. Does it look bad?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

Data rose from the couch where he was sitting and smiled at her. “No, you do not look bad. I will be right back.” He walked quickly from the room.

She waited a few minutes feeling a bit nervous, but she felt better when he returned. He had taken off his jeans and dress shirt and donned his uniform.

“This is another timeline inconsistency, Harper. In your movie timeline, our uniforms changed by the time I encountered the Queen. In my timeline they did not change. I must admit to disliking the version of our uniform as portrayed in the last three movies.” Data took her hand and pulled her into the bedroom after him, as he spoke.

“I have to agree. You look great in black, but mustard, black and that grayish purple color? No.” He had pulled them into the bathroom to stand in front of the mirror together. “So, what is the penalty for impersonating a Star Fleet officer? I need pips for rank,” she asked and mused.

“Star Fleet does not exist at this point, so you are safe from punitive actions. What rank would you believe you should have? It would be logical to have the rank of ensign.”

“Oh, no. If we are going for the dream, I was thinking that I would try for the rank of full commander.” Harper grinned with a false confidence and posed in the mirror next to him.

“You wish to out rank me?” he asked, incredulously.

“Deanna does. I never quite figured out how she could though. You’re the second officer. You should be the third highest ranking officer, shouldn’t you?”

“There is no mandate regarding the rank of the second officer. However,” he pulled her into his arms. “I decree that you cannot outrank me.”

“Why, don’t want me to be able to order you to do a strip tease for me?” She joked.

He raised an unbelieving eyebrow at her. “An intriguing if not improper suggestion. No, I am the actual officer. I would consent to allowing you the rank of lieutenant junior grade, but no higher.”

Harper laughed. “Party pooper.” She quipped, poking him in the area where ribs would be, were he human. Data jerked away. Poking did not hurt, of course, but the sensation did seem to resemble Harper's reaction to a tickle. Until Harper, no one had ever tried to either poke or tickle him. Although, it had been threatened before.

“You know what we look like now, don’t you?” she asked him, grinning at their reflection.

“Officers from a non-existent starship?” he replied.

“Well, yes, but I was going for...convention goers. You would win first prize in a contest for best costume and makeup. You look just like Data...” she grinned wildly at how ridiculous this was.

“Are you sure, I thought I looked more like Dr. Crusher.” He pretended to admire himself in the mirror, even turning around to look at his backside. “Do I look fat in this?”

“Okay now you’re scaring me. Beverly? You are nuts!” Harper shook her head at him. Data just grinned and kept looking in the mirror. He even tried to push his hair back from his face, like he had seen Beverly do hundreds of times, but since his hair was always out of his face, it didn’t work well.

Chapter Thirteen – Promotions, Conventions and Weddings

The idea that Data could actually go to one of the Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions dressed as himself, with Harper dressed as a medical junior officer, greatly appealed to him. The portrait appointment almost seemed like a dry run for how he would be seen by others in “full makeup”.

He and Harper had the ‘normal’ looking pictures made first with several poses that Data found very enjoyable. Harper standing behind him or her between his legs, in his lap or just beside him, holding his hand. It was a great deal of fun and the photographer and the assistant who posed Data and Harper were very personable.

Data had called to warn them that the time he and Harper would require had been increased to accommodate the pictures that would involve them “in uniform”. Once the human looking pictures were done, Jayden and Harper retired to the dressing room with their costumes and a bag that was believed to contain Jayden’s makeup, but actually had Harper's lunch. She nibbled while Data changed his clothes and then she changed. They had to waste some time since no one would believe that he could apply this makeup in just seconds. It was okay though since a man was having his portrait taken while Data and Harper got ready. The couple waited in the doorway and watched the last of the other man’s pictures being taken. As soon as the three people in that room took notice of Data, they all turned and gaped. The man whose picture was being taken was apparently a fan of the show.

“Holy shit! Oh, sorry. Damn. Oh never mind. Man, you look just like the android on Star Trek. Data right?” he sputtered, trying to control his tongue and shock.

“Yes, Lt. Commander Data...from Star Trek.” Data looked like it was almost painful to add the last part.

“You look just like him...I mean exactly! Did you get plastic surgery or something?” The man was looking Data over and almost looked like he would touch Data’s face.

“Please, the makeup is very hard to get just right and we don’t want to have to reapply it. Please don’t touch him,” Harper said, coming to stand a little in front of Data. Data gave the man an apologetic smile and shrug.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Who are you supposed to be?” he asked Harper.

“Just an unknown lieutenant. I don’t look like anyone, unlike Jay here.” Harper smiled. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your session.” Harper hoped this would bring the man’s attention back to getting his pictures so their turn would come again. It worked and the guy apologized to the photographer.

“You’re going to cause quite a stir if we ever do go to a convention, sweet love,” Harper whispered.

“Then we should only do this once. When we can meet Mr. Spiner.”

Harper looked at him. “You know, I wish I’d thought that you would want to meet him when we named you. Soong as your name is not going to be convincing as a coincident. We can’t call you Jayden since someone will recognize that, I just called you Jay, but that won’t work either.”

“Why?” Data asked.

“That’s Spiner’s middle name and I forgot that until just this minute. We can use Lee, but for most conventions, you’ll have to have your nametag on to go anywhere. Your last name will be on it and everyone is going to assume that you had your name changed. They’ll think you’re crazy.”

Data laughed. “Is that supposed to be a revelation?” he touched the tip of her nose. “I have been perceived as unbalanced since I arrived here, I am becoming accustomed to this from you, acclimating to this from others will require little adjustment. I am considered odd but efficient at work. Oh, I did not mention this previously. The promotions are to be announced next week.”

“You didn’t say there was more than one. Did you apply for just one position?” Harper asked, trying to resist the temptation to stand too close to him.

“I applied for the positions that would involve travel to California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State. There were two slots to fill there.”

“I noticed those were listed in alphabetical order...it would just fry your circuitry to list them any other way, wouldn’t it? And I also noticed that those states are as far from here as you can get.” Harper was losing the battle to stay away from him. She put her hands on his chest and leaned in, just a bit, grinning at him.

“The order is in my nature. The states are...closer to a convention and a public debut for our uniformed selves. I do not consider this to be a true public appearance, since there are only three people here.”

“Ah, I see now, you want the company to pay for your travel to a Sci-fi convention. Very clever. So, I remember reading that Spiner was coming to a convention in March. I take it that come hell, no promotion or high water, we’re going to be there.”

Data just gave Harper a knowing smile.

Data had brought his and Harper communicator. He had his phaser, with all the guts removed and the tricorder in the same state. During their ‘in character’ pictures, they traded off holding one or the other. The woman posing them wanted to have a picture where Data pointed the phaser at Harper, but even with the guts remove, Data had trouble pointing the harmless phaser at her. So she pointed at him instead. It too was a fun session. They returned to their ‘normal’ appearances and left after being told that the proofs would be ready in three weeks.

Data got the promotion. Neither of them really doubted that he would, but it was a relief to know. Data had been so eager to know that he had been getting a bit stressed again, but he managed not to pick up the phone and call Harper from work the very second he found out.

When he came home that night, Data came up the stairs from the garage to see Harper waiting at the top for him. She knew that today was the day and since he had not called, she looked anxious. It took great concentration, but he managed to keep the giddy grin from his face. He could see by the look on Harper’s face that she was of the belief that he didn’t get the promotion. He was greeted with a warm and consoling hug once he was up the stairs.

“I’m so sorry, Data. I know you really wanted that job. We can still go to the convention if you want. I love you, sweetness.”

Data had to smile. She said all the right things, but she usually did. He took in the warmth of her loving embrace and just let himself sigh. The tension of waiting most of the day before the promotions were announced had played havoc on his emotional control today. But Harper was therapy in the flesh for him.

“You should change, my love. I am taking you to dinner at a rather expensive restaurant this evening so I will not change my attire.” Data whispered this in her ear.

Harper pulled back to look at Data, confused. “One doesn’t usually go out to a nice dinner if one is not celebrating something, Data,” Harper told him gently. 

“Then it is a good thing we have something to celebrate.” He allowed the giddy expression to take over his face like his heightened emotional state had been demanding.

“What? You stinker! You wanted to trick me. Ah!” She pushed him away with a mock look of disgust. “You are a bad-Oh, Data I’m so happy for you!” She interrupted herself and threw her arms back around his neck.

“The hugs are wonderful, but suddenly they are not enough. Kiss me,” he pleaded. She was only too happy to comply. “Marry me,” he pleaded in the same tone a moment later.

Harper pulled away again to look at him. “I get the feeling that you mean right now.”

“I do,” Data said, meaningfully.

“Practicing?”

He nodded. “While I hesitate to bring this up, I was told that one of the advantage of this promotion was that a mate could travel with me and the company would pay for half of your ticket and room fee.”

“Oh, more practical reasons for marrying me?” Data opened his mouth to defend himself, but Harper put her hand over his mouth. “I’m teasing. I know you’re itching for a wedding band on your hand, and mine. So, since I can see that look in your eyes, I can tell you have more planned for me. When are we getting married?” Her eyes were glowing with her patient understanding of his nature. It was one of the many things about her that Data loved.

“This Friday. I found a justice of the peace who can marry us at 4:00. I have also called your parents and sister. They will be here at noon Friday for the ceremony and we can all go to dinner from there. Since Melody will not be able to attend, I wish permission to send her the funds to purchase a cellular phone so that she may at least hear the ceremony that will make me her step-father.“

Harper chuckled. “Sounds like a movie of the week title...”my step-father’s an android”. She’ll love it. How long are you going to let her keep this phone? Are you intending to spoil her more rotten than she already is?” Harper teased.

“I intend to do much worst to you,” Data told her with an almost Lore-like grin.

The wedding was simple, but still special. Three people from Data’s office, including his boss, Collin Windsor, came to the small affair. Betty, Susan and Janet came of Harper's friends. Harper's family, Betty and Mr. Windsor came to the dinner. Once the evening was over, Harper heard Data telling her parents that they would return late Sunday evening.

“What do you mean? You told me we were staying home for the weekend?” Harper asked, coming upon this group.

Data gave her a guilty look.

“Jayden had planned to stay home, but this is our wedding gift to you. We reserved a cabin in Helen for you as soon as he called us and invited us to the wedding,” Harper's father informed his confused daughter.

“But they have to be reserved weeks in advance. You only found out Monday.” Harper was stunned when not only her parents and sister started shaking their head, but Betty as well. Harper turned her gaze to Jayden. “You sneaky, conniving, tricky...how have you been able to live with your ethical subroutine?” Harper asked, hands on hips.

“Oh, Gawd, even here with the Star Trek?” teased Betty, using her Southern accent to draw out the words.

“It was not easy, I can assure you,” Data admitted. “I will admit, that the television show has had an effect on our relationship, Miss Betty. Harper often compares me to one of the characters.” He took his bride’s hand in his own. “Harper Soong... My wife...I am married!” Data started laughing. He had no idea why, but he did. Everyone gave him various quizzical expressions. “I never believed I would ever actually attain this status. I have wished for it, but never truly believed...I love you, Mrs. Soong.” Data pulled her briskly into his arms and kissed her with obvious delight and affection. The couple was surprised to hear everyone around them begin to clap.

It was a happy evening.

Helen was cold, but beautiful. The newlyweds enjoyed walking through the town again like they had done with Melody months ago, but this time the town was open.

“You’re gonna need some new pants and shirts for your new job. You only have five suits, I think an extra pair or two of pants would be a good idea.” Harper pointed to a men’s clothing store as she noted this.

Data contemplated this for only a second before agreeing. They entered the store and Data began picking out and trying on various colored shirts and pants. He normally didn’t try on, since he could tell by just looking if things would fit. He did this now to humor his wife. Just thinking the word caused him to beam with joy. Wife.

“These pants are too long, Harper. They do not appear to have my size in this color. You will have to pick another.” Data held out the black pants with the glossy finish that she had picked out for him. She shook her head and would not take the pants back.

“If they fit in the waist, then I can hem them for you. I’m the not greatest at sewing, but I can do that much.” She waved her hand at Data indicating for him to retain possession of the garment.

Data gave her a quizzical look. “There are other selections, Harper. We can choose from one of them. Altering these is not necessary.”

Harper smiled. Data was in logical mode. “But I like these. You look wonderful in black. Very sexy. I’ll hem them. After all, I have all that staying at home free time. I can work on getting used to being a wife again and having all those wifely duties.” She raised her eyebrows for the last part of the phrase.

Data just seemed confused. “Wifely duties. Then I would have husbandly duties?” he asked.

She chuckled. “You bring home the bacon and I fry it up in the pan.”

Data processed the reference. “Ah, I make the money and you spend it. But I also handle the finances. Should we not also allow for our personal strengths to reflect on our roles in this union?”

“That was an old stereotypical reference. I believe that in the old days, women weren’t allowed to handle the money either. The man wouldn’t believe that she could...I don’t know...add. I’ve gotten used to you handling the bills, Jayden. I don’t intend to try and take it over from you. I do handle most of the spending though. I was the one who suggested that we buy you new clothes.”

“True. Then you would be the one to handle the...to market, to market to buy a fat pig?”

Harper chuckled. “Right! And then there is my most important wifely duty.” She had a glitter in her eyes as she came closer to whisper in his ear. “Keeping my husband happy in the bedroom.”

Data’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought that traditionally, it was child bearing and care.”

“Not applicable here.”

“True. I suppose that is an acceptable substitute.” He had a very silly grin on his face and was looking off into the distance...thinking.

“You seem to find that substitution pleasing, my husband.” Harper took on a subtle but effective British accent as she spoke these words. She also slipped her arm through his.

Data looked into her eyes. “This sounds acceptable to me, highly acceptable, in fact. You told me I would grow tired of kissing you. You also hinted that our intimacy would lose some of its potency in time. I find that it has not happened for me.” He drew her into his arms, even with the clothing draped over his right. “Has the act become tedious for you?” he asked her.

Harper looked shocked. “No! No! I love...making love with you. I love kissing you t-“

His mouth covering hers cut off the rest of her reply. Agreeing to her suggestion of hemming the too long pants, Data hurriedly purchased the clothing and pulled her out of the store, leading her back to their car and heading for their cabin. Data left the purchases in the car, but rushed his new bride inside and carried her up the stairs to the loft like bedroom. It was time to prove that she did not find him tedious.

Harper opened her eyes to see that the bedroom was dark. It was night. Moving only her eyes so she wouldn’t wake Data, she focused on the clock on his bedside table. 9:12. What time had it been when Data had decided it was time for more honeymoon like behavior? She grinned at him. She lay just next to him and looked at the beautiful golden man that slept contented on his back. A bright smile graced his face. It seemed like he somehow knew she was awake. He rolled over and an arm seemed to be searching for her. She was not hard to find. Eyes still closed, he pulled her to him. She sighed happily and rolled so she could spoon with him. Data pulled her snuggly against his body. His naked body. His naked and aroused body...

~ How could he still be aroused? ~  she mused. ~ They had made love for hours!  My wifely duties are going to be more difficult than I thought. I’ve married an insatiable man! ~

Something about their movements must have awaked him. He began kissing her neck after moving her hair aside.

“Am I gonna be able to walk after this honeymoon?” Harper asked with a laugh.

“What? Why would you ask that?” Data rolled her over to face him.

“Because you are relentless in your desire for sex lately. My tender human flesh is no match for yours.” Harper reached up and caressed his cheek. But Data just looked mortified.

“I am hurting you?” he asked, the pain evident in his voice.

“No, sweet love. Not yet. I’m a little stiff in the muscles, but I get that way if I go to the gym sometimes. Don’t you worry, love, I’m not going to let you hurt me. I’m not into that and I know how upset you would be if I did let you hurt me.” Harper rolled over on top of him. The very thought of her being hurt had done away with Data’s arousal. She intended to get it back.

Data’s traveling for his job was to begin once he was properly trained in the new position. But then training Jayden Soong to do something never took long.

Harper was forced to tell her manager at the cooking store that she may not be available once Jayden began traveling during the week. Alex assured her that there would always be room for her on the weekly schedule. Harper intended to try to work during the weekends when she and Jayden were home. Data wouldn’t like that one bit, but Harper had decided he would just have to get over it! She would be spending all week with him, so he couldn’t complain about their time together.

A condo was rented for the duration of the year contract that Com-Tech had with the company they were working with. The place was furnished and stocked with most of the things the couple would need, but some things would have to be purchased.

They arrived with Sadie at 6:09. San Fernando was already quite warm this time of year and Harper was doing her best not to drip sweat as she followed Data up the stairs to their new part-time home. Sadie was just glad to be out of her cage.

“It has air conditioning, right?” Harper asked as she dropped her purse and bag in the foyer. “Please God, tell me it has air!”

Data turned around and gave her a confused expression that faded as soon as he noted how much she was...glistening.

“Yes, my wife. It is complete with air, or we would not be able to breathe,” he teased.

Harper smacked his backside playfully. “Alright, Mr. Comic! Stop the wise cracks and turn on the air conditioning before I melt like the wicked witch that I am.”

Data grinned as he went to find the control to do just that.

The couple settled into the routine of commuting back and forth from California to Georgia even before the convention time rolled along. This weekend they did not return home, but did put Sadie up in a pet hotel while they took a room in the hotel where the convention was being held.

Data stood before the bathroom mirror studying his image just before they were to go down for their “in character” debut.

“It is an irony that I turn off my disguise to reveal that which everyone today will believe is makeup,” he commented as Harper ran a comb through her hair. She was already in her uniform as well and from experience, Data knew she was seconds from announcing that she was as good as she was going to get. He disliked this comment, but had given up trying to stop her from using it.

“You sound nervous, Data,” she noted, putting down the comb and reaching for his hand.

Data searched himself. As usual, his wife was correct. “I suppose I am,” he admitted. “It is not every day one meets oneself.”

Harper took his golden face in her hands. “He is not you, sweet boy!”

“No, he simply plays me on television,” Data finished with a raised eyebrow. “Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that Mr. Spiner is my creator of a sort, in this timeline.”

Harper sighed and leaned against the sink, stared at Data. “I guess in a way you could say that between Spiner and Gene Roddenberry, “Data” was created. I know that most people give Spiner a great deal of the credit, and rightly so, for breathing life into the character.” She pushed off of the counter and moved to kiss her husband.

Data brought up a finger to stop her. “Please. You will smudge my makeup.” He looked serious.

“What!” Harper asked, thrown off by this ridiculous statement.

“It is what you will have to remember once we leave this room. You will not be able to touch any part of my skin since it will be believed to be covered in makeup.” Data suddenly wondered if they would really be able to pull this charade off. Both he and Harper were quite accustomed to touching each other. It would even be difficult to not take her hand as they walked together.

“Okay but that doesn’t apply yet. Now kiss me, mister!”

Data gave her a distracted sigh, but did pull her close. Harper could tell his heart was just not in this kiss.

The couple didn’t have to wait long before attention was drawn to them, or more accurately, Data. In the elevator ride down to the area where the convention was being held, other convention goers joined them. A rather large man and a petite red headed woman got in at the fifth floor and instantly gaped at Data in awe.

“Holy shit! Is that a mask?” the woman asked even before the doors to the elevator closed.

“Damn! That can’t be a mask...too real looking.” The man followed up this comment by looking at Data around the neck as though searching for a place that a mask could have gone on.

“You are correct. It is not a mask...this is my natural skin color.” Data was hesitant to say this, but he doubted he would be believed even while telling this truth.

Harper chuckled from beside Data and the other two people soon followed her lead. They assumed by her laughter that Data was, of course, joking but neither he nor Harper would dream of correcting this assumption.

“Are you planning on entering the costume contest? You’d place for sure! You plan that because the actor...ah, Spinner, yeah, because he’s here?” the woman asked.

“Mr. Spiner is a contributing factor in my appearance here, yes,” Data admitted, calmly.

“Damn, I’d love to have a picture of you and him next to each other. That would rock! Man, I’ve never seen a costume so good and makeup that good outside of a movie.” The man was still half-heartedly looking for a mask line.

“Thank you,” was all Data could think to say.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Data took Harper's hand and hurried her away for the other couple. They did not make it very far.

While there were many other folks who had also dressed for the convention, none had a StarFleet uniform as authentic as Data’s and none even remotely resembled a character from the show.  As Data and Harper walked through the huge lobby of the beautiful hotel, almost every head in the place turned to gape at Data.

“You may want to get that stick out, Data. From the looks of the girls in this crowd, you may need it right about now.” Harper had seen several jaws drop at the sight of him and considering Harper had long been a fan of Data’s looks too, she understood why. ~ He has the sexiest, most confident walk! It’s enough to make any woman drool. ~

Data stopped dead in his tracks, turning to stare blankly at his wife. After a pause, he looked over the crowd and noticed that a few were moving in towards him. None seemed to be looking at Harper.

A look of extreme discomfort came over Data’s face. “What should we do?” he asked.

“Run, or bask in the glow of your 15 minutes of fame, my love.” Harper grinned.

“A StarFleet officer does not run!” he told her, with a sigh.

“Bet by the time this is over, you’ll wish they did!” Harper teased just as two girls, one in a Cat Woman outfit and one dressed as a sorceress, approached them.

“Excuse me, but we just have to tell you how much we love your costume!” bubbled Catwoman.

“Yeah, you look just as sexy as the real Data ever did!” said the sorceress, shamelessly eyeing Data up and down. “Can we take a picture?” The sorceress produced a camera from the folds of her long green hooded cape and looked at Data, waiting for permission.

Looking for his wife’s consent, Data nodded. The sorceress took his picture twice, but then asked if they could be in one with him. Harper offered to take the picture so they both could be in it, but she was unnerved when they whispered to each other and then when they moved to either side of Data. Just as Harper was about to snap the picture, the women both turned to plant a kiss on each of Data’s cheeks.

Data’s eyes went wide at their action and Harper didn’t look pleased either, but the women grabbed the camera and disappeared back into the crowds just as five more came to take their place. Harper finally suggested that Data stay with his adoring fans and she would go check into when and where Brent Spiner would be appearing. With a sigh of mournful resignation, Data agreed.

The booklet they had received at sign in said Spiner would be here, but had noted that the time and place would be announced on Friday. It referred to a special area that had been sectioned off to handle the big name guest stars and was guarded. Harper headed here and found a crowd of people looking for the same information she was.

Brent Spiner was listed for two appearances. One in a large auditorium and one, a more intimate affair, where he would answer questions. The times for both were listed. The first, the one in the bigger room would be today at 4:00 and the smaller one, tomorrow at 3:00. It was also noted that admittance to the one tomorrow was only permitted for those who held four day, gold passes. Only 300 of these had been allotted and Data had made damn sure he and Harper had two of them. 

With a copy of the listing and room locations, Harper made her way back to where Data was still being mobbed. Oddly, he seemed to be almost enjoying the attention he was receiving now. He politely shook everyone’s hand, answered questions, as best he could without lying, and smiled for many pictures. Harper was pleased that no one seemed to notice Data’s name badge and comment on it.

It was another twenty minutes before Harper decided Data had had enough of the limelight and announced to the crowd that Commander Data had to go have lunch now. There were a few comments that androids don’t require food, but everyone laughed at that and just began moving along.

Over lunch, Harper showed Data the update on when Spiner was scheduled and Data was pleased.

“I will wait until the more private function to approach him,” Data decided.

“I think you should make an entrance, sweetness. Let me go in and save you a seat and then once it’s began, you come in...you’ll knock his socks off.” Harper winked at Data, who looked intrigued by this suggestion.

The closer 4:00 got, the more excited Data became. They went in early to get good seats in the auditorium at 3:24, as soon as the guest who preceded Mr. Spiner concluded her talk. The lights went up and some workers came in to clean up left drinks and trash. The room began to fill with Spiner fans very quickly and this meant that Data’s presence did not go unnoticed. Some even asked if he was Brent Spiner and Harper had to laugh at that. More hands were shaken and more pictures taken until the house lights went down and the man they had all been waiting for walked on the stage.

Mr. Spiner had his gray hair cut rather short, and had on glasses. He wore faded blue jeans and a navy blue shirt, tucked in. Harper sighed at her first sight of him. Data looked fascinated, but took a second out to give his wife a reproachful grimace.

“You are married, and he is attached, do not entertain any ideas regarding your room key and that man!” Data warned. Harper laughed and laced her fingers with his.

“Oh, it can’t hurt to just...fantasize,” she teased and laughed harder when Data began looking through her pockets for her copy of their key.

With his arms possessively around his wife’s shoulders, Data watched the actor on the stage in rapt attention. Data was surprised how amusing he was. But the slant of Spiner’s humor struck Data as odd.

“In numerous ways, he reminds me of Lore,” Data whispered to Harper.

“His humor?” she asked.

“And how well and how often he...smirks.”

Harper looked at Data and grinned. “You’ve been getting awfully good at that smirk too, brother of Lore,” she informed him with a wink.

Data just gave her in indignant expression.

Even with his internal chronometer activated, the forty-five minute show seemed to fly by for Data. As Mr. Spiner, thanking everyone for coming, waved and left the stage, Harper groaned with disappointment and Data was tempted to groan too. Instead, the couple made a hasty retreat to their hotel room to talk about what they had seen. The rest of the day, Data used his Jayden holo-disguise and the couple was bothered a lot less.

They had a nice dinner after a leisurely walk through the streets of downtown Sacramento, still discussing the various things they had seen and still wished to see. Even as he was, Data and Harper were still stopped a few times with the “Are you Brent Spiner?” question. A few times Data answered, “No, I am simply an artificial life-form from another timeline. Sorry to disappoint you.”

 Harper was tempted to kick him each time he did this to the stunned strangers. “Lore!” she kept whispering in his ear.

Once evening had come, Harper was near exhaustion. She told Data if he had not joined her in the shower, she would have taken a bath and most likely, also would have fallen asleep there. He told her that was not possible, as he intended to see that she never took a bath again.

“I take it I’m not allowed to go swimming either?” Harper asked with a yawn.

“In a pool that does not have a water depth over three feet and only if I am there with you at all times,” he told her firmly.

Harper grinned and wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. “Jayden Soong in swim trucks? I like the sound of that!” She winked suggestively at him, but also yawned again.

“Time to sleep, Harper. I need you well rested for tomorrow.” Data turned the shower off and helped his tired wife out of the tub. It took no argument to get her into bed tonight. However, Data doubted that she would last to the lovemaking.  

She surprised him and pulled him into her arms, kissing his with passion. Realizing that Harper didn’t want to disappoint him, Data did the best he could to make this an abbreviated session. Harper caught on, but she went along with him since she was indeed very tired. She was snoring beside Data just moments after he rolled over to take her into his arms. Data kissed her on her temple and wished her sweet dreams.

Data was standing outside of their room, on the small balcony, looking out at the sleeping city. The nervous excitement had gripped him again, so he came here to let Harper sleep.

“Thinking of taking up smoking, Data?”

There was a flash of light and Q stood beside Data, leaning over the railing, staring down at the city lights.

“Why would I wish to do that? I could endanger Harper if I were to smoke in front of her.” Data looked over to grimace at the omnipotent being.

Q turned around and moving the curtain, peeked into the hotel room at the sleeping form of Harper Soong.

“You’d do anything for her, wouldn’t you?” Q asked, looking back at Data.

“Was that not your intent?” Data asked, challengingly. “Harper has suggested that she believed you placed me here in order to cause me to fall in love with her.”

“Ridiculous.” Q waved the idea away with a hand. “I could have left you on the Enterprise if that was my goal. You fell for her all on your own, Data. I actually hoped you wouldn’t. Marrying her has put a crimp in my plans for you. I may have chosen better than I anticipated. You get along too well with her.” Q turned to take a second peek through the curtain. “She is a shapely female, isn’t she?”

Data pulled the curtains from Q’s hand and closed them, his agitation clearly written all over his face. “If your intent was not for me to find love, was it for her to move forward with her life?”

Q laughed. “My purpose here was you, my possessive friend, not her.” Q sighed. “If she’s not going to help, I may have to take drastic measures. Hmm...”

Just as Data was about to reach for the being to insist Q leave Harper and him alone, Q vanished in his flash of light. Data almost growled in frustration. Data decided to take a brief walk on the street, hoping it would help to settle his mind, but it didn’t seem to work well. Fear that Q would do something to him or Harper still plagued Data. He returned to the room and kept watch over his bride, suddenly needing to reassure himself that she was still there and stayed that way. He had been gone for over an hour, but Harper had not seemed to even move. At 4:27, his watchful eye must have caught her attention, even in her sleep.

Reaching over in the bed to Data’s side, Harper stirred when she found it empty. She could feel him near. She opened her eyes and looked for him. Sitting up, she saw him sitting in a chair across from  the bed.

“What’s wrong?” Harper asked, holding her arms out to Data.

“Why do you think something is wrong?” he asked. How did she always know more than she should? Maybe she was not as innocent and naïve as he had always believed.

“Because you’re upset. I can feel it. The whole room is dripping with your upset.” Harper got out of bed and moved towards him in the dark. Data watched the silk of her nightgown cling to her body as she moved closer to him.

“Emotion is not a tangible thing. You speak as though it were, Harper.” His tone did little to convince her that she was wrong about her conclusion.

Harper walked behind his chair and leaned over the back, wrapping her arms around her angry love. She snuggled into his cheek, feeling more and more of Data’s frustrations as she did. She ran her hands over his chest, nuzzling his ear and then kissing him there. She continued to kiss the side of his face until he released an audible sigh. Coming over, Harper sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around him. Leaning into his chest, she smiled when Data pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

 “Tell me,” Harper instructed, softly.

“Q appeared,” Data began ominously. Harper sat up and looked around the dark room. “He is not here. But he was disturbing when he was.”

Harper looked almost terrified at this, but when Data repeated his conversation between himself and Q, it didn’t help make her feel better.

“That sounds like he’s planning on coming back and taking you with him when he does,” Harper observed. Data could not disagree.

“I will not go willingly. I have a place here, a life...I do not wish to go.” He still sounded angry, and this led Harper to believe there was more to this than she knew.

“You sound just like you did in First Contact.” She grabbed his face and looked him in the eyes as best she could in the low light. “Were you upset before Q came?”

Data surprised her by pushing her off of his body and coming to a stand, leaving her still in the chair. He walked across to the desk and turned on a small lamp so Harper could see him. He then looked at her as her eyes adjusted to the new light. He stalked across the room at her. Harper's eyes got wide in reaction to his fierce expression.

“We are hours away from meeting the man who stands as proof that I am not real. Now, Q comes to tell me his plan is not working out. At the same time, he leers at you. Why did he pick you, Harper? Are you Q?”

“You are crazy! If I were Q, would I have let that maniac attack me? Would I have let that fire start and BURN my DAUGHTER?” Data was close to her, so she leaned forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with him. “Now what do you mean by Spiner proving you aren’t real?” she huffed.

“I exist in this reality as a fiction, a character in a science fiction television show. Spiner plays that character. Is this not akin to meeting one’s self in an alternate timeline? It is not supposed to be possible. Perhaps I am dreaming all of this. Or perhaps you are the one who had created this illusion and I have failed-“

“I can’t believe this! You still don’t really trust me? We became lovers and you didn’t believe? You married me and you still don’t believe? What do I have to do to convince you, son of Soong? DIE?” Harper was shouting by the end of this and this hadn’t gone unnoticed. The couple heard banging on their wall from an angry neighbor.

Data looked from the wall to Harper. Her chest was heaving from her angry shouting and her temper was obviously still in high gear. She glared at him.

The fear that had been building in Data seemed to be boiling over. Something about seeing Spiner today had frightened him. It had excited him and caused his curiosity to explode at first, but later his scientific mind had gone over the facts of temporal mechanics and come up with suppositions that pointed to it being improbable for both Spiner and Data to exist in any reality. Q’s appearance had reminded Data how the omnipotent being was manipulating many things, but he had also caused Data to worry about the chances that Q would truly allow him to remain with Harper for her lifetime or perhaps take her with him to his.

The growing panic took control and Data moved to sit on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped and head hanging.

Harper allowed her fury to drained away to a soft burn. Confused, she came to stand in front of Data, waiting for him to speak.

For several minutes, Data just sat there in silence. Harper waited.

“We have teased about our being mentally unbalanced...you have told me that if you lost me, you would...break. I too, do not believe I would survive your loss, Harper.” Data’s words were slow and measured. His head remained lowered.

“I’m going to die one day, Data, whether you’re taken from me or not. I’m not Q, I wouldn’t want to be that arrogant.” Her tone was softer, but still had an edge.

Data looked at her, amused just slightly at some of  her words, filled with dread by the others. “I can accept your death from old age. If I live past the events portrayed in Nemesis, I will eventually see my friends and comrades from the Enterprise age and die. I do not relish that prospect, but I can accept that it is part of...life.” Data stood and took hold of her shoulders. “I cannot bear to entertain the possibility that I will be forced to leave you prematurely.”

Harper studied his face for a moment before replying. “Is this a panic attack, Data? Something  about seeing Brent got under your skin and Q just made it worse?”

“Perhaps,” Data conceded after a moment of consideration.

Harper sighed. “I think you can relax. I think I know what he was talking about...well, sort of.” Harper looked uncertain as she pulled Data back to the bed and sat down with him. “Do you think that Q could enter someone’s dreams?” she asked.

Data processed for a moment. “I do not believe so. I have seen no indication of Q’s being able to read our minds or enter them. Why?”

She thought a moment. “Because I wondered if maybe he had come to me in a dream. Did you leave the room tonight, Data?”

Data looked guilty. “Yes. I was upset. I went for a walk. What happened, Harper?”

“I think he was here, I mean, came back to talk to me while you were gone. Maybe he hoped to make me believe it was a dream and influence me that way.” She still looked uncertain.

“What did he say, Harper? Do you remember?” Data asked urgently.

“Well, I think I remember most of it... He told me I wasn’t following his game plan like he thought I would.  He said I needed to see just how far you were falling short of being human. I needed to push you to accept your limitations while you were here and that you need to get used to being only human...he was mumbling then...” Harper seemed to be struggling to remember clearly what was said. “But I swear...he said that you only had fifty three years to learn this lesson, so you’d better hurry.” Harper's eyes met Data’s. “I think you may have been right, edgy man. Q means for you to stay here until I’m gone!” Harper's eyes were wide with shock and delight, but she was still unprepared for Data’s fast grabbing of her body to press it to his.

“I hope you are right. I do not intend to be an edgy man, but this has caused me a great deal of distress over the last few months,” Data admitted.

“So, you decided I must be a Q?” she asked, still a little irked over that.

Data pulled back and looked guilt ridden. “I claim temporary insanity. The thought of losing you causes that in me.”

Slowly a grin spread across her face. “I’m not sure I buy that, but it’s a good line, so I’ll let it pass. Better now?” she asked. Data nodded. “Good, hold me, kiss me and help me get back to sleep. I need more sleep than what I got!”

A glint entered Data’s eyes. “I have an idea on how to help you get back to sleep, Harper,” he told her.

“I just bet you do,” she said with a knowing smile and flicked the spaghetti strap off her left shoulder with a suggestive smile.

“Are you sure you are not telepathic?” Data teased as he moved to kiss her.

“Only in this one area, and I can only lock on to men with a certain shaped nose. Do you want me to tell you how often Brent Spiner thought about sex tonight?” she teased.

“No!” Data answered and playfully slapped her butt before pulling her back on the bed with him.

Since they had nowhere they needed to be until 3:00, Data let Harper sleep in as long as she needed. He enjoyed the feel of her in his arms and just held her close as she slept. He wondered if Q had inadvertently been trying to show Data that his suspicions were correct so Data could relax into his life here. He wondered at the other things Q had said to Harper, but decided they were not of as much importance. He was stuck here, and now, Data could not be happier.

They went to breakfast, the art show, and went to see the blooper reel from Star Trek the original series. Data found himself laughing right along with the others in the audience and Harper was pleased that anything could distract him from his nervousness over the impeding meeting of Brent Spiner. She held his hand tightly and leaned into Jayden’s shoulder, laughing along with him.

At 2:00, the couple headed for their hotel room to change from their street clothes into their costumes and Jayden turned off his holo-disguise, becoming Data again.

“There’s my sexy android love!” Harper said, beaming at him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“One day, you must explain to me what it is about me and Spiner that you find sexy. I still do not understand.” Data cocked his head to the side and Harper watched him consider the question, yet again.

“Do you find me sexy?” she asked. Data was still not the best with a compliment, but she didn’t really care.

“Yes.”

“Well, I find you sexy for the male reasons that you find me sexy...if you like breasts, I like chests...got it?” she asked.

Data sighed. “It is not body parts that I find desirable...though yours are not undesirable. We will need to discuss this but now we do not have the time.” Data kissed Harper before they put on their boots and left the room.

So they could make it to the room where Spiner was scheduled to appear, Data was forced to allow Harper to bluntly dissuade people from stopping him for pictures and the like. It seemed to take forever before they arrived just outside the room, but Data was glad that there was a little corner he could hide behind while he waited for the right moment to enter. They showed their passes in order to enter the area and after giving Data a quick kiss, Harper ducked into the room to get seats. 

Harper was on the edge of her seat as she waited for the moment to finally arrive. Her hands were shaking and her stomach was doing flip-flops, but at least she got to sit. She wondered if Data ever got weak in the knees from excitement.

There was a table on a slightly raised platform with a few chairs behind it, a pitcher of water and a few cups. One of the convention organizers came in to pour Mr. Spiner a glass of the water and then announced him. The room was filled to capacity minus one as everyone who was sitting got to their feet and began clapping as Spiner finally made his long awaited entrance.

Harper remained standing after the applause died down, she already had her question. Spiner spoke for a few minutes, but seeing her standing there, took her question early.

“Anxious, aren’t you?” Spiner asked, addressing her with Lore’s grin.

“Very much so,” Harper replied.

“Okay go ahead, but remember, no questions about Star Trek or my personal life. Anything else is fair game.”

Harper had heard this line from him before, so she knew he was joking and so did most of the others here as it drew laughter. Harper just steadied herself and opened her mouth to ask the question her and Data had planned.

“Have you ever run across someone who looked so much like you, they could be your twin?”

Spiner, who seemed to be expecting the normal questions that he had been asked a million times over, looked surprised for a moment. He recovered quickly and brought his finger to his nose, touching the bridge and grinning.

“Exactly like me? Isn’t that what keeps plastic surgeons in business?” The room exploded in laughter, but that turned to gasps of shock as Harper turned towards the door and Data made his grand entrance.

Harper looked back at Spiner quickly to catch his reaction. She was pleased to see that his beautiful blue eyes were just as wide as everyone else’s.

As Data made his way into the room and up the aisle that divided the room in half, a young woman in the isle jumped up and touched Data’s arm. “Oh my God, he’s sexy!” she gasped and tried to pull Data back to her.

Data turned and bestowed an appreciative smile her way. “Thank you,” he said, politely, but that didn’t seem to satisfy the young women. She tried to pull Data closer and Harper realized that this girl was trying to kiss Data!  Harper wanted to shout at the girl, but Data, being Data, took care of the situation in his polite way.

With a finger raised between himself and the lips that were leaning in, he shook his head. “I am sorry, young lady, but I cannot accommodate you. I am already spoken for.” Data gently removed the now pouting woman’s hands from his person and continued his trek up the aisle.

At his approach, Spiner got to his feet, still looking somewhat dazed but all of this. Data held out his hand to the actor and after a moment of studying Data’s face, Spiner took it for the handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you...ah...” Spiner looked down at Data’s nametag and then looked more confused. “...Jayden Soong?” he said with a question heavy in the words.

The audience tittered at this revelation. One jumped to his feet and called out, “You changed your name?”

Data turned to look at this young man and shrugged. “I needed a last name...Soong seemed the logical choice and I was encouraged not to use my real name for my first name. Do you believe I should have stayed with ‘Data’?” he asked. There were more titters across the room.

“Jayden?” said a woman near the back of the room. “Isn’t that the name that Data used in the episode, ‘Thine Own Self’? Why did you pick that one? I thought Data didn’t remember the events that took place when he was with those people.”

Data looked over to Harper. Harper turned in her chair and looked back at the woman. “That was my idea. I like the name and the episode was wonderful, except for the parts with Troi becoming a commander and outranking Data,” Harper sighed heavily with disgust and many around the room murmured their agreement.

“What name did you have before?” Spiner asked Data, not buying the truth.

Data furrowed his brows in confusion. “Data,” he replied. The room was filled with laughter yet again.

Spiner sighed, but again began to study Data’s face. In a quick motion, the man touched Data’s face with a finger and then looked at his fingertip in surprise. “It’s not make up?” he asked, stunned.

“No, I was forced to wear makeup when I first arrived here in your timeline, but I found a more practical method of disguise with the help of my then housemate and I now employ the use of a holographic disguise when I wish to appear human.”

Spiner gave Data a patronizing smile. “So you’re trying to convince me and all these fine people here that you really are Data?” he asked. The laughter around the room was a little nervous sounding this time.

“No, I wish merely to convince you.” Data now turned to face Spiner in a way that cut off the view of everyone else in the room and activated only part of his holo-disguise. For a moment, Spiner stared into eyes that were as sparkling blue as his own. The moment passed and Data returned his eyes to their normal yellow color.

Spiner looked about to fall over. With a nervous laugh, he moved to retake his chair. “Good trick...well...it was nice to meet you....Data...I’d better get back to our adoring fans and...give them their money’s worth.”

With a nod, Data turned from the actor and made his way to the seat that Harper was saving from him. Every eye in the place followed him.

The session proceeded, though some of the questions were directed to Data. Since Spiner nodded to the android, Data told the crowd that he still had his emotion chip and that he was not dead and was going to try very hard to stay that way.

“Have you seem Nemesis?” one man asked Data.

“Yes, I went to see it on opening night with my wife.”

“Did you like it?”

“All but...my end. I think I would have easily been able to avoid that outcome and still have saved the captain and what was left of the Enterprise and her crew.”

“Why aren’t you dead now?” a woman asked. “For a walking dead man...android, you sure look good.” She winked at Data, suggestively, but Data just took hold of Harper's hand, knowing she would need to be calmed. He was right, of course.

“I was pulled out of my time to your timeline by Q to learn a lesson of some sort. When I left, it was just eight months, two weeks and three days from the time the Enterprise had encountered and defeated the Borg when they attempted to change Earth’s history.” The old pain that had once haunted Data’s face seemed to have returned at the mention of this time, so Harper looked pleadingly at Mr. Spiner and thankfully, he pulled the questions back to him so Data was not asked about his time with the Borg Queen. 

Once again, the time seemed to melt away and Spiner was leaving the room with a wave and a warm smile. Data and Harper stood with the rest and clapped as Spiner made is departure. It took a great effort to get Data out of that room without being mobbed since he didn’t have the benefit of security and couldn’t use any of his android strength to pull the women off him. Harper did use the adrenaline rush she was having at the sight of more women trying to kiss her husband, and pulled them off, warning them that she was a very jealous and protective wife.

Once they finally made it to their room, Data watched as Harper collapsed on the bed. Kicking off his boots, he joined her there, taking her into his arms.

“Do you think he believed me?” Data asked.

“Spiner? He looked pretty stunned, but I don’t know,” Harper admitted. It was after they had ordered up a lunch for Harper and made love twice before they got a call to their room.

It was Brent Spiner.

He wanted to meet with Jayden Soong in private, so they invited him to their room and hurried to reassemble the bed so it didn’t look like they had been doing what they had been doing. Data and Harper both changed into street clothes and just kissed tenderly as they waited for the knock on the door.

Harper led Spiner into the room where he was confronted with the sight of Data...looking like Data, but in jeans and a blue oxford shirt, sitting on the side of the bed. Harper moved to sit next to her husband.

“I see you left the makeup on. Are you planning on ever taking it off or will you after the convention?” Spiner asked, taking off his hat and sunglasses that hid his identity. He took the seat that Harper motioned to.

“I realize that I should most likely offer you an alcoholic beverage before I do this, but I am who I say I am. Lt. Commander Data. My disguise is holographic, as I said it was. This is my normal appearance. This is not...” Without moving a finger, Data switched on the holo-disguise selection that he had never deleted. Brent Spiner jumped to his feet and looked in shock...at himself. The hair was longer and the outfit different, but Spiner seemed to recognize it at once. It was the shot he got the most requests for.

Harper was ready for this and handed the breathless actor a beer that she had opened for him, encouraging him to retake his seat and take a long drink of the beer. Spiner thanked her absently and did as she suggested, draining the bottle quickly.

Data sighed, slightly insulted.

Harper returned to him shaking her head. “I don’t understand why you take this as an insult,” she admonished her husband.

“Why does everyone I tell need alcohol before they can acclimate to the knowledge that I am Data!!??” he asked, with a grumble.

“Because it’s not an easy thing to just accept, sweet boy.”

Data grimaced at her. “We are back to ‘sweet boy’?”

Spiner spoke up here. “It bothers you to be called sweet?” he asked, looking even more confused. Harper got up to take his now empty bottle and replace it with a full one.

“She only refers to me using that term of endearment when I am angry.” Data watched as Harper opened a second beer for the actor and handed it to him. Spiner looked from Data to Harper and gave her a lingering once over before nodding his thanks. “My wife takes great pride in seeing to my emotional health, as Counselor Troi once did.”

It didn’t escape Harper's notice that Data gave the word ‘wife’ careful emphasis in that statement. She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. Data ignored her.

“You two are married? Can you turn that...hologram off, please?” Spiner asked and Data nodded to both questions, returning his appearance to normal.       

“When Q brought me here, I appeared in Harper's home. She took care of me and helped me to cope with your reality. We became friends and then...more.” Data looked fondly at his wife who returned to his side. He laced his fingers with hers.

“So you have had sex with him?” Spiner asked, looking at Harper. A second later he hit his own forehead with his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just asked that...I take it back,” he said, his voice full of embarrassment and apology.

“I understand why you asked.” Harper said, mildly. “Data’s been curious about you from the moment he discovered your existence, and that you played his character. He was quite miffed at you for some of the things portrayed in the movies, but I think he’s gotten over that, but he still wanted more than anything to meet you. I tried to convince him it wasn’t a good idea, but he can be very hardheaded.”  

“I still can’t...well...I wonder if I’m dreaming all this. But I guess I’m not upset you told me, but it’s just so impossible. I mean...Q? I guess I would be hard pressed to convince anyone else of this, wouldn’t I?” the actor asked.

“I would request that you refrain from trying,” Data suggested. “I have an established life here in your timeline and it is our belief that I will remain here for some time. If you reveal me, I may be destroyed and Harper could be injured in the process. My purpose, though most likely too late, would be to convince you out of keeping my character dead, if that is possible. I have much to live for in this time and in my original timeline. I ask you to consider that if you are offered the chance to portray me again.”

Spiner looked taken aback, but this was something that Harper had expecting so she just stared compassionately at the actor.

“Is Q going to take you back?” Spiner asked.

“Not for many years, I believe. I have a lesson I am to learn from Harper, but we are not sure what type of lesson he had in mind. I regret if I have caused you distress, Mr. Spiner, but this was something I needed to do. I have been compelled to meet you and convince you that your actions in this universe, have an effect on mine.”

Spiner sat back in his chair, drank the last of his second beer and nodded slowly. “I’ll keep that in mind. I...ah...well, I guess I should go.” He slowly got to his feet and so did Data and Harper. The actor extended his hand slowly towards Harper. “Thanks for the beer and...it was nice to meet you...Mrs...Data?”

“Mrs. Soong....Harper Soong. It was very nice to meet you, too. Wonderful to meet you!” she stressed, shaking his hand and blushing. “You’re my favorite actor and I’ve seen just about everything you’ve done and I hope to see more. It was such an honor-“

“Harper,” Data interrupted, gently, but firmly. Harper blushed deeply and released the actor’s hand, reluctantly.

“You’re not the only one who wanted to meet him, Data. He is the only human male on the face of this planet that I find sexy,” Harper reminded her husband, grinning at Spiner, embarrassed that she had actually admitted that.

Spiner turned to shake Data’s hand and grinned, his sense of humor returning to him. “I guess she has a thing for guys with big noses. I’d warn you against ever taking her to see the play about Cyrano de Bergerac, if I were...you.” Spiner gave Data his best smirk and winked at Harper, causing her to sigh.

“Thank you, Mr. Spiner...I believe I will heed that advice. She can be too flirtatious at times, for my peace of mind.”

“Good luck, I hope you...learn whatever it is that Q wants you to learn...I think...Bye.” And with that, the man was gone.

Harper sighed again as the man closed their hotel room door and Data turned her around to face him. He lifted their hands and showed her their wedding rings.

“Married...you are MY wife, remember?” Data grimaced.

Harper laughed. “I just like him....no one but him and he isn’t you, but....he’s close. I love you, Data, I just think he has a cute butt.”

“That does not reassure me, Harper.”

Harper laughed and pushed her husband on the bed, knowing what would help to convince him. Data had no objections to this.

The years passed, but they were happy, love filled years. Melody married and had twin boys followed three years later by a beautiful daughter. Harper noted as the boys grew the more they looked like Robin.

While Data used the extensive knowledge he had on medicine from his time to prolong his wife’s life, she did grow old. Data caused his holo-image of Jayden to age along with her, but Harper refused to allow him to modify his true appearance...much.

Still the day came when Mrs. Jayden Soong slipped from this world as Data held her. Harper was 89 years old when her heart stopped beating, breaking the heart of an android.

Melody and Data put Harper Talenger Soong to rest in the grave that had been reserved for her beside Robin. The headstone read “Harper Talenger Soong, Beloved mother to Melody and cherished wife to Robin and Jayden.”

The funeral was hard for both Melody and Data. They cried a great deal. Once the coffin was lowered into the ground, Data was almost lost in his grief. He had already talked to Melody about what would happen once Harper past away. He made sure Harper's will left everything to Melody and all of their accounts now only reflected Harper’s name. Melody and her family would be well provided for. But Data realized that very soon, he would no longer be a stepfather...or a grandfather to Melody’s children.

“What happens now, Data?” Melody asked, her stepfather holding on to his strong arm.

“I wait for Q to return me to my own time, I would assume,” he told her, still looking at the headstone that bore his wife’s name. 

“I’ll miss you. It’s like I’m losing you both...I am losing you both.” Melody’s voice caught as she realized this. She hugged Data’s arm tighter. Data patted her hand fondly.

They talked for a few more moments, but her family was waiting in the car and it was a cold winter’s day. The wind blew fiercely as Melody hugged Data tightly for the last time. She kissed his cheek, told him she would always love him for what a wonderful father he had been to her and would never forget him. Data watched her hair blow wildly as she ran to her car and her family...and out of his life. 

It was near dusk when Q finally appeared. Data was just as Melody had left him, standing before Harper's grave, grieving.

“Do you see what I was trying to teach you, my friend?” Q said in a voice that came close to compassionate.

Data looked over at him. “No, I still do not. I thank you for allowing me to have all...I had with Harper, but I do not understand...” Data looked back at her grave and fell silent.

“Don’t you see it, Data? Here, with her, you were forced to live like a human, you loved a human, looked like a human. You were a human. Why would you want to be like them? They’re so frail and fragile. So short lived and small minded. You are not living up to your full potential by constantly moaning about not being human.” Q looked at the grave and shook his head, disappointed. “I had such high hopes that you would take with you the lessons from this time back with you. I’d hoped that your Harper would teach you what you needed to know to move on with your life. What a pity. What a waste.” Q brushed his hands together as though wiping dust away. He turned to face Data.

“Come my sad friend, let’s get you home.”

 There was a flash and Q and Data stood in a solid white room.

“Where are we?” Data asked, confused.

“Oh, just in between. I forgot to ask you when you wanted to come back. I can’t allow you to go back before you left, but I can put you right back there, if you wish. It can be like you never left.” Q sounded like he could not have cared less what Data decided, yet at the same time, managed to sound like he was offering up such a wonderful gift.

    “I do not wish it to be as though I never left.” Data considered the matter for only a moment. “Three weeks,” he said. “Bring me back three weeks after I left.”

There was another flash and Data was on the bridge of the Enterprise-E, just to the right and behind, navigation. As soon as the flash of light that preceded him died away, everyone on the bridge turned or jumped to their feet. His name was shouted out from all sides. Data just stood there in his black suit and tie, still covered by the warm winter coat that Harper had bought him years ago as a half gag gift. After all, Data did not need a coat.

The captain, Commander Riker and Counselor Troi came up to the android and Deanna embraced him. She could feel a great deal of turmoil and pain emanating from her friend, along with other emotions, but she couldn’t sort them all out just yet.

“What happened to you, Data? That looked like a flash from Q,” Riker waited until Deanna had released Data to ask this.

“You are correct. Q...took me.” Data looked from Will Riker to the face of his captain and then to the beautiful face of Deanna Troi. He had missed them all so much and for so long. He was happy to see them all again, but all of this was still overshadowed by the still fresh loss of Harper. Data had been gone for 54 years and to his friends it would have only been three weeks.

Compelled by the pain she saw behind Data’s golden eyes, Deanna pulled on Data’s arm, trying to lead him off the bridge. “You need soon time, Data. Come on, let’s go talk for a minute.” She headed for the observation lounge, but was disappointed that the captain and Will followed them in.

“I need a report from you, Data. What happened? Why were you gone so long?  Why were you taken at all? You’ve been gone for twenty three days.” Picard stood behind his chosen chair as Deanna sat Data in his usual one. Will crossed his arms across his chest and just listened.

“Captain, this may not be the best time-“ Deanna interjected.

“We have a difficult mission ahead of us, Counselor. I need him. His absence would have seriously jeopardized this mission. If your emotions are troubling you at the moment, Mr. Data, I suggest you turn them off for now.” The captain sounded unusually harsh.

“I cannot. I lost that ability many years ago, Captain.” Data took a seat and hung his head. While he was pleased to be back aboard the Enterprise, his mourning overshadowed everything. Deanna pulled up a seat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Something about her touch signaled a release for Data. He let the tears flow.

“The questions will have to wait, Captain. Commander Data is in no shape to answer them now.” It was a rare thing for Deanna to use her authority as counselor to overrule the captain, but she did so now. She stood and pulled Data back to his feet. The captain and Riker watched in stunned silence as she guided the android out of the room. Geordi was dashing down the corridors, having heard of Data’s return, but he too was left behind.

Deanna took Data to his quarters and sealed the door after them.

 “She died in my arms four days ago.”

“You need time to heal, Data. I still can’t believe that you were gone for so long.” Troi told him. Data sat on a couch and rubbed the fur of the cat that had apparently missed him very much. “Q was of the impression that I was not as fragile as the captain. I am not sure I concur with his assessment. I do not regret a moment I spent with Harper, but I do not feel strong. I feel very weak without her.”

Deanna watched Data as he stared off, unfocused, thinking of a woman she had never met. He had been in love with and married to her for 53 years. Deanna wished she could have seen Data in love. The story was days in telling, but once Data had it out, he was able to collect himself enough to paint a mental image of his late wife in the counselor’s mind. Data admitted that Q had brought many of Data’s possessions from his life in the past, here, but he was not ready to share them just yet.

“It will take you some time, Data. We have three more weeks before we are due to arrive at the Time planet. Do you think you’ll be ready to return to duty by then, Data?” the counselor asked.

“Yes,” the sullen sounding android answered. He was thinking how he’d expected her to call him ‘sweet boy’. When Troi left, Data remained on the couch until Spot was asleep. Geordi was coming by for dinner tonight. Too many people gave him odd looks if he left his quarters, so Data had requested they eat here. It may be early, but Data intended to plant the idea of the personal transporter unit in Geordi’s mind tonight. After all, Data had a promise to keep.