A Most Agreeable Arrangement

Chapter 11 - It

Data sat in the Captain's chair and I sat at the helm for a night shift. It had been extremely uneventful, and extremely boring.

I found myself trying to slip off into a daydream, but I had a feeling I would fall asleep if I let myself get too swept away. Plus, I was supposed to be watching the radar in case anything happened, so I could alert the Captain and the rest of the senior staff.

But nothing happened. We met no aliens and had no run-ins with any hostile Romulans or Ferengi or whatever.

Normally, I would be upset that we hadn't met any new aliens, and I didn't get a chance to speak to them, but right now I was just feeling... relieved.

Too much had happened lately. Between Lore and those aliens who kidnapped me, I needed a little bit of "uneventful".

The Captain had given me a break from work for a week and scheduled mandatory visits with Counselor Troi, but Deanna quickly recognized that those were going nowhere and had me dismissed.

She told them that I just needed time to deal with what had happened, and she urged me to do that--to deal with it--and I knew that I should, but it was so much easier to just push it all down for now.

I'll deal with it later, I kept telling myself, knowing that I should just handle it now.

I had training in psychology; I could be a ship's counselor if I wanted to, and I knew exactly what I was doing.

I knew that if I were the therapist, with a patient like myself, I would advise her to face her emotions, and we would work on it together. I knew that I could work with Counselor Troi, that she would be glad to help me, but...

I just couldn't take that first step forward.

"Lieutenant Fae," Data said to grab my attention, and I turned to face him. We were walking through the corridors, headed back to our respective quarters.

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander Data?" I looked up, batting my dark gray eyes at him.

"I--" he began, but then stopped, giving me a side-eye. I grinned impishly, and he tilted his head.

"I see," he smiled slightly, and I beamed proudly at him. I never used his full title when we weren't on the Bridge, and he picked up on the fact that I was joking since he had used my title.

"You got it, Data," I smiled, patting him on the back.

"Yes," he nodded, the small smile still resting on his face. "As I was saying, Fae," he corrected himself this time, not using my title, "I would like for you to come to my quarters. I have something I would very much like to show you."

"I would love to, Data," I reached down to hold his hand in mine as we walked. "What is it?"

"I wish for it to be a 'surprise'," Data said. He paused for a moment before saying, "However, if a surprise would make you anxious..."

"No, Data, it's okay," I laughed. "I trust you to surprise me. You know me very well at this point, so I think that most things you think I'll like, I will enjoy."

"Yes. I have great reason to believe that you will enjoy this surprise," he nodded.

We reached his quarters, and he led me over to his couch, sitting me down before exiting into another room.

He came back holding a violin.

"I have been practicing," he said, moving to stand in front of me, "and I believe I have improved greatly. However... the others say I play without soul."

"Interesting," I rose an eyebrow. "Well... I think I'll interpret your playing for myself."

He was motionless for a moment longer, and I gestured for him to start.