#Deanna x Worf

[cornflakesdoesart]

Beach episode but the anime kind so nothing really goes wrong and they actually get to relax and they just have some good summer fun!

my piece for @startrekswimsuitspecial 's latest edition!! it's full of fun summery pieces, I highly reccomend getting it!! ! It's free or pay what you want and the proceeds will go to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund!!

[vanderbilt-draws]

perfectly normal star trek ship art. ignore ness the waiter

(partially transparent text over the top right drawing says "get it because its because its matpat and lore im so funny")

[pixiereblogs]

Pixie Recaps Picard | Surrender

[star-trek-fandom-confessions]

#643

This is probably just my opinion but I don't really feel all that anal-retentive about canon. Lower Decks mobile game is just as canon as Lower Decks the show. Same with TOS and TAS, and Worf having kids with Deanna and Jadzia in different timelines.

[warpfive]

HOW THEY APOLOGIZE

arguments and ways the tng crew apologize for it

CW: gn!reader

CREW: jean-luc picard, will riker, beverly crusher, data, geordi la forge, deanna troi, worf

JEAN-LUC - stubborn as a bull and somehow always right, having an argument with jean-luc is like navigating the ocean in a canoe. he knows he’s not the best at expressing his feelings, more likely to shrug off personal matters and hope they resolve themselves than be seen as too vulnerable. and that’s really what pushes you away the most, and how he knows to apologize. for jean-luc, an apology is only good if you really mean it, and so he takes a day or so to think over the argument, its causes, and how he felt afterwards. and only when he’s considered all angles does he approach you. he’s so honest and genuine and remorseful in his words, it’s almost hard to stay mad at him. but jean-luc manages to say all the right things, along with the most important ones - that he loves you, cares about you, and never again wants to push you away. and he’s a man of his word, jean-luc does make an effort to be more open in order to prevent more fighting. of course, he can still be set in his ways, and you may need to remind him of his promise now and again. but rest assured that your feelings will never be ignored and always valued.

WILL - this man tends to say what’s on his mind, as well as let his temper boil to the surface more than he’d like, so this usually culminates in will saying something hurtful that he really doesn’t mean. it’s never anything that goes too far - he just isn’t the kind of person to hit low. but it’s the way he says things that usually hurt more than the words themselves, and he knows this. he’s usually able to stuff it down when it involves his work, but someone he’s intimate with? someone he’s vulnerable around and knows him better than most? well, let’s say that will instantly knows when he’s messed up and he goes the extra ten miles to make it up to you. a benefit to you knowing him so well is that he knows you, too. your favorite food, holodeck program, music, weather, even the shirt you love seeing him in. he does these grand gestures not to butter you up (though, that is a factor), but so he can prove how much he cares about you. he’ll apologize profusely, telling you he crossed a line and it wouldn’t happen again. and if his promise isn’t enough, then…well, he does look really good in that shirt and the food is exactly how you like it. you might as well keep will around for a while.

BEVERLY - she wouldn’t want to keep an argument unresolved for too long. it’s the doctor in her - beverly can’t just let something go without healing the thing that damaged it at the core. she’s usually good about being objective and keeping a lid on her emotions, but they do spill over sometimes. when they do, beverly has definitely got a mouth and an attitude on her and you’ll have trouble keeping up when she’s so easily able to fling hurtful words. and she always feels guilty once she’s cooled off - beverly might be worried about approaching you afterward. she’ll ask your friends how you’re doing, if you’re still angry, if she even has a chance at making things right. and when she finally approaches you, she tries to keep it light. smiling softly, telling small jokes, showing you a lot of affection before just coming out and apologizing. beverly does nothing with half-measures - she knows what she said and did was wrong. she’s lost a lot in her life, and she couldn’t bear to lose you, too. so her apology is genuine, kinda sad, and when you hug her afterwards, beverly simply melts into your arms - now knowing how close she was to losing you.

DATA - of course, he hadn’t meant to hurt your feelings. data still very often struggles with the complexity of emotions and is constantly surprised at how easy it is to say, or even imply, the wrong thing. of course, he isn’t very equipped to handle you after a long, hard, emotional day - all it takes is a few poorly-chosen words and you’re crying, huffing at him, leaving his quarters with barely a word and leaving data to ponder over what he said. he goes to geordi the next day, only to learn that yes, he did say the exact opposite thing he should’ve said. there’s no taking it back, data knows that - so he tries his best to rectify the situation. he’s learned all the things that make you happy, whether its a hot bath, a delicious treat, or a type of music. data really pulls out all the stops because he knows, generally, that a bunch of favorable things often cancels out negative emotions. though, your reaction to everything doesn’t clear anything up for data - you’re laughing, smiling at him instead of everything he prepared for you. data tries to apologize and tell you he had no intention of hurting you. but after learning that it was simply a very bad day, he has a new tactic whenever you’re feeling bad again - instead of talking, just replicate something sweet and let you take the lead. 

GEORDI - for as much as data seems to rely on geordi for emotional advice, he does tend to be a little oblivious when he hurts your feelings. it’s never a conscious dismissal, though. when it comes to personal issues, i think geordi tends to get caught up in things that aren’t very important and fails to look at the big picture. this side of him works wonders for an engineer thinking outside the box, but not so much in a relationship. of course, once the problem finally hits him like a brick, he would feel super bad about not noticing sooner. and you’ll learn that geordi is really good at making up for his mistakes - he owns up to them, never ignoring them, always trying to fix what he broke. sometimes, he isn’t too great with his words - he might stumble and his apology would come out wrong. but geordi is deeply empathetic and he’d do just about anything to make it up to you. from then on, his hugs are just a little tighter, his words a little sweeter, his kisses a little longer. geordi learns from his mistakes, and while he can still be a little oblivious from time to time, all it takes is a soft mumble of his name and he’ll come around.

DEANNA - it’s not often when deanna is in a position of needing to apologize. obviously, her empathic abilities, wisdom, and patience keep her from crossing any sort of line or doing something that hurts you. but when it happens, i can’t imagine deanna would give any half-ass apology or shrug off the incident. at first, she might back off and give you space - let things cool down because she knows how volatile an argument can get and she doesn’t want either of you saying anything you’d regret. deanna is a very understanding and empathetic woman, it isn’t hard for her to put herself in your shoes and feel bad for how she handled the situation. after the cooldown period, she talks with you - really talks and discusses your feelings and it kinda makes her feel even worse about the argument but she does learn a lot. and i think after that, she’ll be very inclined to offer physical comfort. a nice, long hug, kissing your cheeks in this loving and playful way. reestablishing that connection and helping soothe any lasting wounds. also, it just makes her feel a lot better being able to just hold you and give lots of love.

WORF - i don’t have to tell you that getting into an argument with a Klingon is an uphill battle straight from the start. granted, worf isn’t usually as aggressive, but he’s still got that hot temper his species are known for and once an argument starts, it won’t stop until he’s shouting and you’re leaving the room. Klingon fights are usually resolved by throwing things or fighting, but that’s not exactly how humans typically deal with their negative emotions. it’s definitely a challenge for worf to push his temper aside long enough to be told how much he messed up - he needs his flaws to be put into perspective by someone he trusts and that’s usually when he feels bad and starts thinking of ways to apologize. to worf’s credit, he’s better with his words than he thinks. what he believes to be a silly and foolish-sounding apology really comes across as genuine and regretful - which it is, of course. worf’s got a bigger heart than he lets on and the thought of having hurt you during a stupid argument doesn’t sit well with him. he actively tries to atone through simple acts, like bringing you tea or making you laugh.

[jennycalabroart]

Got started on Star Trek TNG in 2020 & by the end was an AVID shipper of Diana x Worf

[deuce-t]

[geekyimagines]

FANDOM:

Star Trek TNG

CHARACTER(S):

Q x GN!Reader, Geordi La Forge x GN!Reader, Data x GN!Reader, Deanna Troi x GN!Reader, Worf x GN!Reader, Will Riker x GN!Reader, Jean Luc Picard x GN!Reader, Reginald Barclay x GN!Reader

GENRE:

Humour, romance (sort of)

WARNINGS:

None

SUMMARY:

Oneshot sequel to 'Think'. Q returned you and the other nineteen crew members to the ship, but people are acting... strangely. (Inspired by a funny mistake in my previous Q fic)

Irresistable

It had been three days since you had been kidnapped by Q and forced to play his game. Three days since he promised to drop by every so often to make your life 'more interesting'. For a short period of time you lived in fear of when that moment would be and, more importantly, what he would do. Then, sometime around the second day, your priority shifted from Q.

You didn't know whether you were paranoid, whether your fear of Q was translating to other meaningless things, or if something was actually going on, but...

Everyone was staring at you.

At first you assumed it was because your experience with Q had made you and the nineteen other crew members the hottest gossip on the Enterprise. But then it got weird.

Conversations would stop as soon as you entered a room, people would go out of their way to talk to you or do you a favour, and if you didn't get at least six compliments upon entering a room then the room was empty. Not only that, but you had been asked on more dates than ever before in your entire life. Dinner, lunch, breakfast, afternoon tea - people were desperate to squeeze in some quality time with you.

But most of all, they stared.

You were in one of the jefferies tubes replacing a burnt out conduit. Commander La Forge had insisted on helping you... by standing just outside of the tube... and chatting. It wasn't really like him to stand around and talk while there was work to be done, but you weren't about to question a superior officer.

"...and then I came in and fixed the neutrino field in two seconds. Guess what the problem was!"

You smiled as though you were amused by Geordi's story as you worked. In all honesty, you were a bit worn thin by people trying to be relatable to you over the past few days. Still, even before the Q incident, Geordi had been nice to you. You weren't about to brush off his polite attempts at socialising now, even if it was a little exhausting.

"What was it?" you asked, humouring him.

"No converters! They thought they could not only start up a neutrino field, but stabilise the entire thing without any converters!"

While Geordi laughed, you gave a forced chuckle. You got the feeling that even he knew he was scraping the bottom of the barrel for conversation material. It was lucky for him that the burnt out conduit was behind several wires and tubes and partially melted to the framework of the ship, otherwise you would have come up with some excuse to leave over an hour ago.

Geordi sucked in a breath and you knew he had just thought of a new topic to discuss.

"That actually reminds me of the time -"

Commander Data's calm voice hit the air. "Geordi, may I have a word with you?"

"Not now, Data!" Geordi whispered harshly.

"Is now not a good time?"

"Lieutenant (Y/N) and I were just talking -"

"Actually, I'm done!" you announced, crawling back out of the tube. When you stood upright, you came face to face with Commander Data. He was an android - a tall, very pale and slightly yellowish android with golden eyes, who was well known for his inability to experience any emotions.

So why his entire face twisted into shock upon seeing you was something you didn't feel qualified enough to answer. His bright golden eyes were locked onto you like you were some sort of mythological being come to life. Whatever the expression was, you were pretty sure it meant that something was seriously wrong.

Geordi noticed, too. He put a hand on Data's shoulder.

"Data, what's the matter?"

"I..." The android appeared at a loss for words. "I am not certain. This is the eighth time in three days that I have been overwhelmed by this... urge."

"Urge?"

Data turned his head to Geordi and his tone became almost conversational. "It is what I came to speak to you about. I believe I am experiencing some kind of malfunction."

"Alright, let's go check out your neural net, see if there's anything going on we should know about." Geordi gave Data a light pat on the back and together the two commanding officers walked away.

You stood alone for the first time since waking up that morning. No one had noticed that you were on your own so no one was rushing up to impress you or ask you to dinner or... stare.

As much as you hoped Data was okay, you were glad for the distraction. For this brief moment, you could finally relax.

"Hello again."

You cried out and jumped away from the jefferies tube, where Q was laying flat on his stomach with his head propped up on his hands. He seemed to be in a good mood, with a cheery smile and mischief dancing in his eyes. He suddenly reminded you of a grinning Cheshire Cat.

"You!"

Q gave a light chuckle. "How observant of you," he remarked snidley. "And how are you today, (Y/N)? I must say, you have been quite popular since you came back." He raised his eyebrows. "A new shampoo you're using?"

"You're behind this, aren't you?"

Q pretended to be shocked, putting a hand to his chest and gawking up at you. "Me? Now, why would I do such a thing?" His face dropped into a wicked grin. "I'll see you later - if you can squeeze me into your busy schedule, of course."

In a flash of white light he was gone. You huffed and stormed out of engineering.

If Q was going to mess with you, then you were at least going to try and figure out exactly what he did. Everyone seemed to be experiencing some sort of strong emotion towards you - possibly attraction, but possibly something else. Either way, when it came to emotions, you knew there was only one person you needed to speak with.

You stood outside Counsellor Troi's quarters. It was within her usual therapy hours and you were fairly certain that she wasn't on the bridge. You pressed the buzzer and the door slid open almost immediately. Counsellor Troi stood before you in her red one-piece uniform with her long, dark, wavy hair tied up into a high ponytail. The second her black half-betazoid eyes locked onto you, a huge smile curled onto her lips.

"(Y/N)," she greeted warmly. She stepped aside and held her arm out toward her lounge. "Come in. Is there something on your mind?"

"One thing, actually," you said, walking in and taking a seat. She took a seat in the chair opposite you, crossing one leg over the other and linking her hands over her knee.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"People have been acting strange around me. Ever since I came back from Q's..."

Counsellor Troi wasn't listening. You could see her eyes had dropped to roaming over your body. You cleared your throat loudly and she startled straight in her chair. She gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. Please, go on."

"Well, as I was saying, ever since I came back from Q's game, people have been all over me. People are staring at me, they're going out of their way to talk to me, and I'm getting flooded in requests for dates -"

"Maybe you're just popular?" Troi laughed.

"But it's more than that. Q visited me today. He didn't openly admit to anything, but I'm certain he's behind it."

"Q visited you today?"

"Yeah. I think me winning his game means I've just won a lifetime's supply of Q antics to deal with."

"Have you told Captain Picard about this?"

"No, not yet, but I -"

"I think," said Counsellor Troi, standing up from her chair and walking around behind you. "After this session, you should go and inform the captain about what's going on. In the meantime..."

Her hands slid down over your shoulders and massaged the muscles around your neck. She leaned down and breathed in your ear.

"Relax..."

"Uh!" You quickly shimmied out of her grasp and sprang back up to your feet. You backed away from her towards the door with a nervous chuckle. "I-I actually have to go. Important things to do. No time for massages."

"(Y/N)?"

"Thanks for the therapy! Bye!"

You raced out of Counsellor Troi's quarters and headed straight for the turbolift. Clearly, Troi was a little too distracted to help on her own.

Omnipotent being or not, Q was going to get an earful if he showed his face again.

You took the turbolift to the bridge. The second you stepped out, Lieutenant Worf, the klingon chief of security, looked to you. At first it was just him casually glancing over from his station, but when your eyes met he went rigid, like someone had come up from behind and electrocuted him. His expression was tight and his eyes were wide. You could barely believe the idea, but it seemed almost as though you had scared him.

"Just here to see the captain," you explained. Worf gave a stiff nod.

The klingon's eyes were trained on you the entire time you walked over to the door to the captain's ready room. Other personnel on the bridge who had noticed your presence watched you with stunned fascination. The word 'creepy' didn't cover just how uncomfortable you were.

The ready room door slid open and out walked Commander Riker, almost knocking you over with how fast he was walking. He grasped your arms to steady you. Then his eyes met yours and a large flirtatious grin spread across his face.

"Well, well, well..." he said, dark eyes sparkling as they took you in. "Lieutenant (Y/N), isn't it?" He dropped his hands from your arms. "What brings you to the bridge?"

"I'm, uh... actually here to see the captain."

"Oh? Lucky him," Riker smiled. "I don't suppose I'll see you down in Ten Forward tonight? We haven't gotten to know each other very well since you transferred here and I think it's about time we did."

"Uh... Maybe some other time, sir. I'm a little preoccupied right now."

"I see. Well, feel free to come talk to me after my shift whenever you're available. I really would like to get to know you better."

With that Commander Riker walked off. Sighing quietly to yourself, you buzzed the ready room door and you heard the captain order for you to come in. You pressed for the door to open and stepped inside the smaller room, delighted and relieved to be shielded from the stares of the bridge personnel.

"Captain, I -"

Captain Picard was sitting behind his desk, staring at you, stunned, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He cleared his throat and adjusted his position in his seat before giving you a nod.

"Please, continue. What is it you need, Lieutenant?"

"Captain, it's Q -"

"Q?!" the captain repeated, alarmed. A weary look overcame him. "What has he done now?"

"Everyone is acting strangely, sir. Everyone is staring at me, going out of their way to spend time with me, and it's not just some sort of spike in popularity. It's like everyone has suddenly become obsessed."

"And you think this is Q's doing?"

"He visited me earlier. It was pretty obvious that he had something to do with it."

Picard leaned forward onto his desk. "Any idea what he wants or why he might be doing this to you? In my experience, Q usually has some sort of moral lesson to teach or an ulterior motive."

"He told me three days ago that he planned on making my life more interesting."

"Why?"

You sighed. "As a reward for winning his game."

Picard's brow furrowed in thought. "So, you're saying that as a reward for solving his game he's rewarded you by making the entire crew overwhelmingly attracted to you?"

You blinked dumbly at the captain. Captain Picard's eyes widened slightly, realising what he had just admitted, and cleared his throat again. You had never seen the captain look so sheepish.

"I think perhaps it's best if you wait in your quarters until Q arrives again so you can question him further. I've had reports of personnel fighting over the others that had been taken by Q during his game. Whatever is going on between you and Q, I don't think that you're the only one that's been affected."

"I see. Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Lieutenant." The captain gave a tight-lipped smile. He seemed just as uncomfortable as you in this whole mess. "Dimissed."

You left the captain's ready room back out onto the bridge. Instantly, every eye was on you. Commander Riker was the only one to smile at you from his seat, while everyone else seemed to be in awe of your very existence.

The second you stepped into the turbolift and the doors slid shut, you let out a deep breath. Unfortunately, the moment you arrived on your level and the doors reopened you came face to face with Mr Barclay. The poor man took one look at you and was stumbling over himself trying to say 'hello'. He was a shy man to begin with and this newfound effect you had on people was taking its toll.

You greeted him politely as you passed him. The man was bright red. You would have thought it sweet if you hadn't known already that this was all Q's doing.

Upon reaching your quarters, you looked forward to the time alone as you waited for Q to show up, to be free of the constant staring and talking and flirting. Your moment of relief was quickly ruined when soft music hit the air and you realised that Q was once again lying across your bed, only this time he was dressed in a red silk robe and surrounded by red roses. He held one of the roses in his hand, waving it just under his nose, and threw you a wink.

"Welcome to later."

"Very funny," you scolded. You walked closer to the bed, scowling down at the omnipotent entity. "Why are you doing this?"

"Can't a Q have a little fun now and then?" Q huffed and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you mortals have no sense of humour."

"I heard you were forced to be a human once."

"What about it?"

"Well, would you have liked it if everyone was throwing themselves onto you wherever you went?"

Q hummed in thought. "Good point, I suppose. I must say, your nerves about me being here seemed to have disappeared. The (Y/N) I met in the shuttle three days ago would never have talked to me like this. The (Y/N) I met three days ago would have been terrified that I would do something horrific like throw them into a black hole or lock them away forever in a box and sell it to a ferengi merchant."

"Well, back then I thought every interaction with you would mean constantly dealing with the lives of both myself and the crew!" You gave a humourless laugh, "Not making everyone on the ship attracted to me for your entertainment! Really, what could you possibly gain from this?!"

Q raised an eyebrow up at you, still lying on your bed in his silk robe. "So you're not scared of me anymore?"

"You're bored, not evil." You shrugged, "I mean, sometimes you might be trying to teach..."

And suddenly you understood.

"You wanted to show me..." you said, looking down at Q in a new light, "That it wouldn't always be life and death."

Q stood up from the bed and smiled down at you. "You humans are so easily frightened by the unknown, yet always rushing towards it out of some blundering curiosity you can barely control." He shook his head at you, "I'm not here to be some undiscovered specimen or the monster under your bed."

You smirked. "You're here for your own amusement."

Q held a rose out to you, which you took and glanced over. There was nothing special about it; just an ordinary red rose.

"Leave the worrying to Jean Luc," said Q, watching as you studied the flower. You perked up at the sound of his voice, your eyes meeting as he looked down at you earnestly. "Not everything that's unknown is a bad thing. Not everything unexpected needs to be analysed for a flaw or a trick. Sometimes, good things happen, too."

A flash of white light and Q and all the flowers on the bed were gone. Only the rose in your hand had been left behind. In the following silence, you looked down at the rose, and you smiled.

[ghostlyfanparadise]

[pixiedane]

Picard 3.10: The Last Generation

Subtitle: All Good Things… (Terry's Version)

Pixie Recaps Picard | The Last Generation

[the-heartstring-chronicles]

Wow. This episode was gorgeous

Seven standing up to Shaw! Yes ma’am!

R/T!! And the dialogue was so them!

P/C as parents at the same time! And Jean Luc saying “I’m here” to Jack! My emotions

What they did with Data, the Spot moment was tear jerking .

The Data and Geordi moment, an even more emotional one than last week!

Badass Raffi!

Them all at the table!

Bev and Deanna!

Jack trusting Auntie Deanna right off the bat. And her saying the evil isn’t in him, it’s around him.

I still think the real Beverly is behind that door

I loved this episode so much I can’t even type paragraphs this week.

My only sadness is that Vadic was so terrifying and then they made her kind of silly at the end? Like no, stick to her being scary. She really made me uneasy the way no villain in Trek ever has and then they do that? Nah, nope, but it was the only wrong note this episode.

I do have to say , if the door isn’t Beverly, I don’t think we’re getting romantic P/C as an ending with only two episodes left and I am heartbroken. R/T got happiness, why not my OTP?

[vanderbilt-draws]

More of Star Trek Modern AU?

realised ive only ever drawn data, geordi, and lore so uhh heres deanna, beverly, will, and worf. cannot fathom any universe in which they know each other and arent polyam so uhhh *polycules them*

[pixiereblogs]

Pixie Recaps Picard | The Last Generation

[kenconffetti]

Day 31 - Family 

[lamelycool]

I'm So Sorry

A/n: Love some family dynamics man. Anyays Uh this got really long. If you want the slightly extended ending I can post that too just ask! I hope you guys like it. Oh and if you see any errors/typos feel free to let me know:)

Warnings: mental issues, paranoia, character injury, character death?, blood/injury, self harm?

Summary: Data is worried he is broken. Is it all in his head or is there something seriously wrong with him? Can the crew save him from seemingly himself?

I'm sorry Commander, but that's wrong." Wesley speaks up timidly.

"What do you mean?" Commander Data asks with a tilt of his head.

"Well, you said quadrant 4,5 yes?" Wesley asks nervously.

"I said quadrant 4.9,5.6 correct. Have I misspoken?" He asks. From anyone else the question may seem defensive or condescending, but not him. He asks like he asks any other question, with an earnest child-like curiosity.

"Yes sir. It's in quadrant 7,8 not 4,5." Wesley says, looking over at Data. He can't help but feel nervous at calling him out. He knows he's right, but him being right means Data is wrong. And that doesn't sit right with Wesley.

"You're only off by 3! But..." Wesley trails off.

Data looks down at the console and rechecks his calculations. "Indeed, you are correct Wesley. I am unsure as to how I thought it was 4.9,5.6 it is clearly 7.9,8.6." Data tilts his head. "Intriguing... When I run self-diagnostics I am functioning within normal parameters? But that is obviously untrue."

Wesley smiles sheepishly. His cheeks are lightly flushed from embarrassment. "It's alright! Mistakes happen sometimes sir." He soothes emptily thinnly veiling his concern. Data doesn't make mistakes unless something's wrong.

"But usually I do not make mistakes." Data replies. "I apologize for my error."

Wesley shakes his head. "Don't worry about it Mr. Data." He turns back to his console and tries slow his racing thoughts.

Why was Data off?

Is he alright?

Was it a simple mistake?

A minor error? System fluke?

Or is it something more serious?

Wesley takes a shaky breath. Panicking won't help anything. Data is fine. Data is always fine. He takes a deep breath and refocuses his attention to work.

"Captain?" Data speaks up, turning his seat to face him.

"Yes Data?" Picard looks up from his pad.

"May I be excused sir?" Data asks. He politely continues, "I would like to go to engineering so that Geordi can run further diagnostics on me. I fear that I may be malfunctioning."

"Of course Data take your time." Picard says kindly with a nod.

Data stands then looks down at Wesley. "Would you like to take over for me while I am away?"

Wesley nods quickly. "Yes sir, thank you." He slides over and takes Data's place.

Once Data is relieved of his duty he exists the bridge and enters the turbolift. After selecting his floor he hits his com, "Geordi, do you have time to meet with me in engineering?"

"Of course I do Data! You know I always have time for you. And besides, things are pretty slow down here anyways. Is everything all right?"

"I am unsure Geordi. I believe I may be malfunctioning." Data says with an off tone. Almost anxious. Hearing this rings alarms bells in Geordi's head but he brushes it off. Too soon to worry, it could just be a false alarm.

"Like the last time you thought you were malfunctioning because you tripped?" Geordi jokes trying to keep the mood light.

"My optical sensors were off." Data shoots back.

"Very minutely my friend. Veryy minutely." Data can practically hear Geordi's 100 watt smile through the com. It also isn't hard for him to imagine Geordi shaking his head at his antics.

"Anyways I'll meet up with you and see what I can do about your lil problem. See you soon, Geordi out."

***

"I'm sorry Data I just don't see a problem. I've checked everything. And I mean e v e r y t h i n g. You are functioning just fine. Heck, you're functioning better than the last time you came in." Geordi says exasperated.

"Perhaps we sh-"

"Data." Geoedi grabs him by the shoulders gentle but firm. Looking into Data's eyes he says, "You're fine. Really don't worry so much. Maybe you should just rest for the day? Take your mind off things."

"Perhaps...Perhaps that is a good idea. Thank you Geordi." Data says sincerely.

"Of course Data. Anytime. Now then, go rest!" Geordi sends him away with a pat on the back and shoos him out of engineering.

***

Deanna's therapy sessions with Data were usually quite normal. She would listen to his observations and inquiries about the human condition. And about his journey of becoming, what he already is in her opinion, a person and more human like. She would only interrupt occationally to give her imput and advice when needed. While some might find his rambling annoying and monotonous, she finds it quite enjoyable. His unending stream of spoken consciousness is soothing, curious, and pure. Not to mention the lack of intense and intrusive emotions attacking her psyche is also pleasant.

But today was different. It was anything but a normal session. The moment he walked through the door she could sense something was off. He didn't speak nearly as much and even requested that she lead the session today. And when he did speak he responded breif and monotone. He seemed to be more interested in looking at the table or at his hands than at her. He avoided her eye contact like the plague.

While Deanna didn't want to push him to talk to her, she still wanted to know what was bothering him. She tried to give him time to process and open up on his own. But soon they were already halfway through the session and he still hadn't even hinted as to what was bothering him. So she decided it was time to be direct and just ask.

"Data...is everything alright? What is bothering you?" She asks him softly. But as he had been doing alot this session, he simply sits unresponsive. His eyes staring down at his hands unblinking. It was as if he was in another world, in a trance.

"Data?" She tries again to gain his attention. This time she even snaps her fingers in front of him trying to bring him back to the real world.

"..." He still didn't respond. That's it....

"Data!"

Data jolts his head up and looks at her eyes wide open. A second passes until he blinks slowly and fully snaps out of his daze. As if his processors just now decided to begin working.

"I am sorry counselor...what were you saying?" He tilts his head slightly, he still sounds far off and untethered but at least he's responding now.

"Are you alright? You were spaced out for quite some time." Deanna inquires brows furrowed. She could quite literally feel that something was off with him now. It was subdued but definitely present.

"Yes." Data responds automatically. Then after a beat of silence he shakes his head. "Actually no...I am not 'all right'. I worry that I am broken."

"Broken? Oh data." She croons and grabs his hands. "Why would you ever think you are broken?"

"Everything is...wrong" he looks down at their joined hands. He opens his mouth to speak again but no words come out.

"What do you mean Data? What's wrong? Are you feeling...off?" She offers.

"I cannot feel." He states robotically like he has many times before.

"Data..." She gives him a gentle yet pointed look.

"Sorry. Yes, I fee.... I am off. I am having calculation errors, I am unable to focus, and I always have the sensation of being watched although I know I am not. I feel as though I am not safe..." Data says anxiously now fidgeting with his and Deanna's hands.

"Oh my Data. I could see how that would make you feel off! When did this all start?" Her mind begins to race is someone stalking him or is it paranoia? Is it possible for him to be paranoid?

"I believe a week ago? Not long after we arrived in the Lohrn Cluster." Data answers quietly after some thought.

"Data... that was 2 weeks ago not one." She says eyeing him more concerned now. He doesn't make simple mistakes like that ever. Maybe he isn't being stalked and it is more than just paranoia.

"This is odd. Maybe you are suffering a malfunction? Have you spoke to Geordi?"

"I am not malfunctioning, Geordi already checked and said there was nothing wrong with me. He checked multiple times quite meticulously. But he still found no abnormalities."

"What about Beverly? Perhaps she would be able to help." Deanna says hopefully. "Maybe she could find something that was overlooked or have an idea of how to help?"

"Perhaps...thank you Counselor." Data stands and begins walking to the door. Deanna trails closely behind him hand on his lower back.

"Of course Data. Oh! How about in the meantine we start meeting more often. I'd say at least twice a week? Is that alright with you?" She asks gently. She wants to keep an eye in him. To make sure this isn't as serious as she feels it is.

Data nods stiffly, "That seems to be a good idea. Thank you again Counselor."

"Not a problem Data if you have any more concerns contact me." She gives Data a soft hug. It is brief and soon after he leaves out the door.

'I hope that it will help him. It pains me seeing him so out of sorts.' She thinks to herself watching him leave.

***

"I'm sorry Data I ju-

"Can not find anything? There is nothing wrong with me? I am in perfect condition right?" Data interrupts shooting up from his seat in frustration.

"Data!" Beverly looks at him in shock. Its not as though he yelled or even snapped at her. Its just so out of character for him to behave this way. Data sinks back down onto the medbed.

"I apologize Dr. It is just disheartening that no one can find what is wrong with me. And it seems as though no one believes me." Data speaks softly. Sounding like a scolded child, a sad, scared and scolded child.

"Data...I believe you! It's just I can't find the problem, you seem perfectly healthy! But that's obviously not the case...You are acting out of character and seem to be experiencing severe discomfort. I'm very concerned Data." She admits. Bev rubs Data's back in support and to comfort. It pains her to see her normally energetic and kind Data....so broken and sad. He may deny all emotions but times like this proves otherwise.

"Dr? Am...am I crazy?" Data chokes out.

"No! No, you're not crazy!" She tilts his chin up making him look her in the eye. She lets out a gasp when their eyes meet. His eyes are brimming with golden tears. "Oh my poor Data..." She mummurs to him.

That's what finally broke the dam. Golden tears begin pouring down his face and sobs wrack his body making him tremble like a leaf. Beverly pulls Data into her embrace, holding him tightly. She speaks gently trying to soothe him and whispers sweet nothings in his ear. She pats his back and rocks him gently. All the same as she would to Wesley when he was just a boy. And in an odd way she does see Data like a son and holds a lot of love for him. So to see him cry well... basically every cry he lets out is another stab to her poor maternal heart.

Beverly decides the best course of action is to get the captain. She knows how much Data looks to him for support. And he ought to be able to calm himself down. So she taps her com badge. "Captain I need your assistance down in medbay. It's Data. Bring the counselor aswell if possible."

"Is he alright? What's going on?"

"You will have to see for yourself, please just hurry." Bev says exasperated.

"On my way now."

***

"Beverly?" Picard calls out entering sickbay.

"Back here." She calls softly to him just from the other room.

The captain makes his way back following her voice. When he steps into the doorway he freezes in shock at what he sees. Data, sobbing in Beverly's arms. Him whimpering and whining in a small wavering voice.

"Where's Deanna?" She mouths.

"Busy." He breathes out.

"Talk to him" Bev mouths. Picard looks at her wide eyed and shakes his head. The captain doesn't do well with tears. And with mushy sentiments.

"I don't know how." he whispers panicked. He honestly has no clue how to deal with emotions. Much less an androids. She gives him a pointed glare then rolls her eyes.

"Hey, Data? I have to go for a moment alright? Talk to the captain for now. I will be right back." She carefully untangles herself from him. Then goes to leave before the captain can protest. And she leaves Jean-Luc with the sniffling android to fend for himself. She knows the stubborn man can handle it.

Seconds pass until Picard gathers himself and his courage. And then he quietly crosses the room and takes a seat beside Data.

"Data...what is the matter?" The Captain asks rubbing Data's back.

"Eeverything...I am broken...aand now mmy chest hurts. I hurt. I should not hurt. My eyes are leaking. I aam broken. I do not waant to be broken." Data stutters out his lips quivering barely holding back his cries. Seeing Data so distressed breaks through Captains tough exterior and right into his heart nearly bringing himself to tears. Picard struggles to stay composed.

"Data you...you are not broken. It's normal to cry when overwhelmed. Just take some deep breaths with me. Then we can talk more." Picard orders. And so they sit there together simply breathing in and out. In and out. Until Data calms down. While he is alot calmer, his breath is still shaky and tears stain his alabaster cheeks gold.

"Now Data. How are you feeling?"

"I...I am unsure. I am conflicted. I was unaware I could cry." He sniffles sniffles.

"I was too Data...I was too. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Nno sir, if I may I would like to go to my room." Data requests, seemingly more composed than before. But he avoids looking into the Captain's eyes. Because he'd surely see right through him otherwise. And he'd burst back into tears. Data can't handle it he can barely think straight.

"That's fine Data. But I think you should go to engineering first to talk to Geordi. Then after you may have the day off."

"Yes sir...thank you. I'm sorry for crying." Data quips ready to leave as soon as possible.

"Don't worry about that Data." Picard shakes his head and gives Data a pat on the shoulder. "I'm just glad you're alright."

'I do not feel "alright"' Data thinks to himself as he leaves the medbay. He forgoes going to engineering and goes straight to his room instead. It is pointless to bother Geordi he thinks. He already knows what he will be told. He can't stand to hear it again. All he wants is to go home and hold Spot.

***

"I'm sorry I couldn't come with you captain what is it that you needed?" Deanna asks.

"Data he had an outburst."

"An outburst?"

"He was crying...he was sobbing."

"I- I didn't know he could cry." Deanna says in shock.

Picard laughs ruefully. "Neither did I."

"Is he alright?" She asks.

"No...No I don't think so. Deanna, you've spoken to him what do you think is going on?"

"I'm not certain captain but perhaps he is going through a break through of sorts? He has been seeming more and more emotional lately. Maybe the newly developing emotions are overwhelming him? Leaving him in a vulnerable state, much like a child still learning how to regulate emotions."

"If that's the case then what should we do?" Picard questions.

"For now I'd say it's best to just let him know we are here for him and give him guidance when he needs it." She sighs. "Other than that there's not much else I know to do...I wish I could be of more help."

"You are doing all you can Deanna. You're doing a great job."

"I know but I just don't feel like I'm doing enough." She sighs.

***

"Worf?"

Worf turns on his barstool to face Data. "Yes Lt. Data?"

"May I join you?" He asks.

Worf looks at him for a second then nods turning back the bar with a grunt. Data slides into the barstool beside him as Worf sips his cranberry juice. He waits for Data to speak first and observes him from the corner of his eye in the meanwhile. Worf's trained eyes quickly notice Data's on edge and fidgety behavior opposed to his usual calm and collected self.

"Worf may I ask you a question?" Data speaks up.

"You may." Worf turns to give him his full attention.

"I am uncertain as to how I should word this so I will not 'beat around the bush'." Data pauses and then speaks meakly, "I feel unsafe."

This catches Worf's attention as cheif of security. "What do you mean? Is someone giving you trouble? You just have to name them and I will see it handled, you need not worry!" Worf states fiercly sincere. He would do everything in his power to keep his family safe and Data is no exception.

"No, that will not be necessary. No one is giving me trouble. I simply feel unsafe in my mind... I seek your advice Worf. I do not know what to do."

Data avoids eye contact with Worf. He's not even sure why he felt the need to reach out to Worf. What could he do about the fact that Data is losing his mind? Not even the Dr or Counselor could help him.

"I see..." Worf pauses a moment to think. "You are a strong warrior you need not worry. But I will still keep an eye out for you just in case. If you would like you are welcome to join my Mok'bar class. It would help you to clear your mind."

"Thank you Worf. I will keep that in mind." Data states standing up from the bar.

"No need for thanks. Your safety is my duty." Worf grunts. He gives Data a strong pat on the back and then watches him leave.

***

"Data? Are you there?" Geordi calls from the hall. Geordi, Will, Deanna, and Worf have been waiting for quite awhile. They all decided to come to Data's room when he failed to show for their scheduled poker game. He also failed to respond to any of their messages.

When they get no answer Will decides to call this time. "Data are you there? Its Will." This time a faint buzz like hum can be heard from inside the room.

"Do you hear that noise?" Will asks. The group all agrees to hearing it and unease grows amongst them. This is such an odd situation and unlike Data. Although he has been acting stranger and stranger lately.

"That's it! Data if you do not respond now I will be forced to use my emergency override!" Worf barks out. After a moment of waiting he overrides the lock and storms into Data's room. His hand over his phaser ready to draw if necessary. The others enter behind him more cautiously.

A scan of the room the quickly reveals the cause of the ominous buzz. Data on the floor. Laying sprawled out on his stomach twitching. His face turned at an odd angle looking at them eyes open and unblinking. In a pool of his blood.

"Data?" Geordi calls urgently and rushes over to him. "Data!"

Geordi quickly kneels over Data who's breath is coming out in short sputtered gasps.

The others all stand in their own forms of shock and grief. Deanna cries as Will holds her against him. He is unable to look away from his friend's seizing body. Worf is comming Dr. Crusher, his eyes look anywhere but Data.

Geordi reaches down and rolls Data onto his back. His eyes spasm unfocused as his body continues to twitch. The buzzing hum coming from Data's slightly parted lips becomes more audible.

Geordi's quickly scans his friend and immediately notices the problem. There is damage to Data's bioplast in multiple areas, but mainly his throat which is ripped out. There is further damage across his temple with sparks flying from it. And finally in Data's steel clutch there are several wires and chunks of his bioplast.

"Data...what have you done?" Geordi looks down at him. His pale skin glistens with sweat and yellow blood that pours from him. "G-Geor-i" he spurtters out garbled by his blood. Geordi's eyes widen in surprise.

"Data! Stay with me buddy! You're gonna be okay. I gotcha...its okay." Geordi mummurs out while trying to stop the bleeding. He presses his trembling hands up against Data's throat. The room is so silent yet so loud. Deanna's soft cries with Will doing his best to soothe her. Worf's foot fall as he paces restlessly. And the hum from Data which is steadily growing more faint and quiet by the minute. Until finally the sound of loud voices and running can be heard from the hall.

"I'm here move out of the way!" Dr. Crusher commands as she rushes through the door. A couple other nurses rush in behind her silently awaiting her orders. Dr. Crusher comes to a stop and crouches beside Geordi and Data. With trained eyes she assesses the damage and has to hold back a gasp at the sight. It's worse than she was expecting. How could she expect this? Data soaked in his golden blood, eyes unfocused as if he was already dead. Lifeless. She shudders at the thought. She pushes her own feelings down with a deep breath and lets the doctor within her take over.

Beverly orders her nurses to prepare the gurney and to gently load him onto it. She turns back to Geordi. "Are you coming? We will need your help. You know his body best." She asks Geordi urgently.

"Y-Yes. I will. We should get him to engineering. Quickly." He stutters out to her trying to stay strong for Data. She nods and they all sprint to engineering.

***

"How are you buddy?" Geordi asks.

"I-I am bbrok...n." Data garbles out.

"I can tell." He chuckles mirthlessly. "I'm going to shut you off to prevent any further damage to your circuits is that okay?" He asks wanting Data's consent. He hates having to shut Data off as is. Much less without explicit consent. Feels wrong like killing his friend. Even though he knows he'll spring back to life the second he switches him back on.

Data tries to respond but chokes on blood and sputters. He instead responds with a small twitch of a nod with honeyed tear streaming down his face. Geordi tears up at the sight and reluctantly shuts him off watching his body go limp. Geordi flinches at the sight and calls the Dr. It's time.

***

"Worf how are you holding up?" Will asks worriedly. Worf has been silent doing nothing but stiffly standing by the door for over an hour now. And while Will may not be able to help Data, he can and will help Worf.

"Fine." Worf growls out in response.

Will approaches him slowly. "Worf, its okay to n-

"I said I'm fine!" Worf shouts punching the wall beside him. Will flinches in his spot not moving any closer.

"I- I am sorry...It's just..." He stammers struggling to find the right words. Will nods encouragingly and waits for Worf to continue.

"It was shocking to see Data like that. So hurt and fragile...I forgot he is capable of being hurt... Of dying" Worf lets out a shaky sigh. "But more so I'm angry! I'm angry that this could happen! That he would do this! That...That I didn't stop him."

"Worf none of us knew this would happen. Its not your fault."

"He came to me! For advice... for help! He needed me and I couldn't help him. When has he ever failed me? Never, he has always been there for me. And this is how I repay him? Leaving him for death..." Worf vents his anger his pain. Raging and raving to Will. When hes done he's left out of breath, sitting against the wall with Will beside him.

"Feel better?" Will asks with a weak smile.

"Yes...thank you"

***

"How is he doing?" The Captain asks Geordi.

Geordi sighs pinching the bridge of his nose. "He is is fully repaired and is rebooting now. But I won't be able to tell if there is any permanent damage to his neural net until he wakes up."

"What happened to him Geordi?"

Geordi stands silently then sighs. "He...It looks like he did it to himself. But why?" Geordi sighs defeated and begins pacing.

"Why would he do that? Why hurt himself? Was it a suicide attempt? I don't think he would try to kill himself. He's never even mentioned having suicidal thoughts! At least not since he was first activated. When he was dealing with neural pathway developments. But not now. It doesn't make sense," Geordi rambles hands shaking.

The Captain walks over and puts a hand on Geordi's shoulder. "Look I understand you're upset. I'm worried too. But there is nothing we can do about it right now. So let's focus on getting him back to full functionality and stable. Then we can discuss with him and try to get some answers."

"Okay yah. Yah... you're right." Geordi shakily nods.

"And to be safe we'll have Counselor Troi run an evaluation him. The Captain pulls him into a tight hug. "It's going to be okay Geordi."

"II know its just...I thought we lost him! Thatthat I lost him..." Geordi mummers in Picard embrace. Even though he tried to hold it in some tears fall. It's just too much for him to bear. Spending hours piecing together his friend's broken bloody body like some sick jigsaw puzzle. It took a huge toll on him.

"He's still alive thanks to you and Dr. Crusher's hard work. All thats left is figuring out the root of the problem and helping Data out." Picard rubs Geordi's back soothingly.

***

"Why did you do it?" Geordi asks in a trembling voice. "Why?"

Data looks around at the faces of his friends. He feels a sense of embarrassment and guilt. "I-I am not sure. It was like I was not in control of my body. I was just trying to get it out."

"Get what out Data?" Deanna asks gently. She moves to soothe Data.

"I do not know." He goes silent. He drowns in shame. He does not want them to think he is crazy. Seeing this Will quickly stops Data's spiraling thoughts.

"It's okay. We're going to figure it out Data don't worry." Will pats Data's shoulder. Deanna nods in agreement and grabs ahold of Data's hand shooting him a supportive smile.

"Geordi, have you looked into the circuitry that Data pulled? Maybe that has something to with it." Dr. Crusher asks.

"I did but there was nothing wrong with any of it... other than the damage from being pulled." Geordi trails off.

"Have you tried using a different setting on your scanner?" Worf speaks up. Everyone turns to look at him. Worf flushes at all the attention. "What?"

"Thats a great idea...why haven't I thought of that? Maybe there is something but it is not being picked up!" Geordi exclaims and starts adjusting his scanner. He scans and adjusts until finally he picks something up.

Geordi gasps and drops his scanner. "Oh my god..." He covers his mouth with his hand.

"What is it? What have you found Geordi?" The captain urges. The room is tense as everyone waits for Geordi to explain what is wrong with their Data.

"There is some type of parasite attached to his circuitry...and this whole time...I never noticed." Geordi mumbles nearly in tears again.

"We have to remove it, destroy it!" Worf growls out breaking the silence.

"Hold on hold on!" Riker says holding up his hand. "What exactly is it and where did it come from? Have we ever seen anything like this before?"

"No, not that I can think of," Geordi replies.

"This is not good news." The captain sighs. "All right, I want you to take Data to sickbay and see if you and Dr. Crusher can find a way to remove whatever it is that's attached to him."

"Yes sir." Geordi and Dr. Crusher leave with Data in tow.

Riker turns to the captain, "Do you think this might be related to our arrival in the Lohrn Cluster?"

" It does seem too coincidental that all this begins happening to Data at the same time we arrive here." Worf adds.

"Actually, you two might be right! I just remembered that Data mentioned he first started having issues shortly after we arrived." Deanna exclaims.

"Maybe we have an answer then," Riker replies.

Picard nods. "Well, let's hope so."

***

The next two days were busy ones for everyone. Dr. Crusher and La Forge working hard to find a way to remove the parasite from Data. And the rest of the crew is busy checking all of the systems on the Enterprise to make sure they were not infected. So far they have spotted only spotted a group of parasites attached to one of the navigational systems.

Weasley is also busy trying to figure out exactly where the parasites came from. And he's running experiments to see what affects them. And when he finally finds something he reports it back to Picard.

"Captain, I may have a lead for you."

"Excellent, tell me about it. Anything at this point would help us figure out how to get rid of these things." Picard says happy to have any answers.

"It seems that the parasites are attracted to specific frequencies. They will not attach to any of the lower frequency settings." He holds up a screen that shows two different settings on a transporter system.

"If we could somehow change the setting, they might not attach to it." Wesley says hopefully.

"This is a great lead thank you Wesley. Please share your findings with Mr. La Forge immediately." The captain orders.

"Yes sir!" Wesley runs off to med bay to speak with his mother and Geordi.

***

"That's genius Wesley! And I believe we already have proof to support your theory! I was able to find damage from other parasites that were present in Data's system. But when I found them they were already dead. The humming that Data was making when we first found him might have been what killed them!" Geordi says excited to finally have some solutions. He is ready to finally solve this problem once and for all.

"Happy to help." Wesley says bashfully then he turns to Data, "Data would you be able to do the humming again?" Wesley asks.

"I can try but I do not remember humming." Data says quietly. He is extremely worn down and drained. The parasite is physically and mentally exhausting him.

"That's alright just try. It was a deeper buzz like hum." Geordi describes. "I will be scanning the parasite I will let you know when there is a change. Alright?"

Data nods and starts to produce a hum noise progressively getting lower until. "Data there perfect! It is reacting."

Data continues the hum and the parasite struggles against the frequency until it dies. "Its dead Data! Good job." Geordi exclaims relieved.

"I am glad." Data sighs tired but happy it's finally over. "Thank you all. I am sorry for all the trouble."

"Of course Data! And you're no trouble! It's my fault! I should have taken you more seriously. I'm so sorry..." Geordi apologizes disappointed in himself. He should have believed his friend from the start, he shouldn't have brushed him off. This could have gone much worse. He would never have forgiven himself if Data had permanent damage or worse...died because of his negligence. Hech he can't forgive himself for anything right now as is.

"Geordi it is not your fault." Data gently brushes Geordi's cheek with his finger tips. "You could not have known. Besides everything is all right now."

Geordi laughes, "I'm supposed to be comforting you right now not the other way around." Data's lip twitches into a slight soft smile.

"It's good to have you back Data." Dr. Crusher pats Data on the back interrupting their moment.

"I missed you Data!" Wesley exclaims jumping between them and pulling Data and Geordi into a big hug. Beverly laughs watching them. She can't wait to tell the others that Data is well again. After all its good to have the family back together again.