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You Can't Fight a Tidal Wave	By : madradena Category: Star Trek > The Next Generation Views: 1693 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own ST:TNG nor Dreamland, nor the characters from either. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
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- 21
The scene is changing again. He is now walking on the deck of a ship. It's a sunny day, and the sun rays sparkle brightly on the waves of the ocean. On the deck, people are sitting around small tables chatting cheerfully, and He is getting the impression that the happy noise is turning into a melody:
"Gone is the romance that was so divine" the men sing.
"It's broken and cannot be mended." the women reply.
"You must go your way, and I must go mine.
But now that our love dreams have ended..." they sing together.
A man steps up to him as He gazes over the ocean and hands him a piece of paper:
"A cable has arrived for you, Sir."
"Oh, thanks." He takes the paper and looks at the man frowning "Aren't you guys the Mariachi?"
The man chuckles softly "We're Strolling Trubadours now, Sir."
"Hmm... Say, would you mind reading this? I must have left my glasses in my cabin."
"Oh, certainly, Sir." the Trubadour takes back the note and starts reading it "I found your girl. Stop. Living with another man. Stop. Seems a dangerous character. Stop. If I were you, I'd. Stop."
"Already found somebody else..." He muses disappointed.
"I'm sorry, Sir. Is there anything we can do?"
"Yeah... Give me a C!"
And He starts singing the rest of the melody, He has just heard:
"What'll I do
When you are far away
And I am blue
What'll I do?
What'll I do?
When I am wond'ring who
Is kissing you
What'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?"
They hear the sound of the horn suddenly, and the Captain's voice cut through the air:
"Iceberg! Iceberg ahead! All passengers on deck!"
The ship is sinking, and before long He is fighting for his life in the water. All the events of Dreamland play out in his head:
"Do you know a place called El Parador?" her voice reverberates in the air.
"Nonono, don't come in!"
"Sugar, you've got a terrific guy here!"
"Yeah, I thought so!"
"Oh, come on... Take a chance!"
He tosses and turns in his bed:
"Baby, please! It was all my fault! I didn't even know her... Please, give me another chance! Give me another chance!" He mumbles softly as He falls back to sleep.
After some more tossing and turning, He suddenly finds himself comfortably performing on the stage of a Club. This is not his first performance, and He is easily enchanting the audience with his charm.
"So I said, Baby, please, give me another chance! And she said, Buddy, you must be dreaming!" then he starts singing his cheerful song:
"Please don't talk about me when I'm gone
Though our friendship ceases from now on
And listen, if you can't say anything real nice
It's better not to talk at all, that's my advice
We're parting, you go your way, I'll go mine, it's best that we do
Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you
Makes no difference how I carry on
Just don't you talk about me when I'm gone"
The song ends, the audience applauds cheerfully.
"Thank you! You've been a beautiful audience!" He calls then leaves the stage to sit in the bar.
"So the basic concept is," Reg started his explanation as he, Beverly, Sonya and Emma were standing in the grid-patterned holodeck room "that we use the house itself and the audience as the settings wherever possible." he pushed a few buttons on the padd in his hands, and the settings changed into a restaurant. "We could use the lighting to emphasise the place of the characters." The main lights turned lower, and two tables across the room were bathed in soft light. All the settings were black and white. "Emma would sit there," Reg pointed to a table "and Data across the room. We would always leave space for the stage, in the restaurant set, the Mariachi would be on it, in the Club scene later on, the performers would sing on stage, then He could come down to sit in the bar... And with the ship scene, Data and the Trobadour would have their conversation up on the stage." he changed the setting to the ship as he talked "And with other sets, like the street for example," he changed the set to the street, the light went out in the house, and stayed on only at the stage "the audience would not be used as background, everything would be played out on the stage."
He looked at them shy but expectantly, and they gaped at him in admiration. He seemed to turn impossibly red as Beverly told him, that she liked what he did with the settings. And Sonya was as proud as if SHE was praised.
Emma just couldn't resist, she slipped her arm around Reg's waist: "My-my, you are one hell of a creative guy, Reginald!" she glanced towards Sonya who blushed with fury, and she went on playfully pinching his flushed cheek "This whole is freaking amazing, you know! Or should I say" she snuggled up against his chest as he was staring at her with wide eyes "YOU are amazing?" She glanced up at him through her lashes "It seems that there is a lot more to you that meets the eye - under that strict engineer uniform of yours." she blinked at him seductively - and felt him tremble against her "T-t-thank you." he stammered. Complete terror on his features.
"Emma..." Beverly told her on a reprimanding voice.
She giggled and let Reg go just to step over to Sonya "Oh, stop sulking, Sugar! You've got a terrific guy here!" she quoted the line Sonya tried to tease her with during the previous rehearsal, then walked away giggling.
Before Sonya could blow up and Beverly could tell Emma off, the door opened and Data entered.
The smugness suddenly disappeared from Emma's features, and she watched him walking in with genuine affection in her eyes. Before anyone could notice, however she composed her features, and by the time he got up to them on the stage, the smugness returned.
"Am I late?" Data asked politely knowing full well that he was in fact early.
"No, Deadpan, we are all early, you are just late compared to us eager-beavers." Emma answered, and as Data looked at her, he once again wondered whether she could read his mind.
"Hi, Data." Beverly smiled, and the others greeted him as well.
They showed him the new settings then went on to practise the scene that yesterday didn't go well. This time, they nailed it perfectly. Also Emma sang her own song of farewell with such genuine sadness that Reg had to make a conscious effort to stop himself from breaking down in tears.
They went on with the scene of the ship, when they got an unexpected guest. Will Riker stepped through the holodeck door and greeted them with the usual joviality.
"Hi, Beverly! Do you have space for a stray musician in that musical of yours?"
"Will!" she smiled and invited him in. He walked up to them on the 'deck of the ship', where they all were standing.
"You've got a horrific settings here!" he complemented looking around and out on the 'sea'.
"So, you do have the time to take part after all." Beverly looked at him with a suspicious smile "A few weeks ago you were all busy with 'crew-evaluations'." she made quotation marks with two of her fingers but never stopped smiling kindly.
Will ignored her teasing and started to explain on a serious tone "You know what a hectic period that is usually. But we finished with it before deadline with Deanna. I should say it's a record, usually it takes at least three sleepless nights to finish on time, but we managed to finish in two."
"Not that you mind spending those sleepless nights with that pretty therapist of yours." Emma mumbled under her breath. Data was the only one to catch what she actually said, the others only heard her mumbling. She instantly regretted saying anything as all the gazes were fixed on her.
Will smiled at her his usual charming smile and extended a hand: "I don't think we introduced properly. Will Riker, and you are Emma Jones, if I'm not misinformed."
She eyed him for a short moment then stepped up to him and shook his hand: "Actually, you are. Your informer forgot to tell you my middle name: it's 'married'." she sneered taking her hand away as quickly as she could. Will looked at her surprised but not at all put off, while Beverly put her face in her palm.
Finally, the red-headed doctor spoke: "Let's take a small break so I can discuss this with Will."
"Sure!" Emma nodded walking away and added casually "Hey, Broccoli! Conjure up that bar over there! Let's have at least some fragment of enjoyment here!"
Reg took his padd from where he left it on a seat and obediently pressed some buttons. By the time, Emma got to the far end of the room, the bar appeared with some bar stools around it.
"Very charming! Reminds me of a mustang needing some breaking in - with a whip." Will joked knowing that the stubborn mare in question was out of earshot.
"That is a bit too harsh." Beverly told him now on a serious tone. Kind smile gone.
"No, Beverly!" Sonya spoke up for the first time that day "He is right! She is horrible. I wouldn't care, if I could work with her on stage, but it's impossible to work with her! Talk to her! Or Reg and I are out!"
Beverly looked at them shocked. She never thought they would reach this point: "Reg. Do you agree?"
Reg stood there seemingly muted and petrified. He looked over at Emma at the bar then at Sonya next to him, only his eyes moving. Finally, he rested his gaze on Beverly: "I-I really d-d-don't want to cause..." he started, then Sonya poked him on the side "I-I mean, yes I do."
"Uh, it seems I have put my foot in it!" Will winced.
"No, Commander! It's not your fault, only hers!" Sonya growled with a hostility neither Reg nor Beverly had ever seen from her.
Beverly looked over at Data who stood a little farther away and glanced over at Emma fixing herself a drink at the bar.
"And you Data? What do you think?" she asked sincerely curious.
"Yes, Commander." Sonya nodded "You have to spend with her the most time, so you suffer most from her. What do you think?"
He gazed at them with his usual unreadable expression and stepped up to them to disappoint Sonya "I understand your concerns, Lieutenant Gomez. However, after thorough analysis, I may venture to say that I understand how Ms. Jones' personality works. After getting to know her better, you may find out just as I did, that she does not mean any of the teasing she applies in her personal relationships. Perhaps if you tried making friends with her..."
"Making friends! With HER!" Sonya blew up "Rather make friends with a Klingon Targ!"
Data cocked his head and looked sideways seemingly uncomfortable "I wonder how you expect a person to abide by your rules of interaction, if you do not wish to interact with her at all. If you would excuse me." he finished then walked up to Emma at the bar leaving them with a heavy thought to consider.
He watched her as she sipped her drink. She made a great show of not noticing him, but he knew that she did. He arrived next to her and was about to sit on the bar stool next to her, when she turned to him and stopped him pushing him away:
"No-no-no, Deadpan! Over there!" she pointed to the other side of the counter. Data looked into her eyes confused, and she went on "I will not be responsible for my actions, if you are so close, and we're not on stage with all eyes on us to stop me. Over there! There's a good boy!" she praised smiling as he obeyed and stood opposite of her.
"We have all the eyes on us. You. More precisely." he stated on a blank voice as she sipped the last of her drink.
She grunted and pushed her empty glass towards him with a seductive smile "Fix me another one, handsome!" she purred on a low voice. He gave her a small smile then complied and started to make her another Cosmopolitan. After a minute, she spoke again: "So. Am I voted out of the play yet?" she asked on a seemingly nonchalant voice.
Data poured her drink into a clean glass and looked into her eyes "I would not let such a thing to happen." he told her on a low voice that sent a rush of warmth through Emma's insides. He put her drink in front of her, and she couldn't resist to run her fingers over the back of his hand.
"You really wouldn't?" she muttered leaning very close to his face. She looked from his lips to his eyes and back.
"No. I would not." he whispered touching the tip of his nose to hers for an instant. Then suddenly pulled away and looked at her with his usual deadpan expression: "And neither would Doctor Crusher. However Lieutenant Gomez and Barclay are extremely unsatisfied with how you treat them. It would be advisable for you to change the behavioural patterns you apply in relation to them."
Emma suddenly became irritated: "Let ME decide on how I treat people, alright Deadpan? And for the records, they weren't very friendly with me either from day zero. Miss Sugar constantly spitting jealousy at me, and Broccoli acting as if I was his only obstacle at getting into her panties, so let's not measure each other, because the tip of the scales may show an even balance to their misfortune."
Data needed a micro-second more to process all of the information she had poured on him including the crude sexual reference then: "I pointed out to them that it takes two for an interpersonal relationship to work, however I have to point out to YOU that the proverbial scale that you are mentioning tips in favour of those who make the effort. You, I reluctantly have to admit, do not."
Emma gazed ahead with surprise on her features then looked up at him almost amazed: "You... actually defended me? Even if you think that I don't deserve it?"
Data leaned closer to her resting his forearms on the counter "I did not say that you do not deserve defence." he told her on a low voice. He glanced away with an uncomfortable expression then back at her with a serious frown "Emma. Interpersonal relationships, and the ability to work in a group are integral part of crew-evaluations which are the basis of transfers. I do not wish you to leave the Enterprise, because people think it is not easy to work with you. Especially, now that I know that you are not as difficult as you want others to view you."
She had to gap at him.
Meanwhile on stage, Beverly and the others agreed that she would talk to Emma, and they would all give her another - a final - chance. Then they went back to discuss, if Will could have a role too in the play.
"There are musicians in the play, but not specifically playing the trombone." Beverly tapped on her padd to check around in the script.
Reg raised his forefinger the way he always did, when he asked for attention "T-the Commander could play the parts of the boss of the Mariachi and t-the T-Trubadours. It would be practical because in the restaurant scene, there's also the role of the host, and I wouldn't be able to play two parts at the same time, so we'd have to fill in with a holograph anyway." he finished wringing his hands.
Beverly looked at Will delighted: "So it seems you have your roles!" she handed him her padd "Here you go, the full script. You won't have a lot of sentences, but at least you are playing musicians as you wished!" she smiled delighted.
"Just what I need!" he grinned looking at the padd.
"Ah while we are at the settings." Beverly looked over at Reg again "You mentioned that you were having trouble with the part, where He is drifting in and out of sleep."
"Yes, Beverly." Reg nodded "It should be a turmoil of sounds but not too spooky. Rather confused. Still I cannot seem to find the correct balance."
"Show us, Reg, maybe we could make something up." Beverly asked.
At the bar, Emma tentatively smiled at Data "You ARE a knight in shining armour, you know that." she wanted to ask, but it came out as a statement.
He furrowed his brow and cocked his head: "Are you teasing me again?"
She chuckled: "No. This time, I'm dead serious. And you're sweet. And you should be with a decent girl and not the wretched bitch you are talking to now."
His frown deepened "I believe I have mentioned that your words are unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. And you should also be aware of the fact that I do not regard you a contemptible female canine. Or any other meaning of that word."
Emma giggled like a teenage girl: "Tell me! Do you really take every word so literally?"
"Most." Data answered somewhat self-consciously "However, I also noticed that my interpreting every word in the literal sense often causes a jocular reaction amongst humans. And as I always have struggled to figure out what it is like to be funny, I decided to use this disadvantage to my advantage, even if I realize that the words are used in a figurative manner." he explained meticulously.
"You are amazing!" she shook her head with a wide grin of admiration. He smiled shyly, and their gazes locked once again. As they leaned closer, she brushed her nose against his playfully, and they both chuckled.
Then suddenly a turmoil of voices filled the room. Human voices talking in an incoherent jumble of sentences. They looked up startled.
"Ohshit! My freaking heart just stopped!" she said looking over at the stage and put a hand on her chest. She saw that Reg was fidgeting his padd, and she released a long breath "Stupid Broccoli!" she growled looking back at Data.
He was standing there petrified. He was staring ahead with unfocused eyes distant, and she knew what was happening to him again. "Data!" she grabbed his shoulders and tried to make him look at her "Do you hear me?!" she shook him forcefully tearing at his uniform sleeves "Stop it! It's not real! Don't go there! Do you hear me?" the voices stopped just as suddenly, and his eyes started to move, his body relaxed "That's it! Stay with me! Okay? I'm here! Look at me!"
He took a deep breath as the world came back into focus again. He blinked confused and looked into her eyes pleading for help. Then his shoulders slouched, and he bowed his head. It happened again! It happened AGAIN! She pulled him as close as she could with the counter still between the two of them and stroked his shoulder and hair gently. He snuggled his face into the nape of her neck and let her hold him close. It will never be over! Never!
After a minute or so, he pulled away and looked into her eyes shaken: "It was..." he whispered "...It was like the collective. All those voices. All made sense individually. And yet were all the same..." his voice broke, his face beyond desperation.
She stroked his cheek tenderly "It's okay, it's over now."
But he shook his head agitated "Why is it coming back?! Today I was fine! After talking to you last night, everything seemed to be easier! Why..." he pleaded in agony.
"I told you. It sneaks up on you, when you least expect it. You need professional help to get better... Have you been to Counsellor Troi?" she asked firmly.
He bowed his head with a distressed expression: "No. I thought it would..."
"I told you it wouldn't! I told you you need to go to a therapist!" she retorted, and he looked at her shocked and hurt. She suddenly felt terrible. Here he was, needing help, and she was shouting at him. "I'm sorry." she breathed and took his hand "I hate it if somebody tells me 'I told you so', and here I am telling you that!" he looked at her still hurt, and she tried again "Please forgive me!" she asked on a pleading voice, and his features softened a little as he bowed his head.
Suddenly, they heard Beverly's raised voice "Hey! Are you coming back to go on?" and they complied.
Will was about to leave, and he leaned close to Data on his way to the door. "I can see her middle name applies only for humans."
Walking up to Reg, Emma snatched his padd out of his hand and hit him with it on the arm glaring up at him: "If you put us into the surroundings of freaking Psycho again without any freaking warning beforehand, Broccoli, I will rip your freaking head off!" she pushed the padd back into his hand and walked away - and all Reg's doubts about the complain they had 'filed' against her at Doctor Crusher were dismissed at once.
Will chuckled and shook his head tapping Data on the shoulder: "Good luck with the taming of the shrew, my friend!" he told him on a low voice, then was on his way before Data could answer.
A/N: Dialogs in Italics are from Dreamland
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You Can't Fight a Tidal Wave