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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
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Emma woke slowly to the sharp sound of the alarm. She moaned reaching out to her side and touched the panel next to her bed to silence the irritating noise. The lights came up, and she blinked confused: where am I... oh, on the ship, right... She gingerly sat up and wiped her eyes then looked down on herself. She was wearing her sweater and not her pyjamas as she usually did, and she was covered with a blanket from the living room. Yesterday...
Data. He was here. It was no dream. He was here, and she fell asleep in his arms. She sighed and felt an emotion she hadn't for a very long time. She was happy. Her mind told her she should fight it. She should stop trusting him, stop feeling those butterflies she always did, when she was with him. But it was just so wonderful to feel that way again.
She got up and strolled out into her living room half-expecting Data to be there. But he wasn't. Watching her sleep probably was not the most exciting activity, of course he left. She frowned spotting something on her couch and stepped up to it. Her uniform she had sloppily hanged on the back of a chair was now neatly folded and placed on the couch. Her socks, also folded with precision, were put on top of her slippers which were placed orderly in front of the couch. She picked up her uniform unfolding it and chuckled. "We will have a bit of a problem, if you're such a neat-freak, Deadpan." she muttered but couldn't help to feel a deep tenderness for his gesture of care.
"So what's this glowing you've been doing all day?" Bev asked Emma with a suspicious smile as they sat down in Ten Forward to eat their lunch.
"Glowing? I have no idea..." Emma started then an insuppressable grin sold her nonchalance, and she just shrugged "Who am I trying to fool?" she asked giggling.
"What is it?" Beverly asked now impatiently, then as her friend's only response was more giggling, she pressed on "Does your sudden burst of happiness have anything to do with a kiss that you received yesterday from a certain android we both know?"
Emma raised her shoulders again "Not just one kiss, Bev, many kisses!" she giggled again "I feel like the prom queen in high school! If you haven't noticed, everything around us is singing with joy just for me!" she turned her palms up helplessly "Please pour a bucket of cold water on me, because my mouth's aching from grinning like an idiot all day!"
Beverly chuckled and shook her head not really surprised "The air was practically sizzling between the two of you yesterday on stage. I supposed that something might have happened, or would happen sooner or later."
"And you know what, Bev? Nothing serious happened between the two of us! We were just fooling around like two junior cadets behind shelf 556 at the Academy Library!"
Beverly laughed out loud at this then put a hand in front of her mouth "Well..." she cleared her throat "That brings up some awkward memories." They both giggled: shelf 556 at the Academy Library was a common place to hook up at for cadets who didn't have anywhere else to go with their dates. It was hidden at the end of a long room, not many people went there - unless they had business to do there... But sometimes, couples were caught and Beverly could well remember the occasion she was caught in flagranti there with Jack.
"Nobody walked in on us, fortunately." Emma answered and looked away thoughtfully "It's crazy you know. I'm still married. If Ed accidentally learns about this..." she shook her head, and finally that grin disappeared.
"What could he do about it? Come on, don't get depressed just now! You were about to burst with happiness." Bev put a hand on Emma's, where she held her fork beside her plate.
Emma smiled gratefully "Yeah... I can't follow what I'm feeling. You know, Bev, Ed has some very good connections. He has been obstructing our court case from the very beginning. He won't let go of me easily as it is, but if he learns that I'm happy with somebody else..." she seemed genuinely scared now then shrugged "I was thinking of asking Data to lets keep the whole thing a secret, but I don't think he would take that..." she trailed off as she noticed Data coming toward their table with a small smile on his lips.
He stepped to them and without a word leaned over to Emma and gave her a small kiss on the lips. "Hello." he whispered after they broke away.
"Hi, handsome!" she told him and was not able to resist the wide smile that crept back on her lips.
Data straightened and looked over to Beverly "Hello, Doctor." he said then turned back to Emma "I was thinking of taking you out to lunch, but it seems I am late."
Emma nodded "Seems you'll need to do with dinner for today." then she looked at him challengingly "But you'll also need to leave us alone now. So we can gossip about you."
He frowned slightly then cocked his head "I am not able to determine whether you were teasing me or meant what you just said."
Emma smiled "I was teasing you." He nodded in acknowledgement, then she giggled "And I was also serious. You need to go away now, baby."
"May I at least stay in the room?" he asked now bewildered.
She giggled stroking his arm "Sit right there!" she pointed to the bar "But stay there! And don't even look at me!" she told him jabbing a finger at him playfully. He shook his head still confused, but then obeyed and kissed her goodbye.
"See you at the rehearsal." he told her finally with a small, forgiving smile. He was beginning to get used to her eccentricities. As he stepped away, he nodded to Beverly "And you too, Doctor."
They waved to him, and he left to sit down at the bar.
Emma gazed over at him and shook her head "Is he not adorable? I think he's adorable." she looked back at Bev with sparkling eyes "I don't get how any of you people keep yourselves from jumping all over him."
Beverly chuckled now a little uncomfortable "Well, Em, I can't look at him that way, you know, he's... Well, he's Data. I practically watched him grow up on the Enterprise-D. For me, sometimes he's still like a little child."
Emma looked at Bev with a conspiring expression: "I'm telling you Bev, being a child is the one thing I would not characterize him with." Beverly looked at her even more uncomfortable at this - she was really not prepared to think about Data in that way. Emma laughed at her expression "Okay, okay, I admit you're right in some degree. Actually, I keep telling him, he's a teenager." she sighed shrugging "Well, that's that for keeping it a secret." she remarked wryly.
"If you want my opinion, I think it's better that way." Bev told her "I don't think it's a healthy way of starting a new life that you want to keep your relationship a secret, because you're afraid what your ex might or might not do, if he learns about it."
"Yeah..." Emma again gazed at Data sitting there at the counter - Geordi La Forge just came in and joined him with a smile on his face - and her own smile came back "Funny, I try to be worried about this, but..." she looked at Bev "I just don't care!"
"What if that's not a bad thing?" Bev smiled, and as they smiled at each other, she told her on a soft voice "I'm happy for you. For both of you."
"Thanks, Bev. You know a lifetime seems to be too short to repay you, sweetie!"
Beverly chuckled "Don't worry! I'm keeping track of it all."
After some silent eating, Emma looked up from her plate and pointed to Beverly with her fork "And what about you?"
Bev looked at her surprised "What about me?"
"When are you going to finally make the move on that grumpy Frenchman of yours? He won't, don't wait for that! Broccoli might sooner hook up with Sugar!"
"Make the move?! Are you out of your mind? We're friends! Stop making up that there should be anything else between the two of us! And more importantly, stop making it up at places where there're so many people!" she looked around almost in a panic. Why did she always have to come up with this in public places?!
Emma laughed out loud "But that's half of the fun! Come on, Bev! Don't be embarrassed!"
"I'm not embarrassed! I cannot be embarrassed because of YOUR fantasies! It'd be YOUR job to be embarrassed for them! I just don't want gossips to start, that's all!"
Emma looked around "There're barely any people here. Nobody's listening. You might even answer, if we're at it."
"I'm not planning to change any of my friendships into a romantic relationship. I've told you I think like a thousand times. Especially not with Captain Picard."
"Why especially not with Captain Picard?" Emma rolled her eyes impatient at her friends stubbornness.
"Because for one, we could lose a lot more than what we could gain from such a change."
"Yeah, cause gaining a regular sex partner, whom you've been attracted to for a zillion years is not appealing at all..." Emma told her on a disbelieving voice.
Beverly slouched and put her forehead into her palm "Is this the repay you were talking about earlier?" she then gazed at her with a wry smile "Because I'd rather accept a nice vase or a pretty shawl as a token of gratitude."
Emma laughed "But this is exactly how I can repay you! If I can finally convince you about hooking up with your Captain."
Bev propped her chin on her hand and finally smiled at her "What if I told you, we are happy as we are now?"
Emma mirrored her posture and answered without missing a beat "I'd be insulted by your outright lie."
"But it's the truth, Em! Just think about it. In a relationship so many things can go wrong! So many things can lead to stupid misunderstandings. And if that wasn't enough, sex actually just complicates things even more!"
Emma leaned closer and lowered her voice "So what you're trying to tell me is that you're not convinced about the truth of the saying 'short men walk with long sticks'."
Beverly couldn't help herself and laughed out loud with burning cheeks "It's not a saying! You made that up! And Jean-Luc is not short!"
Emma shrugged "It's actually a saying on Epsilon. And a guy IS short, if he can only see the top of his girl's head, if she kneels down in front of him! But the point is..."
"The point is, that I'm not having this conversation!" Beverly told her and tried to seem very preoccupied with her food - cheeks still burning like hell.
Emma rolled her eyes "The point is that you should find out!"
"No, I'm not gonna find out!" Beverly told her a little exasperated, but then she shook her head smiling and a giggle blurted out from her lips "You’re just impossible to talk to."
Emma watched her for a few moments as she tried to pay so close attention to her dish that she almost put her nose into it. She then put a gentle hand on her friend's to get her attention. Beverly looked up at her and gazed into her eyes. "Bev. What are you so afraid of?" she asked on a soft, serious voice.
Beverly sighed "I'm... I'm afraid of losing him. On some stupid misunderstanding or on one of the million inhibitions we both have or... on such a stupid thing as sex. If I think of us taking our friendship to another level, I feel I'm dancing on the edge of a precipice."
"Bev, for one, I don't know anyone who can dance better than you! Secondly, you won't fly, if you don't jump off that precipice. You can't live in constant fear of hitting the ground. Sometimes, you have to spread your arms and try to fly." she smiled as she took her hand away "You know, I'm being unfair in lecturing you about flying... I'm full of fears similar to yours, too! But... I have an excellent flight instructor!" she said on a dreamy voice and gazed away to Data "I'm learning a lot from Data. He's not sure of himself either, but still he constantly tries to fly over his own boundaries. Never gives up!"
Beverly nodded returning the smile "He always says, he's programmed to evolve."
Emma looked into her eyes with delight "Then maybe we should reprogram ourselves to evolve too!"
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You Can't Fight a Tidal Wave