Chapter Two: Two Years Earlier…

Lisa and Data were in the quarters provided to them on the Farragut after the destruction of the Enterprise-D. Jamie and Spot, Data’s orange tabby cat, were with them. They watched as the two humanoids looked through what belongings they’d salvaged from the wreck.

Data hadn’t owned much, although e did have a number of paintings he’d done over the years. Most of them had survived along with his medals and the book of sonnets Captain Picard had given him.

Lisa had practically moved into Data’s quarters even before he’d gotten the emotion chip and they’d fallen in love. Well, one would have thought that with how much time she spent there. A lot of what she had owned – holographic portraits and various knickknacks – could be replaced or repaired. The only thing that couldn’t she was sure she’d found but couldn’t remember where she put it: her pan flute.

Data walked in to find her frantically searching the storage containers. “What is wrong?” he asked.

“I can’t find my flute,” she said. “My dad gave that to me – well, so I’ve been told – and I can’t remember where I put it.”

He went to one of the containers on the other side of the room, opened it, searched for a few minutes and pulled the instrument out.

She sighed in relief and hugged him. “Thanks.”

“You are welcome.”

Lisa looked down into the container and noticed the neck of Data’s violin peeking out. Extracting herself from his arms she pulled it free and found the bow.

“That’s good this survived,” she said. “I’d hate to not be able to play with you.”

“Even if it had been damaged, it can be replaced,” was his reasoning.

“I guess.” Lisa said, then, “Data, let’s do Our Song. We haven’t played it together since before you got the chip.”

“But the file we use was on the Enterprise.”

She smiled and went to one of the containers and pulled out a small module. “It’s a data storage unit. I put it in here just in case.” She fiddled with the controls until it brought up the file she needed: a recording of the 20^th century song “To Love You More” with the lead vocals and violin removed. She looked at him. “Can we?”

He smiled. “Of course. It will be interesting to observe how the song makes me feel.” He positioned the violin and nodded to her to play the song.

Lisa took special note of Data’s playing this time around. She was trying to see if he did it any differently, not just emulating Taro Hakase. Indeed, he seemed to be more passionate as the song went on. They played with a flourish and more feeling than they had ever done.

When the final note faded, even Jamie had to agree. There was definitely more emotion this time. I could sense it.

Lisa repeated that for Data and he nodded. “Yes,” he said. “The melody has more meaning for me now that I understand how emotions can influence opinion. And, also, that you still consider it Our Song even though the actual lyrics do not pertain to us.”

“It’s still special to me because it’s the first song that you and I played together. The lyrics don’t need to mean anything since no one but me hears them when we play.”

He nodded. “That is true.”

“Besides, I think they do hold meaning.” At his frown, she said, “ ‘Don’t go, you know you’ll break my heart’, which is what would happen if we broke up. Never do that by the way. ‘She won’t love you like I will; I’m the one who’ll stay when she walks away and you know I’ll be standing here still’.” Remember Jenna? Even though you tried to have a relationship with her, I still stuck around and you have to admit a relationship with me is different that your one with her. ‘I’ll be waiting for you here inside my heart, I’m the one who wants to love you more; you can see I can give you everything you need, let me be the one to love you more’. I waited, what, seven years before we finally got together?”

As was always the case with her, she had a point.

End chapter two.

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