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“Did you hear?’
“Hear what?”
“That another Captain has his eyes on Commander La Forge!”
“There’s no way Captain Picard would let that happen. I heard he requested him by name, he wouldn’t let him go like that.”
“Rumor has it that he owes Captain Holbach a favor, though.”
“Pardon me, ensigns.”
“AHHHHH!”
The two young ensigns started at his words, too engrossed in their gossip to notice his approach to their table. They straightened their posture like he would reprimand them. Odd. He was unlikely to take disciplinary action for such a minor slight. He recalled an occasion where he was called intimidating simply for by being an unrealistic behavioral model. That would be a sufficient explanation. The best course of action would be to reassure them
“At ease.”
They looked at him in surprise, but did relax their posture.
“Sir?”
“You were speaking of a potential relocation of-” he paused for a span of time undetectable to anyone but himself. It would be inappropriate to call his partner ‘Geordi’ at this moment in front of crew members who did not know them well, “-Commander La Forge. I have no record of such a transfer order.”
“O-Oh...” one of the ensigns- he checked the crew data banks, Nathan Jones, assistant nurse, specialization in Vulcan physiology. No working relationship with Geordi or the Captain, “It’s just a rumor, sir. My sister is stationed as a navigator on the Argo and she told me she heard the chief operations manager say that Captain Holbach wants Commander La Forge to replace his Chief Engineer after he takes leave due to medical complications.”
“That is highly unlikely, given the Commander’s record of service aboard the Enterprise.”
The other ensign- Patria Keller, science officer with a specialization in microbiology, once again no relation to any of the relevant parties- shrugged, seemingly now more comfortable in his presence, “It’s just hearsay, sir. The only reason anyone is paying it any mind is that Captain Picard pretty publicly owes Captain Holbach a favor. It’s not worth losing a senior officer, though. So it probably won’t go anywhere.”
Curious.
Logically, he agreed with Keller’s conclusion. the chances of Captain Picard relinquishing Geordi’s services were below 1%. However, he was still experiencing a series of signals and inputs that he had come to classify as anxiety.
Geordi was not going anywhere.
Yet his urge to go see him grew.
“Thank you for the clarification,” he said to the pair, turning to leave Ten Forward with complete disregard for what he came for. Past experience has taught him that the ensigns would be looking at him with confusion, but he had no motivation to care at the moment.
“Data?”
Geordi was surprised to see him. This was expected. He spent approximately 75% of his unoccupied time assisting in engineering or otherwise in Geordi’s presence, but he had given no indication that he would do so today.
“Geordi.”
His friend and romantic partner grew more puzzled, as indicated by his furrowing brow. This was also expected. Data rarely did anything without explaining his intent, unless something was very wrong. Unfortunately, the android himself was unaware of his own motives at the moment.
When he finally spoke again, what he vocalized was illogical, yet he could not find something else to say among the thousands of words at his disposal.
“Do not go.”
“Data...” Geordi grabbed his arm, jaw setting as he quickly made a decision in his head, “Clancy, I’m stepping out for a minute.”
With that order given, Geordi led Data through engineering, bringing him to the entry point to one of the ships’ less often utilized Jefferies tube. Upon arrival, he crossed his arm- not in anger, but in growing concern, a difference Data was aware of intimately, “What happened? Why do you think I’m leaving? ”
Ah.
“It is most puzzling. I believe I have finally experienced the phenomena of my body and ‘emotion’ taking precedence over my logical thought. I had not intended to come here, not speak to you until the arranged time later this evening.”
Pouting lips, eyebrows knitting even closer together. Geordi’s concern grew into deep worry.
“That doesn’t answer the question, Data. You don’t dodge the question. What’s wrong?”
To further complicate the issue, now that he had spoken to his partner for some time, Data found the difficulties he had before to be no longer an issue, “I overheard two crew members discussing a circulating rumor that you may be transferring. I knew this to be baseless, yet I found this information... disquieting. I do not understand it.”
Fascinating. Now Geordi was smiling.
“Data... I can’t really explain it in relation to how you feel things, or really a perfect explanation of it in general. The thought of something bad happening can be the same, if not actually worse, than if it were currently happening. Uncertainty can be scary as hell, especially in regards to the person you love.”
While, as Geordi had said, he did not find that to be a perfect explanation, he had no better hypothesis to posit. Even if he did not feel ‘fear’ and ‘uncertainty’ as a human would, they were the descriptors that best fit what he was experiencing.
“I have no other courses of action at the moment except to concede that is the most likely conclusion. I- I do not like it.”
Geordi took a step forward to reach a hand out to lay on his shoulder. There was no proven therapeutic benefit to such a gesture, but the intent itself- to bring comfort- was what achieved the attached positive effects.
“I wouldn’t think so. I promise I’m not going anywhere for a long, long while. I’m not leaving you.”
“Thank you, Geordi. I apologize for my unbecoming behavior.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m not happy you were upset, obviously, but it is- well, it’s flattering to know that someone would care so much if you were gone,” he was quiet for a moment, smile growing in size, “Hey, c’mere.”
Data knew where this was going.
There was no hesitation when he stepped forward.
Kissing Geordi was the sensory input he would miss the most if things were to change and they were seperated; he was absolutely, unequivocally, certain he did not want the situation where that happens to occur.
“I love you, Data. You won’t lose me.”
Maybe the expression he wore wasn’t a smile.
Maybe it was.
“I know.”•