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With the recent kidnap of Picard by the Borg, and Commander Riker and himself both promoted up a level, Data was acting mildly... Strange. Not in a bad strange like he was under an evil influence, but a side of Data never quite seen before. It seemed familiar, mildly, just the tiniest bit familiar to Counseller Troi. But feeling something from the "Android with no feelings" seemed... Illogical, Impossible, Incorrect...
Data heard a chime, one that was that someone was requesting to enter his quarters. "Come in." His talking-whisper voiced.
The door opened, Counsellor Troi on the other side of it. She smiled sympatheticly, inviting herself to sit down on the sofa next to the android.
"Data," her smile changed to a face of concern and seriousness, "Data are you alright?" She moved her arm to hold the androids far shoulder, her Black betazoid eyes deep and worried.
"All my operations are functioning correctly Councellor." Data paused, turning his head towards the betazoid, eyebrows moving making him look like he had a more, curious, questioning like gaze. "Why do you ask? Do you believe I am functioning Inadequately?"
"No, I just-" she turned from the android, gazing towards the walls of his quarters. "I'm, I'm feeling something from you." Her eyebrows knitted together. "I know that you don't have emotions exactly, but what I feel from you, right now, is... Similar to what the bridge felt when Yamato blew." She crossed her left leg over her right, and adjusted her position to be facing Data more, using her left hand to grab onto his left hand. Her right hand started brushing down Data's back. "You're... You're sad. You miss Picard..."
"Of course." Data nodded. "He was a friend, and when one loses a friend, one becomes lonely, and 'misses' the presence such friend once gave." There appeared to almost be a build up of optical lubricant in data's muted yellow eyes, as he turned his gaze from the councellor to the closed door of his quarters.
"I'm sorry Data." Troi almost wimpered, her black eyes becoming watery, as she tried to blink it away while pulling Data in for a soft, gentle, hug, who then, after mild confusion, wrapped his arms around troi like she had wrapped her arms around him.
"Councellor, why are my eyes more wet than normal?" He asked.
"Because... You are... Sad. Has Geordi fixed you up with an emotion... Thing?" Troi muffled, bearing the weight of the newly formed depression in the crew.
"No Councellor. My hardware has not changed since boarding the enterprise, or since I was first activated." There was some cold lubricant on his cheeks.
"Data, it may be small, but you do feel things."
And with that, the android questioned, yet again, how truly human he may actually be.