The Complication

With Great Power...

Author's Note: Thank you all for your ongoing support with this series.

Some elements from this chapter reference events in The Case. If you haven't read it – I highly recommend it!

If you don't want to read it, then please understand that The Case is my retelling of Measure of a Man (ie: Bruce Maddox). Just as in the original source material, the court eventually rules in Data's favour.

Unlike the show, there are some additional things that happen with that: Data and Tasha become engaged, Data is granted full Federation citizenship, and Tasha is presented with an interesting job opportunity.

This particular arc for "The Suit" is a three-parter. I just couldn't condense it all into one!

And now - onto part two:

-X-

"You know it's really not fair restricting us to quarters," Riker grumbled. "See? We can be out and about without causing any problems."

"Lieutenant Hawk may disagree with you on that point," Tasha said.

Worf muttered something under his breath.

"I do not enjoy being stuck in my quarters either," Worf chimed in.

"It's like I've got all this energy to burn and nowhere to go," Riker lamented.

"Keiko lent me her zen garden. Thought it would help," Miles said.

"And did it?" Tasha asked.

Miles shook his head and took a swig from his pint glass.

"Broke the little rake first time I picked it up," Miles confessed. "I've got a lot of making up to do when we get out of this."

His eyes suddenly went wide with fear.

"If we ever get out of this," Miles added.

"Oh I'm sure Data and Geordi will think of something," Tasha said with an air of confidence.

Worf quirked an eyebrow in Tasha's direction, and she quickly dropped her gaze to her plate.

"Oh?" Worf pressed.

Tasha shrugged as she poked at her plate.

"Do you know something?" Miles asked. "Are they close?"

"I just know he's working hard," Tasha said, desperate to end any further inquiries.

"You seemed pretty confident a moment ago," Riker observed.

Tasha's face flushed with embarrassment. Under pressure, she was effortless cool. She could hold her composure on the Bridge, during hostage negotiates, and didn't even break a sweat during interrogations.

But the second her relationship with Data became the subject of the topic of conversation Tasha couldn't help but get flustered.

"He's personally motivated to solve this particular crisis," Tasha said without looking up.

Tasha's cheeks were burning.

"T," Riker said with a knowing smile.

"Well it's bad enough being stuck in this suit, trapped in our rooms and we can't even run around the holodeck or-" Tasha began to say.

"Roll around in bed," Riker offered.

Tasha stopped and groaned. Her shoulders slumped.

"Right," she sighed.

"Amen to that," Miles said, raising his glass.

After a soft 'clink' the four friends downed the last of their latest round. The concern about wetting the suit again had long since passed. Ever since the first incident, the nanocytes had adapted. Now they were taking care of that particular problem.