Big O Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Uncertainty ❯ Chapter 2

No, you're not dreaming. This fic is really getting updated. I'm not much of an advocate of this "no NC-17" policy ff.net has put into effect, BUT, hopefully this will help people writing good fics that don't have graphic sex to get readers. I admit, I put sex in a lot of my stories just to get them read, not because it was important to the plot. Now enough preaching and on with the fic.

Roger descended the basement stairs with the urgency of a madman, hopping over banisters and skipping several steps at a time. He hit the bottom running and shot through the corridor. Flinging the doors open he burst into Norman's laboratory.

"Sir, I…" Norman stammered quickly slamming the phone down, cutting off his conversation with the person on the other end.

"I found a note from Beck, he did this."

"I'm afraid she can't be reactivated. Without her control disk, I can't do anything."

"Can't you make a new one?" Distraught, Roger ran his hand through his messed up hair. Norman sighed and grasped his friend by the shoulders, turning him toward the doors.

"Maybe it would be best for both of us to call it a night." Hanging his head, Roger shuffled into the hall and up the stairs. "We'll work on her again in the morning and I'll look into making a new disk."

"That would be good." Roger turned to the older man "I trust you, Norman, to make her whole again." Norman smiled faintly.

"I shall do my best."

~*~

They had her. He was doing all he could, fighting wildly as they pulled her away from him, kicking and screaming. His hand shot out, grabbing hers in a death like grip, but her cold skin slowly slid from his fingers.

Roger sat up in an instant, eyes burning from the morning light trickling in through the drapes. Falling back onto the pillow he gave a small sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had been fighting this dream all night. Every time he had her hand in his only to be pulled away.

He contemplated getting up but decided against it, opting to spend some more time in bed. He lay there staring at the ceiling the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, occasionally dropping off into a light doze.

Suddenly Norman came into the bed room, rousing him from one of these naps.

"Sir, I've already called and cancelled three appointments. But Major Dastun called and said your assistance is needed in dome two."

"He needs Big O?"

"Yes, that's what he said."

"Too bad." Roger answered monotonously.

"But master Rog…"

"I said too bad! Now leave me alone." Roger shoved his head under the pillow.

"This is really no way to act; Dorothy not being here shouldn't affect your ability to protect the city."

"Norman. Get. Out." He could take a hint, but the city was in danger. He debated dragging Roger from bed, but decided it wouldn't do any good if he wouldn't pilot the mega dues. Straightening himself, Norman turned on his heel and exited the room.

Two hours later he was back, wheeling a cart of food into the room. Roger was still lying in bed, but he had thrown the top blanket off and was just under the sheet.

"I brought you something to eat. It's a little early for dinner but you haven't eaten all day, so I thought, `what the heck?'."

"That's fine, leave it there."

"Don't you want to know what happened in the dome?"

"Not really." Roger said, sitting up.

"Good, I knew you would. After I phoned him back to tell him you wouldn't be there, Dastun decided to take drastic measures." Norman took the lid off some steaming food items. "They shot rockets and missiles at it for a half hour then when that didn't work, they knocked a building onto it. This is in the middle of the day during the work week; needless to say the building was full of people. They pinned it to the ground where they shot torpedoes at it. They finally broke through the metal casing and were able to shut it down. Still many people died because you weren't there."

"Did I know anybody who worked there?"

"Probably not."

"Then remind me why I care."

"I just thought you should know." He said and exited the room. Roger gazed out the window as he ate his food.

The rest of the week was about the same. Roger rarely got out of bed, and when he did it was only to see if Norman had fixed Dorothy yet.

One day he sat staring at his easel. He looked at the half finished canvas and empty pallet. How sad it looked, unfinished and without its object of desire. He missed her, with all his heart.

Walking over to the easel he picked up a new canvas and removed the old one. He squeezed several oil paints onto the pallet and picked up an unused brush. Strokes soon glided over the bareness, black, and red, green, blue; all colors he had in his head as he pictured her sitting at the grand piano, at his side. He missed the way she spoke to him, cutting him no slack. He missed the way she walked around the house, quietly without bothering him. He also missed the way she would play the piano, waking him up in the morning. He could hear it now, as though she was there.

Roger stopped painting and listened to the piano solo in his head. It was so real in his ears; he could feel the vibrations under his feet of the keys striking the strings inside their wooden house. He looked around the canvas at the piano, and she was there.

He looked back to his painting, then around at the piano; she was still there, continuing her tune.

"Come here, Roger. I want to talk to you."

"Dorothy?" His voice was barely above a whisper, his tongue thick and dry in his mouth.

"Yes, Roger, come here." He nodded dumbly and ran to the piano bench, sitting down but careful not to touch her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because you want me here."

"How…what?"

"It's okay. It's just the way you painted it…well…you're wearing nicer clothes in the painting."

"I…I don't understand."

"I'm here, because you painted me here." His breath became heavy as his hand crept to her neck. His eyes widened when his fingers touched the skin near her collar. It was warm! "The painting doesn't know I'm an android because in your mind I'm not."

"I can't…believe this." Roger stammered. Both of his hands were on her, feeling her, verifying the impossible.

"Shh…" Dorothy put a finger to his lips to quiet him. "Just sit." She pulled him to her and lightly kissed his forehead. He began to sob and buried his face in her shoulder, letting her protect him.

"I shouldn't have left you. You wanted to come; I should have let you come with me. This wouldn't have happened if…"

"If this, if that. There's nothing you could have done, accept it and let it be." He sat up; it was his turn to hold, to be the protector. She followed as his arms guided her to his chest.

"You would never have let me do this yesterday."

"You don't know that."

"Why are you so human all of a sudden?" He asked with a laugh.

"Because you want me to be."

To be continued…

A/N: Woo! Chapter two! I'd like to make 25 reviews before the next chapter. Can we do it, kids?! *kids all respond with a joyous "YES"* I knew we could. You hold up your end of the deal and I'll hold up mine. As always, comments, complaints are always welcome (as long as their done in a civil manner).