1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

a little baby robot lay on her back in the damp grass, smiling with orange eyes at me. she giggled sweetly, "hi, mommy!"

"hey sweetheart." i nuzzle my visor against hers, "i found you!"

"haha! i was always here, silly!" the little robot jumped up and ran away, "come on! play with me!"

can you find me again?

ooo

eve #2 "aya" opened her yellow eyes against nos-4-a2's chest, feeling uncomfortably hot under the thick blanket. she looked up into the sunlight streaming through the window, squinting from the

ightness. she didn't even remember what the robot in her dream looked like, but it definitely wasn't fletcher. it was someone else. someone who didn't exist.

"ugh..." aya pushed away from her husband, rubbing her screen tiredly. she was normally good at getting up early, but something about that dream made her want to stay asleep. she hovered into the air and down the stairs with all the excitement of a dead animal.

"hiya, mom!" fletcher sat down on the couch, having just turned on the tv, "thanks for not making

eakfast this morning!"

"sorry, fletcher..." aya stretched groggily, "i overslept..."

"i forgive you. even though i went hungry this morning."

"you did?"

"just kidding. i took a capsule from the storehouse."

aya joined him on the sofa, "are you always like this? or am i just tired?"

"no. this is just a momentous occasion!" fletcher slapped his knee, "my mother sleeping in past ten am!? my mind is blown!"

"har har..." aya sunk into the fluffy cushions, "i just had a weird dream..."

"a dream?" fletcher began flipping channels, "what happened in your dream, you burnt the lasagna?"

"no...i had another child."

"you did?" fletcher paused, glancing at his mother, "i thought you and dad didn't want another child?"

"well..." aya huffed, sliding further into the couch, "that was a decision we made when i was pregnant with you. you know, like sixty years ago."

"sixty seven, i'm currently sixty six years old." fletcher replied, "so you've since changed your mind or something?"

"have i? i don't know..." aya squeezed her eyes shut, "ugh...should i!?"

"sweetheart?" nos had woken up, "is something wrong?"

"shouldn't you be at work?" was aya's response.

"i didn't want to leave you alone." nos floated over to him and lifted aya into his arms, holding her in his lap as he sat down.

"that's sweet, nossy..." aya giggled.

"mom wants another kid!"

"wha-! hey!"

fletcher bolted away.

aya growled, "it's not concrete! i just had a stupid dream, that's all! i-i-i don't really...um...want another kid..."

she felt herself sinking into nos' lap.

"aya..."

she looked up into his eyes, "yeah?"

he leaned over to plant a kiss on her visor, "we can have another child."

she gasped, "really? you're okay with that?"

"if it would make you happy..."

she twisted around so she was facing him, "it would..." she kissed his smiling lips, "mmm..."

she hovered into the air, filled with renewed energy, "i'll be at work! we can try for a child tonight!" she giggled.

nos felt the heat creep up his face as he smiled with her. he loved seeing her so happy.

ooo

like 30-something years later or something...

vivian drained a new battery with a lingering disgust, watching the moon rise above the dark sky. her red wings lifted slightly above her head, waiting for the last rays of the sun to drop below the horizon. one sharp talon traced the edge of her windowsill. maybe her dark dungeon below the mansion kept her too isolated. she hadn't seen another robot in a while.

there came a knock on the door of her room, "vivian?"