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Chapter 1: ...and life continued
A lot of things happen in two years. Weather changes, people gets older, fashion changes,
and the world evolves. In Haddonfield, it was no difference.
Nowadays, you could seek for a Flesh Fair all over the country, but you wouldn’t find one. The
U.S. Government, along with other countries’ governments all over the world, voted for a special law prohibiting any
fairs where a Mecha would be mistreated, after a maniacal mecha hater named Lord Johnson-Johnson almost ripped appart a human
child, after he thought the child in question was a new model of teenage mecha named David. If it hadn’t been for the
farmer who started a riot by throwing a sac of sand at Johnson-Johnson, the teenage boy, whose real name was Trevor Sears,
would be lying in a grave today.
Mechas where more respected after this near tragic accident, and they were more and
more "human" and less robotic. Even mechanical toys where carefully repaired then given to charity when they became old and
outdated.
In the Swinton family, there was no difference either.
Shortly after Martin decided to terminate
his friendship with his "best pal" Todd, the spoiled brat moved to Los Angeles, where he became a drug addict. He was in recovery,
but the therapist was skeptical... Too much pressure from his parents, apparently. Martin wasn’t even saddened by this
fact, since because of Todd, the Swinton family would have lost David...
Martin, a few days after he heard about his
former pal, met the new girl in his school. Nathanielle Everrand was her name, and she moved to Haddonfield shortly after
David, the Mecha-child, became David, the Mecha-teen. She had long blonde hair and light green eyes.
Martin and the
girl loved each other instantly and since two years, they where still dating. When Martin brought Nathanielle home the first
time to present her to his parents, David, who wasn’t used to meet girls, couldn’t keep himself from staring at
her, as if he were trying to analyze her. And when Martin told Nat that David was a mecha, she was amazed by his realism and
got along with him very well. The one and only problem was, since David was trying to learn about the world, his curiosity
caused some conflict due to his constant presence around the young couple...
Since three is a crowd, Martin and Nathanielle
where sometimes bothered of not having enough intimacy and often Monica had to take David out of Martin’s bedroom so
they could be together... and alone!
Even if his mother was reading to him, David was distracted all the time by this
simple question: "What are they doing now and why do they want to do it alone?" Finding the answer became very difficult to
him.
Henry Swinton's life changed considerably too, and not only because he began to have gray hair growing on his
temples... Two months after David had this terrible accident that forced him to grow up, Henry became fond of David... a lot.
Then he loved him as his son. After a short hesitation, where he considered all the responsabilities that implicated what
he was about to do, he decided to imprint the teenage mecha, who started to call him daddy after the same procedures Monica
took when she decided to imprint the mecha when he was a child model.
That was at home.
At Cybertronics, something
big happened to him as well. Becoming Allen Hobby’s assistant (after Syatsoo-Sama retired) gave him a big promotion,
the one he never dreamed about only in his wildest dreams. However, nobody was aware of the reasons Syatsoo Sama retired,
except for Henry and Dr. Hobby...
Although it was known to every Cybertronics employee that the Asian technician loved
"testing" the new female lover-mechas, what they didn’t know was that he retired after a "love test" went wrong, and
almost let him handicapped for the rest of his life. Henry didn’t know the details, and wasn’t too sure if he
wanted to know anyways. He was only told that there was a lot of screams and blood... and that’s all he wanted to know.
Although
he was a mecha, David had a few changes in his life too. As time passed by, he became more aware of the world out there. When
Monica dumped him in the woods two years ago, she told him how sorry she was for not telling him about the world. Hearing
that made it look more scary to him.
After his body changed, Monica began to talk to him about the good things of
this planet, but also about the bad things. Sometimes he understood what his mother talked to him about, but some other times,
he didn’t. When it occured, Monica didn’t quit.
She brought him at the Haddonfield library and she would
show him books. One day, she told him about war. He couldn’t imagine what it looked like, so she showed him a very explicit
book on the subject, which showed pictures from the Biblic wars, to the Nazi Holocaust on the 20th Century, and the latest
wars in the world... Horrified by what he saw, he covered his eyes, asking his mother to put the book away. Monica saw David
being scared many times during the two years that followed his body changing, but never as much as he was that day. He was
so scared his whole body was shaking.
All members of the Swinton family were very protective with David, especially
Martin, with whom he became very close. Although Martin was always with his girlfriend, when he was alone with his brother
they played checkers, even if Martin was always losing (he got used to that), video games, minigolf and other outdoor stuff.
The
biggest change in David’s life was when Henry imprinted him. Since it was a new body, and a slightly new program, the
imprinting sequence was different, but the results were the same... He would never forget that day, when he finally got two
parents, and to his mind, fully became a member of the Swinton family.
"I’m gonna read some words to you, David,
so listen carefully and look at me all the time. You understand?" Henry said.
"Yes" David said. "Is it a game?" he
asked, as Monica smiled, remembering the same scene, so little time ago, when David used to have a softer, childish voice.
"Not quite." Henry said "Can you feel the touch of my fingers on the back of your neck, David?"
"Yes, Henry."
was the teen's answer.
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Okay then, let’s start. Ready? Rose. Cat. Cloud.
Sun. Moon. Hurricane. Love. Henry. David. Henry."
When he heard these words, David felt something he never felt for
Henry... He loved him. Loved him like a son loves his father. The expression on his face changed from a mere smile to a loving
and tender expression. At the moment, Henry, just like Monica, thought he had done something wrong, but David asked: "What
were these words for, daddy?"
Henry started to laugh as David fell in his arms, hugging him with love. Henry was kind
of caught by surprise, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he hugged David back. When Monica saw them, she smiled, and
knew what had happened, so she let them alone.
It was the second happiest day of his life, right after Monica became
his mother. When Martin heard about that, he was so happy he couldn’t help it, he hugged his brother saying: "Now we
are real brothers!"
Life had been good for the Swinton family. There was a lot of changes in their lives, good times,
some sad times too, when Henry’s mother passed away, but they were a happy family, and that was all that mattered.
The
only one who didn’t change was Teddy. He got a few patches here and there, but he was still there. Sometimes he had
difficulties to walk or talk, but he was still functioning. Since he was David’s only friend, the mecha teen couldn’t
stand being separated from him. He remembered how he felt when he lost him at the library... his immense worry, which caused
him to have nightmares...
If David was going somewhere, the bear followed. Even at the church. Henry talked about buying
an other one, but David refused: Teddy was his friend, and he didn’t want an other one. And since it was a gift from
Martin, Teddy was special to him.
_____________________________________________________
That day was a happy
one for Martin. Finally, school was over. Two months on vacation, without having to get up early in the morning, eating a
fast breakfast, then running to that boring place where nightmares are born.
Nightmares? In his mind, nightmare wasn’t
the word. Having homework, studying and sitting in a cold boring room all day long, especially when the sun was shining like
it was on that final day, was really pissing him off. And the fact he wasn’t in the same class with Nathanielle was
even worse.
When the bell rang for the last time, on that hot sunny day in the ending of June, Martin got out of his
chair so rapidly that it tripped over. He had run out of the classroom , leaving his pencil and the exam sheet behind, eager
to get to Nathanielle as fast as he could, so he could get her out of that fireless hell as soon as possible.
They
had met in the corridor, Nathanielle also running towards her boyfriend, both smiling at each other. As they hugged themselves
and shared a brief kiss, all the students around them were cheering for the end of classes. Some nerds weren’t enthusiastic,
but the rest of the school didn’t pay attention to them.
Martin took Nathanielle by the hand and they ran outside
of the building.
"You want an ice cream cone, Nat?" he asked, and the girl smiled.
"Of course!"
"Okay then,
YOU pay!" he said, and Nathanielle made a face.
"What?? Oh you’re just a bum, Martin Swinton!"
Nathanielle
knew Martin was joking. In two years, he had regained what he had lost during the time he was in cryogenic state: his sense
of humor. He hugged her and he said:
"Yeah, I’m a bum, and that’s why you love me so much!"
"Hum...
Maybe I should try to date David, what do you think?" Said Nathanielle with a wide smile.
"What? David?? He is a mecha,
in case you don’t remember!"
As Nathanielle started to laugh, Martin looked at her and smiled . She was so beautiful,
with her long loose blond hair, her light sparkling green eyes... The mild wind made her hair and her white tank dress float
in the air as they were walking towards the ice cream stand. Martin felt so lucky to have a girlfriend like her, open minded,
sweet and intelligent.
They were both studying in Dr. Hobby’s cybernetics' class (the only class he found interesting,
in fact) and they both wanted to work in Cybertronics when they finished school. When Nathanielle found out that David was
a mecha, she spent an hour asking him questions about his accident, how it felt to become a teen in only two days... Martin
was bored, but he didn’t do anything, because he knew that Nathanielle was going to see David often, so it was better
to let her satisfy her curiosity right in the beginning.
Although he knew that David was a mecha, and that Nathanielle
loved him, he wasn’t afraid to lose her like a certain man called Bevins did two years ago. When he found out that his
wife was cheating on him with a love mecha known as Gigolo Joe, he murdered her and put the blame on the mecha. After a short
pursuit, the mecha prostitute was caught but cleared of all blame when the police found out some blood samples on the husband’s
clothes. Gigolo Joe was reinstated a few hours later. According to rumors, he still works to satisfy every ladies, that still,
in these days, call him: “Gigolo Joe, what do you know?”
And Martin knew that David loved only four persons:
Martin himself, Teddy and, most important, their parents.
_____________________________________________________
Everything
in the Swinton family's house was calm and quiet. Monica was in the laundry room, washing the family's clothes, Henry was
at work, developing a new line of Adult Super Toys, a new secret virtual reality device, and David was reading a book in his
new bedroom, since Henry and Monica moved him out of the laundry room (where he used to "sleep") to another room next to Martin’s
old playroom. It was a medium sized room with walls painted in ocean blue decorated with movie posters.
David was laying
in his bed, reading the book "The Sixth Sense", inspired from a successful movie from the 20th century. Even if it gave him
the creeps, the mecha teen couldn’t stop reading the story about a young boy who could see dead people and the psychologist
who tried to help him with his scary powers.
Teddy was sitting on a chair, beside David’s bed, and he was sewing a patch on his
synthetic fur coat. The bear had changed a little, during those two years. It got older and the creamy colors of his fur were
faded.
David gave a glance at his furry, cuddly friend, and smiled. A common child would have got rid of Teddy because
he was old, but not him. He was deeply attached to the mechanical bear and, although he knew that one day, it would stop to
function, he never thought about that.
When he returned to his story, David lost his smile when he found out that
the boy in Cole Sears’ bedroom was a ghost with a blown skull.
_____________________________________________________
Everything
was quiet in David’s bedroom. The only sound that could be heard was the dryer in the laundry room. The mecha teen was
so focused in his story that he didn’t hear Martin and his girlfriend get in the house, neither their soft footsteps
in the stairs.
When both teens passed in front of David’s bedroom, they stopped in front of the door and Teddy
raised his head and looked at them. Martin put a finger on his mouth, signifying to the bear to keep quiet, and he smiled.
The bear took an interrogative expression and he raised an ear.
Martin looked back at Nathanielle, and whispered:
"Hey, Nat, let's play a little trick on him."
"Don't scare him, Martin." she said, exasperated."I'm sick of seeing
you scare him each time he is doing something. And remember what your mom told you if you would do it again." she added, and
Martin made a fake scowl.
"Aw, Nat, it’s just for fun"
"It might seem funny to you, but it’s not
for him."
Martin winked an eye and he said: "One last time, okay? I promise it will really be the last time."
Nathanielle
sighed and she threw her hands in the air, like if she was saying that she wasn’t going to take any responsibilities.
Martin made that evil smirk he used to have each time he was about to play a trick on David.
_____________________________________________________
Over
the past two years, he got the bad habit of playing innocent jokes to David, just for a good laugh. Nothing bad, only harmless
tricks that made him laugh, but exasperated his parents. They found these little jokes funny in the beginning, but they got
boring, just as they got for poor David.
As David turned the page, Martin took a deep breath and yelled with a loud
voice: "BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
The instant reaction of the mecha teen was beyond he could have expected in his wildest dreams.
David jumped out of his bed as he threw his book in the air and he fell on the ground, screaming of surprise.
As Martin
was laughing like an idiot, David sat on the floor and looked at his brother, a scared expression on his face. After a few
seconds, he stood up and he looked at Teddy to see if the bear had been scared, which he wasn’t. David took Teddy in
his arms and he asked with a trembling voice:
"Martin! Why did you do that? You scared me! Mommy told you not to do
that again!"
"It was just a joke, Dave!" Martin said, still laughing.
"That’s not my name, I am David!"
the blond teen protested.
"Oh, bummer!" Martin said, as he tried to stop laughing "It was just for fun."
"You
failed to amuse me, Martin." Said David, sitting on his bed.
Nathanielle entered the room and she sat down next to the
mecha, who was still holding his old bear, and she passed an arm around his shoulders.
"Martin promised it was the
last time he would do such a thing, David." she said, rubbing his shoulder "He promised me, and I know he wouldn’t lie
to his girlfriend. Right, Marty?" she added, as she threw a menacing glare to her boyfriend.
"Hmm...Yeah, it’s
true, I promised." Martin said, and he smiled "But it was worth it!" he admitted, in a last gasp of laugh.
Then Monica
entered David’s bedroom with a basket of clean clothes. She looked very upset, and when they saw this expression on
her face, Martin thought: "Uh-oh... Here comes trouble!"
Monica asked: "What was all that yelling and laughing all
about? Martin, did you scare David again?"
Teddy walked up to Monica, and touched her leg with his tiny, furry paw.
"Yes he did, mommy." it said, looking at Martin with an angry face.
"Blabber-mouth!" Martin said.
Monica sighed
with exasperation and she said:"Martin, I told you that you would be punished if you would do that again to your brother.
I've had it now, and your father will know about that!"
"Aw, mom! It was just for fun!" Martin pleaded. "Nat, tell
her!" he begged his girlfriend.
"I told him not to do it, Mrs. Swinton, but he didn’t listen. He promised it
would be the last time, though."
"I don’t care," Monica said. "He will get what he deserves. Tonight, young man,
you will prepare the supper as a punishment. And you'd better not botch the meal this time."
As he was getting out
of David’s bedroom, Martin mumbled something. Although he was a great cook for a boy of his age, he didn't really enjoy
having to prepare the supper.
"Wait for me in the kitchen, I’ll show you what to do for tonight." Monica said.
Nathanielle
followed her boyfriend in the kitchen, leaving David, Monica and Teddy alone. Monica put the basket on David’s bed and
she sat down next to him. She hugged him briefly and she said: "Hope you’re not too upset with your brother."
"No,
mommy, I’m not." David said, but Teddy raised his electronic voice.
"I am," it said, furrowing his brows.
Monica
smiled and she took him in her hands. She looked at the bear for a moment, then she said:
"Say, David. I was wondering,
since you don’t want another Teddy, what would you think if I would ask your dad to take him to Cybertronics to have
him fixed? You know, Teddy needs a big tune up... It would only be a good thing for him."
"I don’t want to be
separated from him." David hesitated.
"It would be for only a day, maybe two" Monica insisted.
"No, I won’t
leave him. Do you think daddy would let me come too?" he proposed.
"I dunno, David. I will ask him when he gets home,
okay?"
David made a wide smile and he said: "Thank you mommy."
Monica smiled and left the room. David looked
at Teddy, who was walking towards him, and he said: "How would you like to be new again?" And, as everytime he was confused,
Teddy's answer was:
"I don’t know, David."
Chapter Two: Mae's return... With an invitation
Two weeks later... In the middle of July.
A lot of things change: weather all
through the seasons, fashion through the passing of the years, the look of a person... Even a mere stone changes. Water erodes
it, just like the wind, through centuries and millenniums, changes the faces of the cliffs when it is blowing on them.
Mount
Rushmore, during many, many decades, was sculpted to represent the faces of four presidents of the United States. Now, the
faces were gone, though the mountain was still there. Some don't. Some hearts stay the same, either they are cold and dark,
or warm and loving.
But there's a thing that changes, even if it stays the same: friendship. A true friendship can
only become deeper, and turn into love. If it is cared of, it will continue to grow. If abandoned, it becomes hatred.
But
a true friend doesn't turn his back on those who trust in him. A true friend gets closer to you. A true friend will accept
you for what you are, whatever it is. A true friend is like the sun: you don't need to see him to know he's there... For you.
On
that hot and sunny day, Monica and David where about to be reminded about that...
____________________________________________________
7
a.m.
"David? Are you ready, son?" Henry asked from the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm coming, daddy!" David hollered,
as he was putting on a red tank top, matching the black short pants he'd already put on.
Teddy was sitting on his bed,
looking at the Mecha teen. David turned around to look at him and he asked:
"Are you ready, Teddy?"
"Yes, David.
We are going to Cybertronics?" the bear asked.
"Yep," answered David as he took the Mecha bear in his arms. "You're
going to be repaired and be brand new in no time."
David ran down the stairs and met his father at the front door.
Henry was carrying a black suitcase, and wore a navy blue suit with a white shirt and a black necktie. Monica was beside him,
wearing a pink gown, and she was kissing him good bye.
"I'm ready to go" the Mecha teen said.
"So am I" Teddy
added with a smile.
Henry and Monica both smiled at them and Henry opened the door. Monica hugged David and gave him
a kiss on his forehead before she said:
"Be good and listen to what it is said to you, okay honey?"
"Yes, Mommy."
David smiled, as he looked at her with his childish, yet mature expression.
"See ya both tonight, guys," Monica said.
"Bye,
Mon" Said Henry, as he hurried his Mecha son "Come on, David, we don't want to be late."
David ran behind Henry to
follow him as the cyberneticist was getting in the car and Monica closed the front door. As she looked them go away through
the window, she thought to herself: "It doesn't take too much to make him happy, and Henry is such a good father... I am just
happy I was blessed to have such a great family...""Mom?" Said a sleepy voice behind Monica.
Martin was standing at
the top of the stairs, looking at his mother with sleepy eyes. His hair was a real mess and it looked like he had a bad night,
which wasn't the fact because Monica, Henry, David (and even Teddy!) heard him snore like a bear that morning.
When
she saw her son looking like that, Monica couldn't keep herself from smiling and she said:
"What is it, Marty?"
"Have
David and dad gone for Cybertronics?" Martin asked, as he descended the stairs.
"Yes, honey. You want breakfast?"
"Hmm...I
guess."
They entered the kitchen and as Martin was sitting at the table, Monica took the frying pan and she threw two
eggs in it. Martin yawned and he asked:
"Say mom, why is it that Teddy is so important for David? I mean it's just
an old toy..."
"Well, David is not like any other children... Well not like any other teenagers. Teddy is his only
friend, you know, and even if at first I gave it to him while you where in cryogenic state, you gave it to him, you remember?"
Monica said, and smiled as she looked at his now younger son "David was a gift from you father to me, and that's what made
him so special to me. Teddy is a gift from you to your brother and that's why he is so special to him."
Martin smiled
and he said: "Well, the only thing that matters now is that Teddy will be fixed for a long time... Mom, you remember that
Nathanielle will be spending the day with us, right?"
"Yeah I know, and I am happy for you. Just don't forget that
I will be here too, in case you two get really romantic..." she said, raising an eyebrow "You see what I mean?"
"Mom..."
Martin said, as he started to blush in embarrassment.
Monica started to laugh and she added: "Just a little reminder..."
Martin
made a strange smile and he took an apple in the basket on the table.
_____________________________________________________
8
a.m.
An hour later, the doorbell rang.
Martin was in his bedroom, reading a book when he heard the voices of
his girlfriend and his mother at the front door. He jumped out of his bed and he ran down the stairs. Nathanielle was standing
in front of the door, waiting for him. She was wearing a shortened red tee-shirt and a short black skirt, and she was carrying
a green backpack. Her hair was loose and she was wearing sunglasses. Monica left the two teens alone and Martin hugged Nathanielle
before kissing her.
"How are you?" He asked.
"I'm happy, Marty." she answered with a smile.
"Happy? Why?"
Martin wondered, and she slightly punched him in the arm.
"You silly! I'm happy because I'll spend the day with you!"
Martin
smiled and took her by the hand. They went outside in the back yard and the sat down on the hammock.
"So... David isn't
here?" Nat asked.
"Nope, he's at Cybertronics with my father. Teddy is going to get fixed today." he answered "So,
besides my mother, we will be strictly alone."
Nathanielle put her head on Martin's shoulder and she said: "Hope it
will be a wonderful day."
"It already is... and things just getting started" he said, with a sly grin.
They looked
at each other, and as Martin was about to kiss Nathanielle, Monica said:"Hey you two! You want to help me clean the pool?
It would be done faster if I get an extra hand from you guys!"
Martin made a face that made Nathanielle laugh, and
he mumbled: "My mother sure knows how to spoil a romantic moment..."
"I think David got that from her" his girlfriend
giggled.
As Martin started to laugh, they stood up and they went to help Monica cleaning the pool.
_____________________________________________________
1
p.m.
At early afternoon, Martin and Nathanielle jumped into the pool, while Monica took a book and sat down on the
patio table, under the parasol. Martin was wearing a black swimsuit while Nathanielle had put on her two-piece light blue
bikini. Monica was also wearing her swimsuit, a dark green bikini, but she didn't feel like taking a dive for the moment.
She
opened the book she was carrying, a book about the solar system, and she had a quick look at the chapters speaking about the
planets and the sun. As she looked through the pages, she remembered that two days ago David had seen a special report from
the N.A.S.A. on T.V., saying that astronomers had found a planet similar to the Earth as it was six millions years ago, around
a star named Altair. Afterwards, the Mecha teen asked many questions on the subject to his mother. Monica knew David's curiosity
wouldn't be satisfied until he would get the answers he wanted to hear.
While Monica was reading a chapter about the
planet Mercury, Martin and Nathanielle were joyfully splashing water at each other. The sun, high in the sky, was shining
brightly and the weather had gotten warmer and warmer over the past few hours.
Martin decided to show his girlfriend
how courageous he was and he climbed on the highest diving board and jumped head first in the pool. He stayed under water
for a while, and as Nathanielle began to get concerned about him, he jumped out of the water behind her, grabbing her by the
waist, and he pulled her into the water.
Monica looked at them, and she smile as she saw Nathanielle's surprised reaction
to Martin's trick.
"Henry used to do that when were young, and I guess Martin got that joking thing from him..." she
thought, stiffling back a laugh, as she remembered that summer, one year before Martin's birth, when Henry took her to the
beach and her husband kept on picking on her (in a nice way), before he asked her to marry him, when the doorbell rang.
As
she was about to ask Martin to go answer (she was really getting into the book now), she realized that her son was soaking
wet... She got out of the chair and she entered the house.
When the bell rang for the second time, she said: "I'm
coming, please be patient!" as she hurried up, and thought "I wonder who it might be. We weren't expecting someone to come
here today..."
Monica opened the door and she froze, she hadn't expected that kind of surprise. Her friend Janet Williams
was standing in front of her, a big smile on her face. Beside her was standing Philip, her husband, and a tall beautiful teenage
girl.
"Monica! How you doin'?" Asked Janet as she took a surprised Monica in her arms to hug her.
"Well, I'll
be damned!" Answered Monica with a wide smile. "Janet and Philip Williams! What an unexpected surprise!""I guess you thought
we have forgotten about you!" Said Philip, hugging Monica.
"Well it's been two years now since we last met! Come in,
don't stay outside!" Monica said, as she encouraged her guests to come into the house.
The Williams came in and Monica
closed the door behind them. She looked at the teenage girl and she said: "And who is this pretty big girl?"
"Don't
tell me you don't remember me, Mrs. Swinton... I am Mae." the girl answered kindly.
"I know who you are, I was just
teasing you!" Answered Monica, giving a little hug to Mae, smiling again. "You grew up so much! Last time I saw you, you had
to raise your head to look at me in the eyes... And now it's almost my turn!"
In fact, Mae had grown up a lot. She
was almost as tall as Monica, and her coffee coloured hair was longer than before. She was wearing a light makeup on her beautiful
smiling face and she had put on a white long dress.
"I don't wanna be rude, Mrs. Swinton, but can I see David?" Mae
asked "I was so eager to see him again..."
Monica looked at the girl, and said: "I'm sorry but David isn't here."
Mae's
face took a concerned expression as she asked: "Oh no... don't tell me that something happened to him!" she said worried,
as Monica calmed her down.
"No, no, David's fine. He isn't at home, he's at Cybertronics. Henry took him there this
morning."
"He needed some adjustments?" Janet asked as they were walking to the patio.
"No" answered Monica
as she opened the door "You remember that he had a Teddy bear?"
"Ah yeah, it was pretty old." Philip said as they sat
under the parasol, and Monica talked again.
"Well, the toy needed to be fixed, but David wouldn't let Henry take him
alone. David has gotten very protective towards Teddy."
Monica looked at Martin and she said: "Hey Marty! Look who's
here!"
Martin turned around and he saw Mae, sitting beside her mother. The teenage girl greeted him with a little gesture
of the hand and he jumped out of the pool. He invited Nathanielle to follow him and he shook Philip's hand, saying:
"Hey
that's a great surprise! How are you doing?"
"That's Martin?" Janet said, with a whistle "Jeeze laweez! You grew up
big time too! And who is this pretty young girl?" she asked, as she looked at Nathanielle, who was beside Martin.
Nathanielle
blushed a little bit and Martin, passing an arm around her shoulders, said: "This is Nathanielle Everrand, my girlfriend.
Nathanielle, this is Janet Williams, my mother's best friend, her husband, Philip, and this is my friend, Mae."
"Hi
there!" Said Nathanielle. "Nice to meet you."
Mae had a little smile and she said: "So, you have a girlfriend now,
Marty... I'm a little bit jealous." She winked an eye, signifying she was just kidding. "D'you have any idea when David comes
back? We kept on writing to each other for a time, but he stopped two years ago... I kinda missed him."
Martin took
an uneasy expression and he said: "Hum.... Maybe there is something you should know about David."
"What is it?" Mae
asked, with an intrigued expression on her face.
"Come with us. I will tell you." he said. Mae stood up and she followed
Martin and Nathanielle and the sat on the hammock, under the shades of the trees.
Intrigued, Philip asked: "Monica, what's
wrong with David?"
"Nothing, really!" Said Monica with a smile. "He's just..."
As she was about to tell them about
the accident, David ran out of the house and stopped in front of Monica, holding Teddy in his arms, his face beaming of happiness.
"Look,
Mommy! Teddy's repaired!" he said with a joyful voice.
Janet and Philip looked at David with a shocked expression on
their faces, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice cubes over them.
Monica took the bear in her hands, a wide smile
on her lips, and she looked at him. The bear had a new light brown fur, with a few white spots all over his body, and he had
a new black nose. The bear smiled and said with the same tone of voice:
"Hello, Mommy, I am repaired."
"Hey,
it's amazing!" Said Monica. "It didn't take so long after all!"
"There was many people working on him, it made the
job easier" Answered David.
As she gave Teddy back to David, Monica asked: "David, do you remember my friends Philip and
Janet Williams?"
David looked at the -still- astonished couple, and said: "Yes I do. How are you doing?"
Janet
and Philip were just speechless. They hadn't realized yet that David had grown up.
"Where is Henry, David?" Monica
asked, distracting David's attention for a moment.
"Daddy's changing his clothes. Sorry, I gotta go show Teddy to Martin,
see ya!" he said.
David left and Monica watched him run towards Martin, Nathanielle and Mae.
"*THAT* was David?"
Asked Janet when she was finally able to speak. "And I thought that David was calling Henry by his name..."
"Yeah,
what happened?" Philip asked.
"It's a long story" said Henry as he walked out to the parasol, wearing a Hawaiian shirt
and a yellow short pant.
He shook hands with Philip, kissed Janet and sat down with them.
"Well, someone explain
to us! We are curious!" Janet said.
"Two years ago, shortly after we met, David had a terrible accident that crippled
him to death. His body was so damaged that he couldn't be repaired." Monica said, and Henry continued.
"Miraculously,
his memory cube was intact. But we couldn't find another body, and my boss, Allen Hobby, proposed to use another body. Back
then a secret project of a Mecha teen line was getting on and Dr. Hobby decided to use the teen prototype. It is the same
David you met two years ago, but his conscience was transferred in this new body"
"And why he is calling you Daddy
now?" Asked Janet.
"Oh, I just imprinted him after a while." Henry answered, and smiled "I guess Monica's love for
David was contagious, because I consider him as my son now."
"And... what about Martin?" Asked Philip.
"They
are brothers now," Answered Monica with a mild smile.
_____________________________________________________
At
first, Mae didn't notice him. She was so concentrated on listening to Martin talking about the accident David had two years
ago that she didn't hear David's footsteps in the grass and when she heard a deep voice saying:
"Look, Martin! Teddy
looks brand new!"
Mae looked up and saw the handsomest teenage boy she had ever seen. Her jaw simply dropped, and she
couldn't say a single word. All she could do was staring at David, with a hypnotized expression on her face. At first, she
didn't realize that it was David who was standing in front of her. The only thing she could recognize, apart from his beautiful
smile, was his big deep blue eyes.
Then, when she saw Teddy, only then she was sure it was truly her longtime Mecha
friend.
"D-David?" She stuttered with a weak voice. "Is... Is that really you?"
"Yes, I am David Swinton, and
this is my friend Teddy." he answered in that deep voice Mae had never heard before. Then he looked at Mae, with a confused
expression on his face.
Martin rolled his eyes, and said: "David, you must remember Mae Williams, right?"
David
looked thoughtful, as he said "Hum... I remember the name, but the face isn't familiar"
"Well it's because she grew
up, you silly!" Replied Martin with a smile. "Don't you remember, two years ago? Just before your accident?"
David seemed
to be searching in his memories, and something dawned in his mind. He looked at the girl in front of him with deep surprise,
and then he said: "Oh yes, I do remember... Mae, you changed a lot!"
After a short silence, Mae could finally find
the strength to answer: "Well you sure did too, David! Martin, why didn't you tell me that David grew up?"
"That's
what I was about to tell you when he arrived..." Martin said.
"Just wait a second! How could he have grown up? He is
a Mecha, isn't he??" Mae asked.
Martin smiled and with a patient tone in his voice, he said: "Mae, if I could have
finished, I would've told you that after the accident, his memory cube was transferred in this body. Now, instead of being
a Mecha child forever, he will be a Mecha teen forever."
"Whew...amazing" Said Mae. "So... how old are you supposed
to be, David?"
"About fifteen years old" he answered "And you?"
"I'm thirteen now."
Mae was answering
to David's questions like a robot. His face... She couldn't get her eyes away from his face! As David showed the repaired
Teddy to Nathanielle, Martin whispered to Mae:
"If you keep on looking at him like that, people will think you have
a crush on him..."
Mae didn't answer, but she knew that she was already falling hard and fast for David... When she
was eleven, the first time she met him, she already felt something deep for him, although she knew he was a Mecha. He was
so cute when he was a child... But now, as she observed him, seeing him as a teenage boy, who was taller than her, she felt
her heart beating like crazy, like it would jump out of her chest.
"I'm being silly... I can't fall in love with a
Mecha! I am a human being... So why can't I take my look away from him? He looked so real before... But now he looks like
a real teen!" she thought.
Nathanielle and Martin decided to jump back in the pool, while David followed them, walking
behind, Teddy walking by his side. The bear suddenly stopped and turned around, then walked back towards Mae. She smiled at
the bear as he said:
"Aren't you coming, Mae?"
"In a minute, Teddy." she answered. The bear looked at her questioningly,
and a slight frown appeared on his face.
"You seem to be thinking about something." it finally said.
Mae took
the toy in her hands and she said: "What are you? A mind reader? Yes I am thinking."
"About what?" the bear inquired,
as he moved his stubby legs.
"Why didn't David tell me about him in his letters?" she asked.
The bear scratched
the back of his head with his paw and said: "I don't know, Mae. But I know that he was often talking about you to mommy."
"He
didn't even show me he was happy to see me again." she said sadly, and suddenly she felt a furry paw touch her chest.
"David
has changed, but his heart stayed the same."
Mae smiled and said: "Well you changed a lot too, Teddy. You look really
good now! I wish I could have a bear like you..."
"No, I stay with David!" Said Teddy with a scared tone in his electronic
voice as he jumped out of Mae's hands to run after David.
Stunned, Mae thought to herself: "What kind of reaction was
that??"
_______________________________
The Swintons and the Williams were all sitting at the table: Henry
at on end of the rectangular table, Monica at the other end, Nathanielle, Martin and David (who kept Teddy on his knees) on
one side and on the other side, Mae and her parents. Mae was sitting in front on David and was practically unable to eat from
her plate.
She knew that David was staring at her with a little smile on his lips, while Teddy was staring at her with
an angry face.
Apparently, the bear had misunderstood what she said. Of course she never had the intention on taking
Teddy from David. Occasionally, she gave the Mecha teen a shy and fast glance and each time she did so, she blushed. She wasn't
paying too much attention to what the adults were talking about, and she evasively answered to Martin and Nathanielle when
they spoke to her. The only one who didn't say a single word was David. Teddy was asked how it felt to be new again and he
gave a funny answer that Mae didn't catch, but made everybody laugh.
"I'm not old and stupid anymore," said the bear,
as he looked at Martin, remembering when he called Teddy like that when he came back from the cryogenic room.
Then,
Philip came up with the real reason of their visit to the Swintons: "Say guys, Janet, Mae and I have thought about a little
something. How would you like to come spent the month of August at our residence on the beach, in New Florida?""It would be
great!" Monica said "Henry, do you think you could come too?"
"Well, I dunno. Maybe I can fix something up with professor
Hobby, but I am not certain he will agree... We are coming up with a new virtual reality device, you remember?"
"Hey
Henry, you've tested two big prototypes for the company, and you have always been loyal to Cybertronics, so I don't see why
your boss would refuse you some days off..." Said Janet with a smile.
"Henry you have been working on that device for
over a year and a half now and you never took any vacations." Said Monica. "You need to take care of yourself."
"And
it would make a change to go spend our family vacation somewhere else than the New Jersey" Martin added, as he took Nathanielle's
hand, and he added "And maybe Nat will be allowed to come too?"
"Of course" Philip said "if her parents and yours don't
mind, your girlfriend can come too, Marty."
"Will I be allowed to bring Teddy along with me, Philip?" David asked,
a little bit anxious.
"Of course, Teddy will come with you," Janet smiled. "Although people may find a little bit strange
too see a fifteen-year-old boy carrying a Teddy bear along with him."
They all laughed, except for Mae who said: "David
isn't like any other boys"
They looked at her, surprised by what she said, and David, smiled, saying: "I know, I am David."
Mae
looked at him and she said: "I know who you are, that's why I said that" Mae looked at Janet, and said "Mom, can I go outside?
I'm not very hungry."
"Sure, honey" her mother answered, and Mae left the table.
David looked at Monica, an
interrogative expression on his face.
"Is there something wrong, mommy?" he asked.
"No" answered Janet, with a giggle
"Each times she acts like that, it's because she has a little crush on someone."
"A crush... on who?" Teddy asked.
"Well,
she often blushed when she was talking about Martin..." Philip explained, causing Martin to blush, as he looked at Nathanielle
in embarrassment.
Nathanielle sneered and said:"Maybe you should to talk to her, Marty."
"I wouldn't even know what
to say... And where to start" Martin hesitated, but he left the table and got outside.
Martin found Mae sitting on
the hammock and he ran towards her. He sat down beside her and he said: "Mae, is there something wrong?"
"I dunno...
Maybe." she said, with doubt in her voice.
"Oh... and what's wrong?" he asked.
"I guess... I am in love..."
she said, and Martin looked at her.
"Oh yeah? And who's the lucky guy?"
Mae's answer left Martin speechless
and he almost fell from the hammock.
"I may be crazy, but..." Mae paused, and then said "I guess I have a crush on
your brother..." This single sentence made Martin's eyes jump out of their sockets.
"Wha... David?!?!" Answered Martin
after a few seconds of silence.
Mae sighed and said: "I know he is just a Mecha... But..."
"Hey, I won't judge
you on that one" Martin said. "But there's a problem. David knows nothing about love... Well, he does, but not THAT kind of
love."
"I know, Marty..." Mae started to cry and Martin took her in his arms to comfort her. "He didn't even show me
he was happy to see me again..." she cried.
"Believe me, Mae, David is happy to see you again. He was always talking
to us about you... and especially to mom." he said "Give him some time, and he will come to you. I remember last time we met,
you were always with him and it used to piss me off, because I was so selfish and idiot it blinded me."
"What blinded
you?" she asked.
"My arrogance and my jealousy. I changed and realized how real and human he could be when he saved
my life two years ago and now, I could do anything for him. He is my brother and I want him to be happy. When he is confused,
he asks questions, many are so damn complicated we have to talk to professor Hobby to have an answer to give to David. But
he learns. He was programmed to love his parents, but not his brother, especially a brother that hated him the first part
of his existence... But he loves me now, and he loves Teddy. If he can feel that for a friend and a brother, there are no
reasons he can't learn how to love a girlfriend. Talk to him, when you are ready. When you know what you really want to say
to him, to make sure you don't confuse him. Now get a hold on yourself and put a smile on that beautiful face..." he said,
and she smiled slightly "Don't tell Nathanielle I said that... She's kind of jealous sometimes..."
Mae started to laugh
and she wiped the tears from her eyes. As she nodded, David came by, Teddy following behind.
"Martin, Nathanielle wants
to talk to you." David said.
"Okay, I leave you two alone." Martin answered, and whispered "David, be nice." he warned
to his -now older- brother.
David twisted his eyebrows and he asked Mae: "What did he mean by that? I'm always nice."
"You
are, David." Said Teddy.
"No, he isn't." Mae disagreed, and Teddy frowned.
David looked at her and asked, worried:
"No? Why do you say that? What did I do wrong?"
"You didn't show me you were happy to see me..." she said, and David
smiled.
"But I am happy, Mae." he said.
"Well... why didn't you hug me?" Mae asked, and was answered by David's
surprised glare.
"Hug you? Why?" he asked.
"It's a way to show your friends you are happy to see them again."
she explained.
"Well..." David pondered "You didn't hug me either, Mae. Does it mean you were not nice to me?"
Mae
smiled and said: "Boys hug first, especially if it's a girlfriend." David seemed to understand.
"Okay..." he said,
and he held Mae in his arms a few seconds, but it wasn't even a hug.
"I guess I'll have to show him" Mae thought,
and she took David in her arms and she squeezed him against her body for a long moment, then David imitated her. She smiled
at him and she asked: "Are you happy to see me again, David?"
"Yes, I am." David smiled "You want to play a game?"
"I
would be delighted." Mae answered, and David took her by the hand, as he said:
"So let's go!"
"Wait!" Teddy
said, pulling on Mae's dress with his paw.
"What is it, Teddy?" she asked, surprised.
"Hug me too." Replied
the bear throwing his little arms towards the girl.
As she took Teddy in her arms, giggling, Mae looked at David and thought: "It might sound
silly, but it's worth to try it out!"
To Be Continued...
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