Lavender Dreams

Authors Notes: Post-S4 fic. Diverging after 'Null-Bot of the Bride'. Multiclassgeek gets the blame for this one.

I was walking in the park
Dreaming of a spark

Fading orange light from the fading cyber sun filtered down through the distant clouds, warming the ground as the day-cycle slowly wound down.

Bob ran his hands through his hair wearily, frowning slightly when he ran out of hair sooner than expected, not quite used to being back in his 'old' format again, despite the relief his appearance seemed to engender in everyone else.

It had been a long cycle at the network port. Everyone who came through from the net had to be fully virus-scanned and file-checked, just to make sure. The same went for any outgoing traffic. It meant long cycles of work for the resident Guardian, even with Mouse, AndrAIa and Matrix's help, and it was a relief to finally be able to log off and grab some downtime.

He took the long route home, turning his zip board down past Floating Point Park. He had found that lately he needed a little time to unwind before he went home, and a relaxing trip home usually did the trick.

As much as he had initially been against Dot's plan to open Mainframe up to limited net travel, he had to admit it had made a difference to the place, it seemed somehow...brighter, more energetic, as though a spark that had been missing since before the Web Wars had somehow returned, and he could hardly argue with Dot's original assertion - Mainframe really did need to trade.

An image flashed up in his processor - of Dot's face during that discussion. Her mouth set firmly, her violet eyes flashing with determination. The memory sent a flash of obscure pain right through his core-com. Bob hardly noticed, almost accustomed to those feelings by now as he resolutely pulled his mind away from thoughts of the managed a warm smile as he caught sight of the two sprites sat in their usual spot Floating Point Park. Jerona and Denary were a pair of artistic types, and had been among the first visitors to arrive in Mainframe.

"Ladies," Bob greeted them politely, bringing his zip board down to land.

"Evening, Guardian," Jerona smiled, Denary's only reply was a shy wave as she hid behind her open paint screen.

"What's processing?" He asked as he took a seat on the grass next to where Jerona had her keyboard rig set up. She played a few twinkling notes before she replied,

"The usual," Jerona shrugged, "I've got another gig at Club Heat Sink, and Dena over there might have secured some space for her gallery."

"Really?" Bob exclaimed, glancing over at the pale young artist, "Well done, Dena!"

"Thank you," She said demurely, lowering her dark eyes. Bob took that opportunity to try and peek around the paint screen and see what she was creating, but Dena minimised the screen before he could see.

"Why won't you ever let me see what you're painting?" He said with his best pout.

"Not until it's finished, my dear Guardian," She replied coyly.

Bob looked up as Jerona's jaunty keyboard playing was interrupted by the distinctive sound of a vid window opening.

"Greetings young Guardian," Phong said from the window.

"Hi, Phong," Bob replied casually.

"My apologise for interrupting, but you are due to report to the Principle Office for a medical scan,"

Bob rolled his eyes and stood up, "I'll be there in a nano, Phong," The Guardian replied with a sigh. Phong nodded and the vid window snapped closed.

"No rest for the wicked, hmm?" Denary commented slyly.

"Something like that," He smiled as he unhooked his zip board from his belt, "Catch you two later, ok?"

"You better be at my concert, Guardian!" Jerona called as he sped away.

---

Cool twilight had settled across Mainframe, making all the lights and ad windows glow brightly in the soft purple shadows.

The only exception was the Principle Office, still brightly lit against the closing dark.

Inside the P.O, the sat staring blankly at a display before her, trying to make sense of the information on it. It wasn't all that complex, just a run down on the current level of incoming and outgoing traffic from the Port, but every time she tried to look at it, the information seemed to swirl and dance before her eyes. With a sigh, she pulled off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes.

"A wise sprite is one that listens to her body's needs." Phong's voice intoned from her left. Dot almost jumped out of her chair.

"Phong! I...uh...I didn't hear you come in."

"That much is in evidence, my child," Phong said, tilting his head, "Perhaps that is a sign that it is high time you went home and accessed some downtime."

Dot's processor raced, searching for a suitable excuse. She knew that it was Bob's turn for a medical scan at some point this millisecond, and she wanted to avoid running into him. She knew it was a cowardly thing to do, but she wanted any 'Conversations' (with a capital C) to be on her terms, when she had had a chance to prepare. So she had hidden in her office all day, only emerging for her own scheduled med scan early in the cycle.

"Bob has already been for his scan, you have no reason to hide any longer." Phong stated serenely before she could form an excuse. Dot stared at him for a moment, and then sighed ruefully, remembering that the wise old sprite tended to miss very little of what was going on - particularly among his friends.

"Thanks, Phong. I should go home and check on Enzo." She said, managing to dredge up a ghost of a smile, "But keep me informed for if..."

"Go, Child," Phong interrupted, "I will tell you if anything untoward happens, but now you should rest and be with your family." The old sprite gently shooed her out of the door.

Family. That caused a pang to go through her, a strange bittersweet feeling.

Family. Bob should be part of her family by now. Instead there was a barrier between them, built up of his insecurities and of her doubts...of her outright betrayal.

Dot was glad that the night hid her tears as she zipped home.

---

Phong watched the departing with a sigh of regret. He could see her pain, reflected clearly in her eyes. It was hard to watch her torturing herself, harder still to see that same pain reflected in another, just as tortured.

He loved them both as his own children, Bob and Dot had earned a special place in his core com, just as Enzo, Mouse, AndrAIa and Matrix had. They were as dear to him as sprites compiled from his own code, and it was truly difficult to watch their pain and confusion.

He could only stand by, offering his own brand of wisdom and advice when he was asked, but he could never directly interfere - this was one issue they had to resolve themselves, or it would never be resolved at all.

The old sprite rolled slowly towards the medical bay, intending to go over the medical scans that had been taken in the past cycle and make sure nothing was amiss.

The scans had been Dot's idea and Phong had readily agreed after she had pointed out that they could have caught the problems Bob had been having after merging with Glitch much sooner had a regular program of scans been running. It was sensible, practical, and contained heavy overtones of Dot's typical mothering instinct.

A few taps of spindly fingers against the keys called up the first set of scans - it happened to be Bob's. Phong took out the flask of hot cocoa and poured himself a cupful, leaning back to contemplate the screen. Everything seemed to be in order. Indeed, his young charges all seemed to be in disgustingly good health, all things considered.

Then something...odd...caught his eye.

He stared at that section of the screen for a moment, where the run-time increment was displayed. At first, he didn't understand what had struck him as unusual...and then it hit him.

'Surely, I have mis-remembered.' He thought to himself, 'I am getting old, and my memory access is not what it once was.'

Just to make sure, he called up one of Bob's previous scans, made when he was still merged with Glitch. His recall hadn't been faulty after all. He called up another scan, made before the Web Wars, and a sudden cold feeling almost froze his processor.

"Oh, dear." He whispered.