CHAPTER 1

It was the first night of the new Mainframe and the heroes of Mainframe were celebrating at Dot's Diner, along with some of the binomes that had helped free the system. Dot and Bob sat at the bar. Bob was telling Dot about the web, leaving out the some of the more unpleasant details. It had been a big day for them, finding each other's true bar talking of their past. Ray seemed quite impressed with Mouse's history of hacking feelings for each other for the first time. Ray and Mouse were on the other side of the. Mouse was also very interested in her web rider. Phong also sat at the bar having a conversation with Cecil. AndrAIa and Matrix sat in a booth toward the back. AndrAIa heaved a sigh of relief. Mainframe was finally safe and she was home with Matrix. She looked at Matrix and smiled. They're game-hopping days were finally over after what seemed like a lifetime.
"Something wrong?" asked Matrix.
"Yes," she replied. Matrix wondered what could possibly be wrong on such a joyous night.
"What is it?" he asked. AndrAIa wasted no time in replying.
"You're not kissing me," she laughed. Matrix smiled.
"Easily fixed," he said as he put his hand around her waist and kissed her.
"I love you," he said to her. He knew that she liked hearing it, so he told her often.
"I love you too," she replied as she laid her head on his chest.
"AndrAIa I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he told her.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you too," she said lovingly. "Someday we'll move in together, right?" she asked.
"Why wait that long?" he asked with a smile on his face, "I mean, its not like we can stay at the P.O. forever," he laughed. AndrAIa grinned. She wondered how long he had planned to ask her to move in with him. Their moment was shortly ended by an uncouth interruption.
"Hey Matrix!" yelled a younger, louder, more irritating version of himself from across the room as he raced toward the couple, almost knocking over a binome couple on their way out.
"Ah Shit," Matrix mumbled but was promptly silenced by AndrAIa as little Enzo approached.
"What is it?" asked AndrAIa sweetly. She always kept the calmest temper with the most infuriating people; perhaps that was Matrix like most about her.
"None of the adults will talk to me. They're all ignoring me!" he said in an upset manner.
"Wonder why" Matrix said just loud enough for AndrAIa to hear. She shot him a nasty look.
"They're just all busy catching up on what's happened while we were all away from each other, Enzo. They aren't ignoring you," she told him.
"Ok, but I'm so bored! Hey! I know what we can do-" 'Oh no', Matrix thought to himself. 'He said 'we', as in more than just him.' This was not what he had planned. Matrix also knew the next words that came out of Enzo's mouth would be something AndrAIa would agree to just to make the pest happy.
"Hey Enzo," he interrupted before Enzo could ruin his night, "Where's Frisket gotten to?" Matrix knew Frisket was outside, and by the looks of it he wasn't too thrilled about being alone.
"Frisket! I forgot about him!" the young sprite excitedly said as he ran out the door to play with him. Matrix sighed.
"User that was close," he said. AndrAIa laughed. "I'm so sorry," he added.
"For what lover?" AndrAIa asked. Matrix replied,
"For you having to put up with me when I was like that." AndrAIa laughed, "I can't believe I was ever that annoying."
"Oh I got used to it," she smiled at him. Just then Bob came over to them.
"You two want to join us at the bar for a few drinks?" he asked. AndrAIa and Matrix decided that was just what they needed. AndrAIa and Matrix sat to the right of Bob and Dot. Ray and Mouse shortly joined them.
"Hey Phong," Dot called to the old sprite, "Wont you please join us?" she asked him.
"I will be right there, my child," he said back as he finished his conversation with Cecil. He still had some film left in his camera that he needed to use. Cecil was not happy that Phong was leaving as Phong jumped down off his seat and wheeled over to the crowd of sprites.
"Hey what about you Cecil?" asked Dot, "Why don't join us too?" she suggested.
"Oh zank you madam, but I still 'ave work to do," he said as he glided to the kitchen.
"Hey Seesul!" Bob yelled to the kitchen, "Can we get a few napkins?" he asked. Shortly Cecil came out with some napkins. He glided over to Bob.
"'Ere are your napkins, zir," he said, about to hand them to him, "Oh, and by ze way, the name is CECIL!" he yelled shoving the napkins to Bob's chest. Bob blinked as Cecil glided back to the kitchen. Dot laughed.
Everyone drank while AndrAIa and Matrix were the center of attention for a while. They told the group of all of the systems they remembered and of what other system inhabitants were like. They also talked about different games they had played.
"It's amazing how the three of you have changed," Dot said to Bob Matrix and AndrAIa. Then the door opened as Enzo and Frisket walked in. Enzo walked over to Dot as Bob reached down to pet Frisket but he growled at Bob and moved to the other side of Enzo.
"Well it's nice some things haven't changed," Bob laughed. It was already 10 and Dot was getting tired. She didn't want Enzo staying when they were all drinking so decided she would use him as an excuse to go home. After all, she did still have a business to run tomorrow morning.
"Sorry guys but I'm going to take Enzo home. It's getting late and I don't want him up all night," she said. Bob was about to ask her to stay but realized she wanted to leave so he didn't.
"Awwww Dot do we have to go home now?" he asked.
"Yes we do. You need to get to bed," she replied.
"I'll go with you Dot," said Bob. He didn't really want to leave the party, but if that were what Dot wanted, he would.
Dot thought for a second but realized he still needed to do some catching up still with his friends. She could talk to him anytime she wanted. "That's ok Bob. You stay here and talk. I'll be fine," she told him. Phong yawned.
"I think it is time for me to retire as well," he said.
"Cecil will you clear the diner for me?" she yelled to the kitchen.
"Of course mademoiselle, he replied. Dot said her goodbyes to everyone and walked out with Enzo and Frisket. "Well? He shouted to the binomes in the diner, "You 'eard er. Clear out!" he yelled. The binomes picked up their things and left as Cecil grabbed his coat and hat.
"Where are you going Cecil?" asked AndrAIa.
"No offence to you madam, but I do not get paid to work over time!" he said as he headed for the door. "I trust you will lock up when you leave?" he asked
"Don't worry, we will," she replied.
Everyone had more drinks as Bob told his story of being in the web to the group. He told them of what happened when his pod was in the web. He told them of his luck meeting the web riders who most definitely saved his life, of battles with rival web riders, of learning their language. He did not tell them of his feelings. Everyday he would think to himself if he would ever see his home, or Dot, again. He did not tell them that everyday he thought to himself what a shallow life he would live for the rest of his life- however long that was- and then he would die in the lonely web. That thought entered his mind everyday, and now he was finally home and he would never think of that again. His story that he did tell was amazing to the other sprites. To them, Bob never gave up hope and would do whatever it took to stay alive to get back to his system. There was a question that burned inside AndrAIa to ask him. She wanted to ask him for a long time, but she would have to wait till it was just her and Bob to ask him it.
As Ray listened to everyone's stories he thought to himself that even though he had never met these people in his life as of about a week ago, but already he was comfortable around them. They accepted him, which he liked. He didn't think there was a better life outside of the web until he had experienced it. He had new friends, which now seemed like they had know him all his life. He even had a girl. Mouse was not at all what he had expected when he first saw her. She was an amazing girl who was very strong, kind, and loving toward him. He now thought it funny that just a few days ago he thought he might have AndrAIa. He quickly found out that was impossibility when he met Matrix. He was not sorry though. He found there no other person for him than Mouse.
And as for Mouse, she had never been happier in her life. She had had a rough life and thought it impossible to ever experience love. Sure she had a crush on Bob for a while, but that was not true love, that was just a crush. When Ray entered her life-which was only a few short hours ago- she knew from the start there was something about him that she liked-no loved. She laughed in her head. 'Whoda thought I could love someone like this? Ah know ah certainly wouldn't think it possible.'
It was about two hours later before everyone was fairly drunk. Everyone was running out of things to say so they all had it in their minds that the party was going to end soon. It was finally Mouse who suggested the idea of leaving.
"Whooie it sure is late folks. Ah think Ah've have enough for the night," she said with a slightly drunk look on her face.
"Yeah it is pretty late," said Matrix, "Hey, do you think Phong would mind if we crashed in a few of the empty rooms at the P.O?" Matrix asked to anyone who would reply.
"Ah doubt it sugah. There are plenty of free rooms." Mouse told him
"Well shall we go then mates?" asked Ray. Bob yawned.
"I guess I'll go to my old apartment," he laughed, " It should still be there I guess." Mouse and Ray said goodbye and walked out of the diner. It was just Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix left. Bob and Matrix hadn't really gotten any much time alone to talk but it would have to wait a while.
"Its good to have you back, Bob," said Matrix as he gave Bob a half smile and shook his hand. Bob was happy that he at least hadn't lost his friendship with Matrix over the years. Matrix walked to the door but AndrAIa didn't follow him. "AndrAIa are you coming?" he asked. She didn't follow because it seemed like there was something she needed to ask Bob, but she couldn't remember because she was partially drunk. "AndrAIa?" asked Matrix again. Suddenly she remembered. But should she ask tonight or wait till tomorrow? The question would take a long answer. She blinked and pondered a moment. She chose to ask him that night so she could get it out of the way.
"Matrix I need to talk to Bob privately for a second ok?" she asked.
"Uh sure. I'll wait outside," he said.
"It might take a minute," she replied.
"I really don't mind waiting," he told her.
"No it's alright, you look tired, go on back to the P.O. I'll be there in a little wile, alright?" she said.
"I can take her back if you want, Matrix." Matrix did not want her walking alone at night especially drunk, but he knew that she would be safe with Bob. He also knew that she was just as responsible as he was and that if he did not let her do what she wanted she might think that he didn't trust her, and he didn't want that, so he finally agreed,
"Alright, if that's what you really want, but be careful walking back ok?" he told her. She was glad he trusted her to look after herself. That showed that there was trust-an important quality in every relationship.
"I promise. Thank you. I'll be back in a little while," she said. Matrix kissed her, said goodbye, and left.
"So," said Bob as he sat back down at the bar, "what do you needed to ask me that's so important?" he asked as he grabbed another drink.
"This question is kind of personal and I'll understand if you don't want to answer it," she told him.
"Ok," he said.
"Do you ever regret coming to Mainframe?" she asked. Bob paused for a moment. This question was very unexpected. He had never asked himself it so he had to think about it.
"Well,to be honest AndrAIa," he said as clearly as possible. It was getting a little hard to talk, but Bob didn't know why. AndrAIa listened to his response as she poured herself another drink. "Well as I remember my life when I was sent here I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a smile on his face.
"So even though you spent all that time in the web, not knowing if you would live to see Mainframe again, you wouldn't give it up for anything?" she asked stumbling on her words a bit.
"That's right," he confidently replied, "would you have rather stayed in that game or came out even though you spent all that time game-hopping trying to make your way back here, not even sure if you would find it again?" he asked her.
"No I would rather have game-hopped, as much hell as it was… but I had Matrix with me, you didn't have anyone. How did you do it?" she asked.
"Well the thought of seeing Dot again kept me going," he said. AndrAIa understood. "Want to go home now?" asked Bob. It was kind of hard to understand but AndrAIa knew what he said. She shook her head because she couldn't manage to get the words out of her mouth. They were both very drunk by now. Bob shook his head to signify that he would. They got up and left. Luckily, AndrAIa managed to remember to lock the door.
That was the last thing either of them remembered.




End of chapter 1