Authors Notes: If you haven't read Bronze Colored Heart you will not understand this fic!

Frozen Timepiece.

Chapter 19

Desert

Kate used to think the whole world was a jerk, and nothing was going to get any better. Her father had tossed her aside after finding out that not only was she not a boy, but because of her his wife got incredibly sick. Which resulted in her death because of a bad immune system. She went around growing up without a friend in the world, her only retreat was the books she delved into. Unloved, and unwanted she went into the world with this thought no one will ever love or care for me so why worry?

Such a thought was quickly thrown into the wind by a certain robotic man who captured her heart as it cracked and flaked away. An emotion she thought she never possessed surfaced every time she looked into his golden optics. Moreover said robot had not only a brother but he had a girlfriend who she befriended as well. Plus the ninja that called him brother also. Her family seemed to grow by the day. Her cracked heart seemed to heal as time passed.

Apart from this she found that she had a brother, she wasn't ever told she had one. But then again her father never really took notice of her until he wanted something from her. Which normally meant work. She did work in the stock yard as a bookkeeper for some years as she went to college. It was actually how she got through school. If it weren't for a scholarship she probably would be in debt.

Her chosen profession? History. It was always moving, always happening. She liked the current flow and change of it all so she kept looking into it. Her hands were so dirty as she pushed another mound of sand away from her findings. She ran her hands over her brow and went back to chiseling away at the bone. There was a massive dragon skull under her. Misako had predated it to before the first spinjitzu master. Misako wasn't to far away looking over a few found by a few apprentices brought over by the local college to get some hours in on the job. All four students were scattered all over the dragons skeletal structure. She looked around for a familiar bronze nindroid. He wasn't ever really that far from her. Yet she couldn't see him, her heart clamped down trying not to freak out...it was fruitless. It had only been a year since they decided to work together. He was working at a nursing job so he could travel with Kate. Much to Zanes relief since he didn't really want him getting into trouble. The ninja had a huge habit of finding trouble. Or vise versa.

"Echo…?" She jumped feeling someone's arms around her. Her heart seemed to melt when she heard his voice.

"Yes? Your heart rate is high, are you alright?" Kate smiled softly putting her hands on his arms.

"Yes, I couldn't see you and I about panicked." She said leaning back in his arms. He stayed there for a moment till he heard one of the others yelp in pain having smashed their finger with the chisel. He sat down looking over the teenagers finger which was bleeding and the fingernail had to be removed. Kate wouldn't wish that on anyone. But to have her hand in his was one of the best feelings she ever had. Sometimes...this fact wasn't preferred by some.

The girl who hit her finger with the hammer pulled her hand away from Echo. Echo looked surprised at her. But the reason was apparent. Not a lot of people were happy about androids after what happened in Ninjago city. Specially with fact that his facial features were a match for Zane and so were Echos. Some people blamed Zane for what happened rather being thankful that Zane had died to save them all.

Kate stood up and walked over to the girl and sat down holding Echos hand.

"Its okay he won't hurt you." She told her. "I don't think Echo could hurt a fly." Kate offered trying to help. The girl just shoved Kate and stood up walking over to the outdoor sink they used to wash the clay pots.

"Stupid robot lover." She mumbled. Kate sighed deeply and looking sideways at Echo.

"Well she's right about that last part." She said with a crooked smile. Echo tried not to laugh at that.

"You always look at the bright side." Echo said helping Kate up, leading her back over to her spot with the skull.

"Well I never knew how before. Your a pretty positive look on life Echo." She said sitting back down with a slightly larger toothbrush to get into the cracks around the eye socket.

"I've never been someone's positive look before."

"Get used to it." Kate poked his stomach and giggled.

A small jeep sat on top of a dune not to far away. A dark clad figure stood on the hood. A pair of binoculars in their hand. A smile written all over their face. A small chuckle escaped them as they watched the couple. His smile grew even wider as he watched Kate lean over and kiss Echo on the cheek before leaning back down to get back to work.

"Who knew someone could love a creature like that? Such a gross thing I should think."

"Are you still watching them?" Another figure sat within the jeep. Their legs propped up on the dashboard. "Doesn't it get boring just to watch two people dig up dead shit?" The voice was a woman's. She bit a nail from her finger and spat it out and looked at it again.

"Perhaps to the uneducated. But I've been watching Echo and Zane for some years now. Zane had an infatuation not to long ago with another android Borg created, but she was destroyed to recreate him after he was deactivated. No luck there, but this one...he fell in love with a human. I honestly thought Julien couldn't give his creations emotions. It's why we divided, I felt the need to give them emotions. I wanted to test them to their limits. He felt I would be to cruel with them. I wanted to see their love, their life..and their pain." He smiled at the girl within the jeep.

"Now that would be fun." She said throwing her magazine into the back of the jeep. "Why don't we go mess with them. For...science."

"Raya...if I were to do that...then the good Dr. Julien would roll over in his grave." He waved her away from such a thought.

"Oh you're no fun Doc." She said turning on the engine.

"Perhaps...but I love the thought of a former professor rolling over in their grave." He looked at the brown haired woman. "It's not like it'll hurt them." He said sitting down in the jeep. "It's just false emotions anyways. Back to the institute Raya. We have preparations."

Echo brought over two cups of tea, and Kate brought over two plates of food. They sat at a table just beyond their camper they bring with them.

After the pirates had tried to take over Ninjago Kate's apartment was trashed and it had to be condemned. Much to her dismay she had to find a new place to stay. Thanks to Zanes suggestion she moved in with them and shared a room with Echo. Although Zanes efforts to try and get them a bunk bed they just didn't have the money for it, so they slept in the same bed. Mostly Echo would sleep outside the blankets not feeling too cold to much. But Kate would feel bad and put the blankets on him anyways. Zane would walk by their room to Echos arms around Kate or Kate hugging his arm while asleep. He had talked to them about it, but gave up a few weeks in. They were stuck like that and neither seemed to have a problem with it. It's not like they could do anything anyways. Yet a few weeks ago Kate was given a full bill of health after having her soul ripped out and shoved back in.

She procured a camper to take them to digs. It was Echo who had told her he had taken a medic job on the sight and wished to go with her. It was the best new she had heard and flung her arms around his shoulders kissing him far more passionately then Zane would have preferred, but then again he wished he could hold Pixal the same way.

Kate took a sip of her tea and smiled.

"You just keep getting better and better at making tea. What is this one?"

"Jasmine tea." He said smiling at his compliment. He swirled his oil soup around and took a bite before looking up at Kate who was trying to hid the fact that she was watching him over her own tea cup.

"What?" He asked. She blushed and went to eating.

"Nothing…" She whispered eating the chicken with her salad.

"Kate?" He asked her and touched her hand. "Was it that girl today? Did that bother you?" He asked her. Kate looked surprised for a second and shook her head fast.

"Oh no thats nothing, I figured we'd get that as well as a lot of people not liking our relationship." She said running her fingers over the ring on her finger. He had given it to her to show her he wasn't joking when he said he'd love her forever.

"Then...what's wr…"

"Your beautiful." She said to him. She gave him a soft smile. To him her eyes glowed in the sunset. Sparkled a lot more than usual. Her smile was infectious and he too found himself smiling back at her.

"Daww isn't that cute." The three students from before walked by. Echo looked up from his soup and looked at them. It hadn't been the first time students have stared at them for being a couple.

"Isn't it just?" Kate said as usual she had her sly look on her face. Echo blushed.

"I guess she couldn't find a human man to love her. She had to take Zanes brother instead?" The guy with the blonde hair said.

"Don't suppose she reprogrammed him to love her huh?" The girl from before asked.

"Probably."

Kate shook her head and looked Echo in the eyes and shook her head.

"Just ignore them." Echo told her and took her hand.

"Is that a wedding right?" The third one asked and smiled slyly at Kate.

"Probably got it from a gumball machine."

"No my father told me that sort of stuff was forbidden. A human couldn't marry an android. That ring is useless."

Echo stood up and glared down at the kids. If their was one thing he hated was for people to question his love for Kate.

"It is my sign of love for her."

"Love…" The girl scoffed. "As if you have real emotions anyways." She kept walking. "Fake human, fake emotions. You'd probably dump her without a tear in your eyes."

"She'll probably throw him away when she realizes they can't have babies." Another laughed.

Kate felt her heart crack again. She looked back down at her chef salad wondering for a moment if it was real love Echo was feeling for her. Then their was another issue that had been on her mind for some time now. They couldn't have children, would he want them if she asked.

"Kate…?" Kate looked up at Echo. He reached over and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"I love you Kate." He whispered to her. She took a deep breath and asked the one question she had wondered.

"About...kids." She stopped and swallowed hard. Echo sat down in the chair across from her.

"I...have no way to give them to you Kate. I...I lack the…" He paused and looked up at her.

"I know...I saw you naked most of my first few days with you. But if...the chance came...would you want to adopt?" She asked looking down at the sand below her. Echo smiled and touched her cheek again. Apparently this had been a thought on her mind for some time now.

"Of course I would. I always wanted to either create my own...or give a home to a child that would need it." He said taking her hand. This seemed to take a lot off her shoulders. He took her in his arms and kissed her forehead.