A/N: Hello everyone! Guess what?! The hotel has Internet access! Up top! :D I'm writing to you from Pennsylvania, and I must say even though I'm having the time of my life on vacation, I miss writing DX. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out I had Internet here and can upload stories. However, I still am on vacation though and cant be spending too much time writing, but I was DYING to write something! So I have! It's an Astro Boy oneshot that randomly came to me XD I've been meaning to try a oneshot for a while and thought why not?! So here it is! Read and review please!

°~°~°Until He Came Along°~°~°

Cora's Point Of View

Life on the Surface had always been some sort of... adventure for me. The whole entire place was like my own big playground where I could just go out and do whatever it was that I wanted to do. It was so unlike my old life up in Metro City where my parents never let me do anything and always kept me in the house, not letting me have the life I wanted. There was never anything that felt better than running away to a new place. A new life that was unknown but just thrilled in the mystery of finding out what the road ahead of me had in store. Of course, I'd miss my parents more than anything, but what they wanted and what I wanted were two completely different things, and it was badly affecting my life. They wanted a proper, mannered young girl who was nice to everybody and stayed inside the house, studying with books in my face and going to school. What I wanted was adventure and a chance to let loose and be myself. All the things they wanted just weren't me. It felt wrong and I desperately needed to escape...

Enough with that, though! Anyway, I couldn't just get my hew life started on my own. Where would I find a place to stay? What would I eat? What did the Surface have to offer me? I've never been there and hadn't the slightest clue of what I would do to actually keep myself alive, but I had just pushed that aside and took the leap. Then when I had done it, standing in the middle of no where with thrashed robots and junk surrounding me with a spinning head, all of the reality came crashing down.

How was I going to do this without anyone's help?

I remember crying in my most vulnerable moment ever, missing my parents like crazy as I instantly started to regret the whole thing. At least once in everyone's life they wish to themselves that they could go back and redo something in order to prevent something else, and right then I was doing just that, crying my eyes out as I hoped it was all just some horrible nightmare.

I don't know iif falling asleep on a pile of trash was a mistake or simply a sweet piece of fate. Because when I woke up, it was when I met not only Zane, but also said hello to my new and-hopefully- improved life.

I woke up in the orphanage that Hamegg ran which consisted of about a handful of kids. At first I was scared out of my mind, thinking I was kidnapped or something, and who could blame me? I was only 11 at the time. Zane had come up to my panicking self and tried to calm me down, which worked somewhat. I was still a bit scared but when he introduced himself fully and told me he was 11 too, I calmed down more. He told me where I was and how he had found me while he was searching for parts for Hamegg to fix some more robots. I introduced myself afterwards, and I must say we hit it off almost instantly. He took me to all the other kids and introduced me to my 'new family' is how he put it. He showed me around the place and I instantly loved it. It was just the place for me! The place wasn't perfectly arranged or organized like my old home was, and the best part was that I found myself able to act like my own self around all these people and not be judged. It was nothing like my old life, and although I missed my parents, I was extremely ecstatic about how things were working out. I had a bunch of friends/siblings, I was able to act like myself whenever I wanted, I had everything I needed to survive... It was too good to be true.

Once me and Hamegg talked, things got even better. He needed parts for his robots and I needed adventure. I offered to search for parts for him around the Surface and once I started, I couldn't stop! There were so many places to go and it was do exciting just to explore around the place and have no clue where you were going. It gave me adrenalin that I had needed all this time. Hamegg saw how good I did with the searching, and it didn't pass Zane's attention either. After a couple of days, he asked if he could tag along with me during my searches. Since we were already cool with each other and practically friends, I told him he could.

It went fine at first. We'd go searching for parts for hours, just looking around and talking and laughing and all that. It would be so much fun with Zane around to keep me company. He made me laugh and actually managed to make me smile more times than I could possibly count, and I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled that much even if it could save my life. A few weeks had passed, and I started to realize that not only did I like him as my best friend, but I was slowly starting to have feelings for him too. Not 'oh my God I love you!' feelings or anything like that, but I did like him a little more than a friend. Of course, I wasn't going to admit that or anything, though. I didn't want a relationship with anybody and just wanted to live my life the way I wanted with freedom. As soon as we would be together, all my freedom would be gone, and I obviously didn't want that. I had waited too long for freedom and adventure like this, and I wasn't about to go and ruin it all because of some boy. Besides, I was way too young anyway. I'd find someone else when I would get older. So I never told anyone, kept it inside of me and just hung out with Zane like usual, just being his friend and he being mine.

Of course, I did accept the fact that I still liked him. You cant help what you feel of course. I did like him and accepted it, not about to lie and go denying things that I knew for a fact weren't true. He was my best friend, my rock that I could lean on sometimes, my sort of brother who cared for me and vice versa.

Yes I did like him, and the feeling never went away. It didn't get all that strong or turn into anything, but it was still there. Then after I turned 13, it had been two years and I then started to wonder if the feeling would ever go away. I then decided that it wouldn't. I knew the feelings I had for Zane would never leave me.

At least, that's what I had thought.

Until he came along.

Astro Tenma, the humanoid robot who came crashing into my life in an old brown sack. Who would've known that a robot, of all things, could break the so called 'spell' I had over Zane. Well it worked I'll give him that. At first I really thought we had a good catch in that sack as I saw it move and even talk, and I knew Hamegg would be so proud. But when we opened it, I saw a kid, not a robot. The bag had been made for catching robots, not kids, yet I was oblivious like everyone else of the fact that we had indeed caught a robot, we just had no idea.

My reaction to seeing him for the first time actually had me surprised and confused. When I first saw Astro, I immediately thought he looked cute, and right after that thought I wondered what I had hit my head on and, most importantly, how hard? It was so unlike me to think like that, but its not like I could help myself. I shrugged it off and returned to my normal self.

I felt really bad for him, though. Not only because I had acted kind of rude at first and being a little sarcastic, but also because he didn't have any idea what he was doing on the Surface and was a complete mess of confusion. We decided to let him in with us, hoping Hamegg would understand and let him stay or something. After an hour or so we headed back to the orpahange, and I was shocked to find myself talking to Astro most of the time and leaving my close friends behind a bit as we did. I thought nothing more of if though as we went to the orphanage and went in. I said my usual hellos to all the kids who were practically my family, and headed to go see Hamegg. Not before hearing a loud thud though. I looked back and chucked as I saw Astro on the floor, a dumbfounded look on his face. He must have gotten hit by that tire swing, to which I had gotten knocked over before as well. I asked if he was okay and was about to help him up, which made me realize even more that I was acting a tad bit off, but when he helped himself up, I just shrugged and gave him advice before heading up ti Hamegg, Astro following close behind.

What had me smiling like crazy was when Astro had accidentally destroyed one of Hamegg's dead robots, trying to catch as many things as he could as they fell to the ground with a crash. He looked absolutely ridiculous yet do funny as he balanced himself on one leg with a handful, literally.

Things from then on were going just fine, and I found Astro's company pretty relaxing and nice; he was pretty funny and easy to talk to. Don't get me wrong, I loved all the other kids and enjoyed spending time with them as well, but something about Astro made it so much easier and I honestly liked it. I learned not to underestimate him when he brought that old construction robot ZOG back to life after I knew with everything I had that he couldn't bring him back. Obviously I was wrong, and impressed as well. We cleaned ZOG up and everything after Hamegg declared he wanted the robot to be in the robot games, and we all got to know Astro better. It was actually one of the best days I've had on the Surface, and I knew deep down that it was all because of Astro. When I stupidly fell of of ZOG and nearly splattered my guts out, he had saved me. I had no idea how he had done it that fast, but he had, and the smile he gave me after made me feel all weird inside, but in a good way, and it kind of scared me. What scared me even more was that I smiled back a smile even I knew was beyond genuine.

What was this feeling I was having? The feeling in my stomach? I no longer thought of Zane or my friends or searching for parts. Almost all of my thoughts were invaded with Astro and questions I had about him.

Could I actually be getting feelings for this guy? I started to deny it, knowing I couldn't be after just a short period of time, which happened to be just a couple of days! But after I shared a secret with him on Hamegg's car that very night- secrets I would never tell anyone else- and he shared one of his, I knew that I was starting to like him way more than I should. It was more stronger than what I had felt for Zane, so much stronger that it couldn't be compared to what I felt for Astro.

I rerealized and accepted the truthful fact that I, Cora, was falling falling for Astro Tenma. Falling real bad.

At the robot games, when I had found out he was a robot, all of my feelings were gone within seconds and replaced with anger, hurt, and betrayal. How could he? Why didn't he tell me anything? I was so upset at him that I couldn't even look at him without feeling a stabbing pain in my chest. He had lied and betrayed me, and I couldn't believe that the while time he was a robot. Of course, there was a great feeling of concern and worry while he was in the arena, hoping be wouldnt be killed out there by those bigger, violent robots, but my angry feelings almost blocked those feelings out. I just had no idea what to think anymore.

I watched both painfully and angrily as he was arrested by some weird guys and put into the air ship to go back to Metro City. Even though I was beyond mad at him and the whole thing, I couldn't just push aside the pain and hurt and loss I felt when he left. It really did hurt to see him go and be ripped out of my life like that because I honestly saw him as my best friend. And it was all ruined.

It would have stayed ruined too if it weren't for Zane, Widget, and Sludge. They kept talking on and on about how they missed Astro and didn't care if he was a robot, that they missed him no matter what. It made me realize that deep down, I didn't care either. So what if he was a robot? He was still my friend. He was still Astro. It didn't change anything. So I decided then that we needed to get him back, and I quickly too control as we sped off to Metro City in Hamegg's car.

It was pretty obvious that Astro was having some big battle with something else all over the city, and as we searched for him, I just hoped he was okay. I knew he was powerful with many abilities and knew what he was doing, but it didn't keep me from worrying. We ran into Astro once when he was about to be squished to bits by some huge thing. I forced Zane to drive write under its foot so I could snatched Astro up and save him. Of course we got him; I wouldn't have beeb able to live with myself if I had missed his hand by an inch. It was such a relief to see him and I nearly lost it to be honest, but I knew I seriously needed to get a grip. Very much to my dismay, Astro went back out there and tried defeating the giant robot thing while all we could do was nothing.

Once the giant robot had been destroyed, we started looking for Astro immediately. I hoped more than anything that he was okay and realized I never worried about anyone else as much as I worried about him. But I didn't care; I needed to find him.

And when I did, it nearly killed me.

Seeing him lying there on the grass with his lifeless body almost had me wailing like crazy. I don't know how but I kept my cool, only shedding a fear sad tears over him as I ridiculously tried shoving his arm back into place after it had been broken off the rest of his body, hoping it would miraculously bring him back.

When I found out from the old scientist that ZOG's energy could bring Astro back, I nearly burst into tears of happiness, not believing it was true but I wasn't going to doubt anything in fear I would end up jinxing it. It turns out it was true; the energy was enough to bring Astro back, and when it did... when he opened his eyes again and showed a sign of life... I had never been so happy in my life. Usually- or mostly- I dont hug people, but as soon as reality hit my dazed state and I realized he was back, I ran up to him and did just that; hugged him like i'd never hugged anyone else before.

Astro had changed me. Not only for the better, but he had also changed my feelings. I had always thought I would never get over my feelings for Zane and that they would stay with me 'till the day I died, but it turns out that that all changed once Astro came along. Now I have feelings for him, and I'm stuck wondering when these feelings would leave me, though I really didn't want to lose them. However, unlike what I had thought about Zane, this actually is true; these feelings for Astro will not leave me, and I know it for a fact this time.

A/N: So! Hoped you guys enjoyed it because I seriously enjoyed writing it. :D anyway, gotta get to sleep (its 2:30AM. Isn't it funny how I always update when its mad late? Lol) since my vaca continues in the morning. I might write another one if I get the chance since I loved doing this one so much XD let me know what you think! Bye and have a good one!