It was a long ride back. V-GR had a sinking feeling about Cassandra and what would happen to her, but Willow was his concern now. Willow couldn't wait, but Cassy was willing to.
He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.
V-GR paced back and forth, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. He was agitated to say the least. Willow had been put into a scan to find out what was the problem, while her parents watched over her. He waited to hear all about it.
"V-Gr?" EVE said.
V-GR hurried to her, "Is it serious?"
EVE's expression was hard to read, "Pretty serious." was all she said, "Come with me."
Willow was sitting on an examination table, her treads hanging over the side of it. She smiled a kind of sad smile as he approached.
"V-Gr. Hi." a human greeted him, "My name is Jonathan."
"I know." he replied, "I've heard of you. Now can you tell me about Willow?"
"Sure I can, but..." he scratched his head, "I'm not sure you'll take it well..."
"What!?" V-GR was getting impatient, "Just tell me already! I want to know what's wrong with my girlfriend!"
Everyone was acting so weird! Why wouldn't they just tell him!?
"V-Gr..." Jonathan inhaled;
"She's pregnant..."
...
It didn't register at first. Were his ears working correctly? Would he need to get drivers reinstalled?
"What..." he spoke slowly, "...did you say...?"
Jonathan frowned, "I said she's going to have a baby."
Willow gave him a sympathetic smile.
"I know it's a lot to take it, but trust me, it'll be fine." Jonathan continued, "I've stabilized her condition, and the consciousness inside of her is healthy."
V-GR's legs collapsed under him, and he just managed to catch himself with his shaking arms as he stared at the floor. His normally large eyes were just specks on his visor.
His voice was barely above a whisper, "...how did this happen...?"
Willow frowned, "You mean you didn't know?"
He didn't reply.
"V-Gr..." Willow jumped down from the table and took his hand, "Remember the cord? The extension cord?"
The extension cord...?
"The cord..." he repeated, "That cord? The cord we always used to interface, that's what it's for!?"
He seemed horrified, but really he just felt betrayed.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that!?"
Willow felt guilty, "You didn't ask...I guess I just assumed you already knew..."
He thought he was going to be sick, "Oh, Wil...I'm so sorry..."
"Don't be. I'm the one who bought the cord." she replied, "I'm the one who used it knowing what could happen...but I can't get rid of them now."
He blinked, "Why not?"
She averted her gaze, "I'd feel bad just killing them off..."
EVE stepped up to comfort her daughter, "Willow. If you want to keep your baby, that's fine. It doesn't make you bad or wrong."
"But how am I supposed to raise a child?" she whimpered, "I don't feel ready..."
"It's okay." EVE assured, "I can help you, and you've got your father and V-Gr and V-Gr's mother. It'll be okay..."
She nodded.
V-GR felt like he needed some fresh air, so he stepped out of the labs and into the rising sunlight.
He lay his arms over the balcony. This view was absolutely gorgeous. He was on the tallest building in Axiom, and the tallest building of Atlanta could be seen just over the horizon. The cool breeze felt nice on his neck that he didn't have.
But wow...
"Hey, V-Gr." Willow greeted, "Hold me?"
"Sure." he picked her up gently, "How do you feel about all of this, sweetie?"
"Really really nervous..." she replied, "But also kind of excited."
He was quiet.
"What do you think?"
He let out a breath of condensed air, "I don't know, honestly. It feels like something I'm not ready to tackle. I never thought in a hundred million years that I could have a child, and..."
He wasn't sure how to continue.
"But..." Willow inhaled, "You're not mad that I want to keep them?"
"Heh. Willow, you could throw me off a cliff and I still wouldn't be mad at you. Highly annoyed, maybe, but not mad..."
"Mmm..." she blinked, "Well...we can always try..."
"Yeah..." V-GR held her close, "I know...and don't doubt yourself, okay? I'm sure you'll be just as good as your own mother."
"I sure hope so..."
"Hey..." V-GR pressed his palm against Willow's chamber, "I can feel them..."
"You can?" she swiveled her head to look at him, "What do you feel?"
"It feels like..." His eyes widened as his eyes turned a dark royal blue, "Willow?"
"Yes, Darling?"
"We absolutely must keep them!" V-GR swung Willow around in the air with a huge smile on his face, "We cannot get rid of them!"
"Yes!Yes! I knew you'd come around!" Willow laughed in delight, "Oh, V-Gr!"
"Yes, my love?"
"I love you!" Willow gave him a big spark-kiss, "I love you..."
"I love you too, baby..." V-GR cradled Willow as the last rays of sun came over the horizon.
V-GR snuck his way out of the truck, glancing this way and that to make sure he wasn't being followed. Willow had insisted that they stay with her parents that night, still a little scared of being a mother. It was the perfect opportunity for V-GR to slip away unnoticed.
"V-Gr."
"Ugh!" he turned around to glare at his girl, "Why can't you just let me do stuff!?"
"Are you going back?"
"We can't just leave everyone hanging! They need me!"
"No, they need us." Willow crossed her arms, "We started this together, we're going to finish it together!"
"But what about the baby?"
"But what about you!? I don't want you to go alone!"
"Uh, er..." he wracked his brain for something he could say, "I'm not bringing you back there. You're staying here where it's safe."
"And do what!? Worry about you!?" she growled, "I'm not doing that! I'm not gonna just sit around with a person inside me until you get back! It's not going to happen!"
V-GR sighed deeply. There was no way he was winning this one.
"Fine. But stay out of harm's way! He's not friendly!"
"Yes!" Willow punched the air before boarding the pod, "Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!"
V-GR shut the door of the pod in great annoyance. Why did she have to be so stubborn?