Chapter Four: Astro Meets Brianna

Astro crawled closer to what looked like Brianna, trying to be as slow possible, he didn't wanna startle the thing, or for the tree branch to collapse and fall to the ground.

He inched himself closer and closer.

Almost there..

Almost..

Ah- Ha!

Got ya!

The thing turned around suddenly when it felt a touch by Astro, which startled him as well,causing him to lean foreword and push the both of them out of the tree and onto the dirt.

Astro was the first to get up and familiarized himself again with where he was, and pretty much everything there was. He looked to his left and gasped, it was Brianna.

Astro wanted to hit himself so bad it'd leave marks for decades for pushing her out of the tree, what was he thinking?! He could've hurt her, but to Astro's surprise... Brianna and him were perfectly fine..

Brianna got up and looked around, trying to see what pushed her out, then she turned around and saw Astro lying on the ground, staring blank at the sky.

"A- Astro? ASTRO!" Brianna jumped on top of him and gave him a tight squeeze, tears of joy were flooding through her eyes.

Astro laughed.

"Hehe.. It's great to see you too!"

Brianna felt overly filled with joy, she gave him a surprise kiss on the lips and giggled.

"So what took you so long? I've been waiting forever for ya!" Astro joked.

"I've been searching high and low for you, that's what took so long!" Brianna laughed and engulfed him in more hugs and kisses.

"Okay, okay... I think that's enough!" Astro pushed Brianna off of him and wiped his wet face with his hand.

"So? What exactly ARE you doing here?" Brianna asked, she helped Astro off the ground.

"Well.. I ran away..."

"Why?"

"It's a long story, you'd never understand."

"Astro..."

"I- I'm sorry, we should get you back home"

"No, I wanna stay here! I packed a bag and everything!" Brianna slowly backed away from Astro.

"But, I kinda wanted to be alone... That's the whole point of 'running away'"

"Please?"

Astro sighed, he took a long thought and played with his lips, trying to figure out what to say.

"Tell you what, I'll let you stay... But u can't tell anyone, got it?"

"Okay.."

"Didn't you say you brought a bag?" Astro looked up at the tree.

"Yeah, I left it all the way up there!" Brianna pointed to the top of the tree where the two fell out of.

"I'll go get it" Astro walked over to the tree and began to climb it.

In another place, Emily was eating waffles with her brother, she kept thinking about Astro going missing; and how, with just a little effort, she could be the one to crack the case!

"Hey Emily, why are you in such a rush, it's the summer!" Her brother looked at her and spoke.

"Because mayonnaise, I need to do something" Emily took another bite of her food.

"I'm not mayonnaise?! Gosh, will you stop it!" Her brother folded his arms.

"Sure thing, MAYONNAISE!" Emily laughed, she got up from the chair and walked to the sink with her plate and washed it.

"And and where is this place your going to?"

"None of your beeswax Danny!" Emily quickly responded, she left the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

"Uh mom?" Emily knocked on her moms door gently.

"What?" Her mom replied.

"Can I go out for just a sec, I need to do something."

"Absolutely not! Unless you have someone that's taking you.."

"Uh.. Yea, someone's taking me, I'm just uh.. Going to a friends house!"

"Well then you better get going!"

Emily walked across to her room and grabbed her things, she closed the door to her room and stormed out of the house.

Someone was waiting outside to take her to where she needed to go.

"Thanks" Emily said when she got into the car.

"No problem!" The driver sped up and drove.

"Where we going again?" The driver asked

"I gotta visit Dr. Elefun.." Emily replied, she pulled out her phone and made a short text to her friend, Kaitlyn.

At Dr. Elefun's Uran and Astro's twin were charging up for breakfast while the professor was scribbling notes on a scrap sheet of paper.

"Okie dokie we're here!" The driver turned to Emily and smiled.

"Thanks again.." Emily waved goodbye as the driver pulled away after Emily had gotten out of the car.

Emily walked all the way to Dr. Elefun's front door.

She was scared to knock.

She always had a hard time talking to people..

But because of Astro,

She gained courage and knocked on the door, the professor opened it.

"Why hello Emily, long time no see" Dr. Elefun greeted.

"Good morning Doctor, can I come inside?" Emily greeted back.

"Sure, it's a little messy, but I'll get to cleaning it later.."

Emily walked over to where Uran and Astro's twin were standing.

"EMILY!" Uran ran to Emily and gave her a giant hug.

"Oof! It's nice to see you, Uran!" Emily smiled.

"Say, can I talk to you for a sec?" Emily asked.

"Sure, let's go to my room, it's less messier there!" Uran took Emily by the hand and led her up stairs into her room.

Uran closed the door behind her, Emily sat on a chair after moving it closer to Uran's bed.

"What is it?" Uran asked as she walked over to her bed and crawled onto it, sitting in front of Emily.

"Hold on a sec" Emily opened her bag, she took out a notebook, pencil and a few photos.

"What are those?"

"I need to talk to you about Astro"

"You the REAL Astro, or his twin"

"The REAL Astro"

"Okay, what do you wanna know"

"You know he's gone missing, right?"

"Of course!"

"Hmm... Gosh, I can't seem to remember what I wanted to ask you" Emily took a long thought trying to remember what she wanted to ask Uran.

"Don't worry Emily, I'll just tell you what I know"

"Great I'll write what you say down and review it at home"

"Okay"

"Take a look at these pictures, what do see similar in these pictures." Emily handed Uran the photos

"Hmm..." Uran looked at the photos.

"Well... Ah- ha! All of these pictures have Astro in it!" Uran exclaimed, she handed the photos back to Emily.

"Really?" Emily looked puzzled.

"Yeah, the first one is at the Christmas party, the second one is when we went to the beach, and the third is when you and Kaitlyn visited for spring break! How'd you get these?"

"Uh.. It's a long story, but... I mean what do you SEE?"

"Hmm... Well it looks like Astro is alone in all the pictures, except the last one, in the last one he looks a little worried."

"Exactly..."

"But what does that have to do with Astro missing?"

"Because..." Emily began.

"Astro couldn't have been kidnapped, he had to have run away.."

"That's what I've been TELLING everyone!" Uran folded her arms.

"Oh really? What else have you been telling them?"

Astro and Brianna walked over to where Astro's "house" was, Brianna looked amazed at what Astro had made in such a short amount of time.

"Oh this is nothing.. I could make it better, but I don't really feel like it, wanna come inside?" Astro responded to the surprised look on Brianna's face.

"Sure, don't have any where else to go..." Brianna laughed.

Both Astro and Brianna walked into Astro's small "House" (it was probably the size of a small room -like REALLY small, but not mouse size- but it was quite tall).

Astro sat down on the ground and stared at the ground, for no apparent reason.

"What's wrong?" Brianna asked.

"N- nothing! I'm okay.." Astro quickly replied.

"Astro... You need to stop this..."

"Stop what?" Astro replied sternly.

Brianna sighed.

"Don't pretend like you don't know... I know the truth Astro, you can't keep doing this, you'll kill yourself if you keep on going!"

"Well maybe I like hurting myself, maybe if I stab myself more I'll finally snap whole!" Astro snapped.

"But I can't stand to see you like this, it hurts me so much!"

Astro gasped.

"I- I-

"Please? If your hurting don't take it out on yourself, don't keep it in. For god sake TELL SOMEBODY?!"

"You have me, and you have so many people that care so much about you.. Why would you do this?"

The pain hit Astro so hard, he could barely move, all he could feel was a darkening pain, he wanted to cry... But crying would only make things worse...

But it hurt so much.

It always hurt so much.

Everyday.

Of

The

Week.

Brianna was right, he should say something, but it was too late for that, he already lost himself...

He can never get himself back.

It hurt so much.

It always hurt so much.

It was like being beaten up so much to the point your almost dead, times a million.

Astro sighed, tears came out if his eyes and they wouldn't stop, they kept coming, and Astro kept feeling the pain slice him like a knife that was running down his back and up his delicate throat.

He collapsed to his knees.

Brianna gasped and got down on her knees, she held Astro close to her chest and rocked him back and fourth.

The pain began to ease a little and turn into a different kind of pain, a more soothing pain that surged through him and consumed him whole. He liked being in Brianna's warm arms, it was like a shield against everything he's tried to avoid, he was still in pain but a very small crease appeared on his face, tears were flooding from his eyes, Brianna didn't really know what to do so she just held him close and wiped the tears from his face.

Finally after a while, Brianna was able to keep Astro stable, she decided she could take a walk around the forest with him, get his mind off the pain and just have a little fun, just like the good old days.

"So how did you find me?"Astro asked, he and Brianna were holding hands and strolling through the forest on barefoot.

"Well, I heard you were missing, I called the professor to read me a little of the newspaper, then I did my homework, wrote a letter, packed a bag and set out to look for you... Then I saw this giant tree while I was walking and I jumped over the gate, climbed up the tree and then you find me and then a bunch of stuff happens and BAM! We're here!" Brianna said super fast, she painted and tried to catch her breath.

"Aww.. All that trouble for me?" Astro looked at Brianna and blushed.

"Well... I- I love you... A LOT! And I'm not joking about this, this isn't just some bull crap spewing from my mouth I'm being DROP DEAD SERIOUS!"

Brianna sighed.

"I care about you too much to stand you being gone..

I- I need you..."

"Always"

Astro beamed at her, he pulled her close and ruffled her hair, Brianna laughed as Astro smiled at her.

"Then I'll be here, always." Astro replied.

"Good, I'd enjoy that..." Brianna replied, Astro gave her a hug.

"W- Wha..." Brianna began

"What?" Astro asked.

"I thought you likes kisses more than hugs" Brianna said

"Yea, but hugs are sweeter.. Well, sorta.." Astro chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, blushing.

Brianna giggled, she let go of Astro and the two kept walking around the forest.

"Well... Not much... I don't really know too many details, but I still don't understand why the pictures prove this..." Uran said to Emily

"Because, it's the sign.. people run away for many reasons, and these pictures can prove that if Astro ran away, he did because he was lonely.. or in pain.." Emily replied

"But who would wanna know WHY he did if if they still don't know if he really DID it?" Uran asked

"You never know..."

"Thanks guys.. See ya another day!" Emily waved goodbye to everyone.

"Your welcome any time Emily!" Elefun waved at Emily.

The driver was waiting outside for Emily, she slipped into the car as the driver drove her all the way home.

"So, did ya get anything?" The driver asked.

"Sorta... I found out that Astro might be suffering from self harm and pain..."

"Wow, that's deep!"

"I know.. But we gotta include everything in the mix, even the deep things!"

A few hours later, Elefun visits Tawashi for a final time before he'd send out the search team in a couple of days.

"We haven't found anything new in the case doc, sorry to say but, if the search team can't find him, he may be lost forever!" Tawashi put his legs up on his desk.

The professor was in shock... They found, nothing!

"It's all my fault, I should've been more careful, who knows what could've happen to him... What if he's lost, or- or-

"Professor, hold your horses and get your bull crap straight!"

Elefun sighed.

"Now we may not know much but gosh darn it, we will figure this out! Ain't NO ONE gonna make me look bad, not even a pesky stupid machine in lord knows where!"

"B- but-

"We will find him! I usually don't take cases too long, but I don't wanna look bad for the press..."

"But we know nothing! Who's gonna help us crack the case?"

"The search team of course! I'm sending them out in two days... If they can't find him, I dunno what the hell will!"

Tawashi stood up from his desk and threw Elefun a fat manilla folder.

"That's the evidence and Astro's public records, you have a great day doctor!"

Back in the forest, Astro and Brianna were walking back to their "house"... It was getting late, and the sky was turning into night.

"Mmm.. Did you bring anything to eat?" Brianna asked

"I ate it all, besides... It's not things humans eat." Astro replied

Brianna face palmed... She asked a ROBOT if he had anything to eat!

"Ugh, I think I'm getting a little hungry" Brianna placed a hand over her stomach and sighed.

"You get used to it..." Astro said

"Easy for you to say, you starve yourself all the time!"

"No I don't, I was made for harsh conditions... That's not the same as starving yourself..."

"Well whatever it is.. The point is, I'm not like you! I wasn't made to live in a forest"

"Hmm... Maybe you can get something"

"ME? Are you nuts! No one can see me.."

"Well no one can see my either.. guess we both can't get what we want..."

Brianna sighed

"I'm sorry..." Astro pulled her close for a hug, he assumed she sighed because he was being too harsh.

"Your right, we both can't get what we want. But you know what? I give less of a crap today then I did my whole life" Brianna burrowed herself into Astro's chest and whispered.

"Well we better get going, it's getting colder now, I don't want you to get sick" Astro looked behind him briefly.

"C-carry me?" Brianna yawned.

Astro sighed, a small smile appeared on his face.

Brianna let go of Astro and hopped onto his back, Astro carried Brianna and kept walking, Brianna rested her head on Astro's shoulder and took a small nap while Astro was walking the two of them to their "home"

Finally Astro and Brianna made it back to their "home". Astro let go of Brianna as she eased herself off of him.

"What time is it?" Brianna asked

"I dunno... I didn't bring a watch"

"But you have your phone, right?"

"Haha... Brianna, your so silly! I never forget my phone!" Astro teased.

Brianna blushed.

Astro looked through his book bag for his phone.

Brianna couldn't help but take a short moment and admire Astro, to intake the fact that he's the best things that ever happen to her! To admire how perfect she thought he was, it's a shame he's always complaining, but Brianna always had to remind him of how beautiful he was, no matter how much or how hard he tried to reject it.. She thought he was.

"It's 7:30" Astro spoke.

"Uh- uh.. Great!" Brianna chuckled.

Astro sat on the ground.

"Care to join me?" Astro asked

"I'd be a fool not too!" Brianna walked over to Astro and sat next to him.

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"Ooh! I love watching movies... But we have to pay for those.."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about our cheapskate government!" Astro rolled his eyes.

"We could always do something else.." Brianna said.

"Oh yeah, pass me my earphones, there in the front pocket!"

Brianna passed Astro his earphones.

"I just downloaded the new Fall Out Boy CD, care to listen?"

"Eh... I've never listened to that kind of music before..." Brianna shrugged her shoulders

"Then you must! Trust me.. It's good..." Astro passed Brianna a earphone.

"Hmm... I guess I could give it a try" Brianna took the earphone from him and placed it into her ear.

It was reaching 11 at night, Brianna had fallen asleep and lied on the ground near him, Astro continued to listen to music, suddenly an artistic idea came over him, he pulled out his sketchbook and did more art.

Astro kept looking back and fourth from Brianna to his sketchbook, making careful strokes with the pencil.

Finally at 7 in the morning, Astro finally finished what he was drawing, he placed his sketchbook right by Brianna's bed. Taking the earphones out of his ears, Astro stood up and quietly stretched, not wanting to wake Brianna up.

But she woke up, anyways.

"Good morning Brianna!" Astro greeted.

"W- Wha, Astro... How long have you been awake?" Brianna rubbed her eye.

"All night" Astro replied.

"What?!" Brianna looked shocked.

"Oh it's nothing, I do it all the time.."

"Astro, you can't do this!"

"What do you mean?"

"Y- you.."

Brianna sighed.

"You need your sleep" she said.

"No I don't, I'm fine! Besides... I can't let anything happen to you, what if something happens, who's gonna save you?" Astro asked

"You have a point.."

"Your very still when you sleep, you know that?"

"Huh?" Brianna looked confused, she moved her head and looked at the sketchbook that was right in front of her.. She realized what he meant.

Astro drew a picture of her sleeping.

Emily was walking downstairs into the living room, she turned on the tv and plopped onto the rocking chair.

She was the only one downstairs, she looked around to see if anyone was there. No one.

Emily quickly got up and made her self a cup of cold Italian sweet cream coffee, she then after sat back in the rocking chair.

The tv was playing PBT Kids, she assumed her mom had put this on for her baby brother, Emily changed the channel to a local station that was playing the news.

"Ooh, great! Let's see if there's any new info on Astro going missing!" Emily said to her self.

ON THE TV: "Inspector Tawashi, head of the Metro City police department, is sending a search team tomorrow to look for Astro, again, if you have ANY information about this case you are EXTREMELY urged to call Metro City crime stoppers, again the number is 1-800-273-9383"

"He's sending a search team, eh? That's my chance!"

"Hmm... But I'm gonna need a ride!"

Emily looked at the counter and saw her phone, she got up from the rocking chair and walked over to it.

"MISSED CALL FROM: KAITLYN"

Emily saw the notification on her phone when she turned it on.

"Oh yeah, Kaitlyn is visiting me this week for summer!" Emily remembered.

"Hey! I think I have an idea" she thought.

Emily input the password for her phone, and looked up her contacts.

She selected the one that said "KAITLYN"

And dialed it.

(END OF CHAPTER FOUR!)