These characters do not belong to me.
Just Take Your Time
The next morning, Roger and Dorothy were sitting down to breakfast, as usual. Dorothy kept looking up from her food at Roger. He hadn't mentioned the night before. It was killing her not knowing what he was thinking. She hoped he wasn't going to take it back, and pretend it meant nothing. To her, it meant something and she felt more than just a 'something'. This made her wonder even more if he loved her, or would be willing to admit it to her.
"Roger?" Dorothy said.
"Yes, Dorothy?" Roger responded, looking up at her.
"What do you have planned for today?" She asked.
"I have one client. Nothing special just some bitter divorce case. I guess they figure I can help them out." He answered.
Dorothy nodded looking around shyly. She wanted to ask him about the previous night, but didn't know how to start. She felt an overwhelming amount of nerves.
((Get it together.)) Dorothy thought
She cleared her throat and decided to see if he would address it himself.
"So, is that it?" Dorothy asked.
Roger thought for a moment.
"Not if I get a call." He answered.
Dorothy wished he would say more.
\\\\\\\\\\
Dorothy sat playing the piano trying to clear her head. The Roger situation was confusing her. She knew he was emotionally reserved, but she wanted a clear relationship status.
((Why must he be so difficult?)) Dorothy thought.
Roger was walking into the room, but stopped when he saw Dorothy sitting at the piano. He smiled to himself and walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Dorothy stopped playing, slightly jumping. She had been so distracted by her thoughts, she hadn't noticed him walking up behind.
"Why'd you stop? You weren't playing crazily this time." Roger said.
"Obviously, you want something." Dorothy replied.
She turned her head to the side catching a whiff of his scent. She wanted to melt.
"Just to ask if you'd like to learn more about human behaviors today." He said.
The sound of his voice gave her a fluttering in her stomach. She wanted nothing more, then for him to be affectionate to her. She stood up from the piano and turned to face him.
"I'm always learning the many different strange things humans do. I live with you, don't I?" She responded, clearly amused.
"Very funny."
Dorothy decided to innocently mention the night before.
"Did you enjoy yourself last night, Roger?" She asked.
"Actually, I was going to ask you the same question." He said.
"Yes, very much." She answered.
"Any particular thing? I saw you eventually talking to Leon and Jane." He said.
"Yes, it was nice seeing them. But it was when we got home, that I liked the most."
Roger closed his eyes and began to chuckle, then re-opened them clearly amused.
"Hopefully, we can do that again sometime in the future." Roger said, beginning to walk away.
"What? Wait! But-" Dorothy said, not completing the full sentence. She quickly took a few steps forward. Roger stopped and turned back around.
"I meant the party." Roger said, grinning with pure amusement.
Dorothy walked over to him. She looked him up and down, feeling a strange emotion she didn't recognize and began to frown.
"What is it, Dorothy?" Roger asked.
"I don't understand what I'm feeling." She answered.
Roger, for a moment, had a hope for what the emotion was.
"Well, describe it to me. I should be able to tell you what it is." He said.
"Ok, well. It's hard to explain. You're standing there, hands to your sides… But I feel like I need something; like I want something. Almost like it's not being fulfilled, but I desire it." She explained.
Roger thought for a moment. A grin slowly spread across his lips, and his face lit up with more amusement. Dorothy frowned and looked at him suspiciously.
"What? Why are you looking at me that way?" She asked.
"I know what it is." He replied, thoroughly enjoying this.
"Well, what is it?" She asked, impatiently.
"It's yearning."
"Yearning? For what."
"From what I can tell, for me to touch you."
"What? No it isn't." She said quickly, turning around and taking a few steps back towards the piano. Roger just chuckled.
"Ok, whatever you say." He said, as he began to walk out of the room. He stopped when he noticed Norman walking up to him.
"Sir?" Norman said.
"Yes, Norman?" Roger answered.
"There's a Leon on the phone for you."
"Alright." Roger said, heading for his office. Once he got to his office, he picked up his phone and answered.
"Leon?" Roger said.
"That you, Roger?" Leon asked.
"Yeah, it's me. Do you need something?"
"Actually, yes. Me and Jane need a place to stay."
"What happened?"
"Our house got broken into. I don't know if it's a random burglary, or if someone who opposes my work found out where I lived; tried to scare me."
"You can come here. I'll look into your problem while you're here."
"Thanks buddy. When should we come?"
"Start packing. I'm going to send Norman to pick you up right now."
Leon gave him his address, then the two hung up the phone. Roger then went to Norman and sent him to pick Leon and Jane up. Roger left his office and went to find Dorothy. He eventually found her mopping the dinning room floor, and walked up to her.
"Dorothy, Leon and Jane are coming to stay here for a while. Do you think you can get a spare room ready for them?" Roger asked.
Dorothy stopped what she was doing and looked at him.
"Yes, of course. Does this mean you have a job to do?" Dorothy asked.
"Yeah. Leon has a good amount of people who don't agree with his line of work. Someone broke into their house. I'm going to find out who and why."
Dorothy thought for a moment, then looked at Roger worriedly.
"If people are against his work, then won't they also try to find his clients?" Dorothy asked.
"Maybe. Why?" Roger asked, not realizing what she was hinting at.
"Roger… I'm a client. What if they find out?"
Roger's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten that she was upgraded by Leon.
"That's not going to happen. As long as you're living with me, no one is going to lay a hand on you." Roger said, reassuringly. Dorothy could hear the determination to protect her in his voice. Calming down, she smiled at him.
"Thank you, Roger." She said.
Roger stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek. Dorothy swallowed hard as he stared into her eyes. The idea of someone hurting Dorothy worried Roger. He was the best at his job, but he'd never been in this situation before. He wasn't used to being in love, and he didn't want to lose the woman who'd made him feel it.
He studied her face silently for a few moments more, before leaning down and softly kissing her on the lips. Dorothy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. Her heart began to beat heavily. She felt her knees beginning to feel weak and she stood there not wanting the moment to end. Roger broke the kiss and backed away. Dorothy looked at him longingly. She wanted more.
((How does he do this to me? How does he get my body to feel this way?)) Dorothy thought.
"I'll be in the library." Roger said casually, before turning around to walk out of the room.
"Roger, wait!" Dorothy said, reaching out her hand.
Roger stopped and turned back to her, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Yes, Dorothy?" Roger answered.
"Are… you just going to leave?"
"Like I said, I'll be in the library."
"Can't you stay?"
"You're busy. I'll see you later." Roger said, walking out of the room.
Dorothy just stood there, looking after him.
((Back to being distant…)) Dorothy thought, before continuing mopping.
\\\\\\\\\\
Leon and Jane arrived, and Dorothy met them with a smiling face at the door. Roger stood next to her.
"Hello Dorothy, how've you been?" Leon asked, smiling back.
"I've been good, thank you." Dorothy replied.
Jane walked over to her and hooked her arm around Dorothy's.
"How's your romantic life?" Jane asked, grinning. Dorothy blushed.
"One minute he's affectionate, the next, I'm left confused." Dorothy answered.
"Why don't you show me to our room, and tell me all about it." Jane said. The two then began to leave.
Roger raised a hand, about to say something, but decided to let them go; a defeated look on his face. Leon came up behind him and heartily placed his hand on Roger's shoulder.
"That's women for you. They're on your side until you get another woman in the room. Then they team up." Leon said, laughing.
Roger chuckled and turned to face him.
"So, what exactly happened?" Roger asked.
"Jane and I were relaxing in our bedroom. We had a late work night, so we were just lazing around this morning. Eventually, we came down to see that someone had broken in sometime during the night. No one was there, but the front door was wide open and our things were disheveled." Leon explained.
"Was there anything missing?" Roger asked.
"No, nothing that I noticed. But I still do not want to chance staying there if this is work related."
Roger nodded in understanding.
"Well, you will stay here until I'm done with my investigation. Some time in the near future, you need to re-examine all of your belongings. In the moment, your emotions could have impaired your ability to look over your things thoroughly. "
"I understand. So, where's the room we'll be staying in?"
"This way."
Roger took him to his room. Jane and Dorothy were sitting at the edge of the bed talking.
"What are you two ladies up to?" Roger asked.
Jane looked up at Roger with the usual smile on her face.
"Anything and everything." Jane replied.
"I see. Well, Norman is preparing lunch. You can do whatever you want until then." Roger said.
"I think we'll just unpack." Leon said.
Dorothy stood up.
"I have a bit more cleaning to do." Dorothy said.
"See you later." Jane said. Dorothy smiled and left the room. Roger soon left as well.
Roger decided to start talking to the people who didn't like Leon's work. He needed to feel them out and decided if the break in was related or not. He drove downtown and started going into the shops, asking people about it. He eventually went to a flower shop, where an older woman was arranging flowers on the stands outside of the shop.
"Excuse me, ma'am." Roger said politely.
The women turned around smiling.
"Yes? Are you looking for flowers for a girlfriend?" The women said kindly.
"No, I was wondering if you've ever heard of a man named Leon who works with androids." Roger asked.
The woman nodded.
"Yes, I know of him." She answered.
"What do you think of his work?" He asked.
She thought for a moment.
"It's a bit deceiving." She answered.
"How so?"
"He's passing them off as humans."
"But if you can't tell does it really matter?"
The woman chuckled.
"I guess not." She said.
"So, you don't hate him?" Roger asked.
"No, why would I? I don't know him personally and his work isn't hurting anyone. If the androids were to malfunction and cause trouble, then I'd have a problem. If you're looking for someone who hates him, you should see Joe, everyday he rants about Leon." She responded.
"Do you know where I can find him?"
"He likes to hang around Hillside park."
"Thank you." Roger said, turning to leave.
"Wait!" The woman said, quickly.
Roger turned back around.
"Yes? Is there something else?" Roger asked.
"Why are you asking about Leon?" She asked.
"Someone broke into his house and he asked me to look into it." He answered.
"Is he and his wife ok?"
"They're fine, just worried about getting things in order, that's all."
"Where are they?"
"I can't give out that information. Nothing personal, but I don't want to run the risk of someone overhearing, if this is related to his work."
She nodded in understanding.
"I understand. Well, hope you find out." She said.
And with that she turned around and began working again. Roger got in his car and took a drive down to Hillside Park. Roger walked around the park examining the passer byers.
He soon reached a bench were a man was sitting there reading the newspaper. He was a handsome man and looked somewhere in his 40's. He had medium brown layered hair that went down to his cheekbone, and was messily tousled to one side. He had a five o'clock shadow and was wearing a large green jacket, black pants, dark brown shoes, and gloves with the fingers exposed.
"Ugh! Damn androids always in the newspaper. Unless they're saving babies from burning buildings, who gives a damn?" The man grumbled to himself.
((That must be Joe)) Roger thought.
He walked over to him.
"Are you Joe?" Roger asked.
The man lowered his newspaper.
"Yeah, I'm Joe? Who are you?" Joe asked, looking Roger up and down with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm Roger Smith." Roger answered.
"Ah, yeah, I know you; top negotiator and all that good jazz. Well… What do you want with me?" Joe asked.
"I hear you have a grudge against a man named Leon." Roger responded.
"Damn right I do! Where does he come off thinking he can have all of these machines on the streets?"
"They're not machines, they're androids."
"What's the difference? Fancy hardware sold to a bunch of shmucks that have nothing else better to do."
Roger raised an eyebrow.
"Is that all you're concerned about? That they're not human? You can't even tell the difference between human and upgraded androids." Roger said.
Joe just looked at him.
"Like I said, they're a waste of time. How would you know if you could tell the difference or not? Do you have one?" Joe asked.
"I happen to work with an android, and she is more useful than most humans." Roger responded.
"My point exactly; shmucks with nothing to do." Joe said, bringing his attention back to his newspaper.
Roger was beginning to get irritated. He grabbed him by the collar and got him to his feet.
"You know, Leon's house got broken into, now you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Roger asked.
"What? I know nothing about that! H-Hey! Let go of me!" Joe said pressingly, as he moved a bit trying to get loose.
"You've done a poor job at convincing me."
"Well, you're not too bright to begin with." Joe said.
Roger tightened his grip.
"This isn't a joke." Roger said, clearly irritated.
Roger let go of him, and Joe backed away coughing.
"Did I say it was? This has your panties in a twist because you're probably doing some android too."
Roger narrowed his eyes and began to walk towards him. Joe put his hand up and Roger stopped.
"You know, I think I should see someone about this self destructive behavior." Joe said.
Roger sighed and put his head in his hand.
"Joe, do you know anything about this?" Roger asked again, clearly exasperated.
"Honestly, I don't. Sure I dislike Leon, but I wouldn't hurt him. If you need some help though, I'd be willing to lend a hand."
Roger looked at him in disbelief.
"You?"
"Shocking, I know. But if it would clear my name, then I'm willing to help."
Roger looked him up and down. He sensed Joe was hiding the real reason he hated Leon so much. Deciding to find that out later, he nodded his head.
"Fine. But pull any stunts-"
"I know, I know, I'm a goner."
"Here's my house number. You can investigate on your own for now, and if you find anything useful, call me as soon as you do. Do I make myself clear?" Roger said, warningly.
"Crystal."
Joe took his number and waved as Roger left.
\\\\\\\\\\
Roger was in his office thinking about who could have been responsible. He knew it had to be someone who didn't like Leon's work, but that could be any number of people. How was he going to track them down? And if Joe didn't do it, that leads little to go on.
((Then again, Joe could just be putting himself in the middle to get attention off of himself. It's still possible he did it. I'll have to keep an eye on him.)) Roger thought.
There then was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Roger said.
Leon then entered the room.
"Oh, hello Leon." Roger said.
"I was just wondering if you by any chance have any leads? I know it's only been a few hours, but I don't like the feeling of someone being actively after me and my wife." Leon asked.
Roger leaned back in his chair.
"As of now, Joe is helping us find information." Roger answered.
Leon looked at him in disbelief.
"Joe?"
"Yes."
"Hates my work, Joe?"
"Yes."
"Wants to throw me in front of a bus, Joe?"
Roger sighed.
"Yes."
"Wants a fleet of rabid eagles-"
"Alright, alright, I get it. He claims he doesn't like being accused of something he didn't do. He wants to 'clear' his name. I'm not sure of him either, but if he's known for hating you than that means anyone else who could have done this wouldn't have any trouble talking to him openly about it. I don't exactly trust him, but he can get inside information. Sure I could go down and get it out, but it's a rather a long job where I threaten violence." Roger said, leaning back in his chair.
Leon chuckled at the last sentence.
"Ok, I see your point." Leon said.
"Why don't you and Jane get some shut eye. Take a nap before lunch is ready; It'll help you to relax a bit." Roger suggested.
"You're probably right. This whole thing is just a bit un-nerving. I never thought anyone would find out where I live."
"You already know I'm the top negotiator in Paradigm city, and you've heard about my reputation. But this time the job's personal on a different level. Make no mistake, I will find out who's doing this and it will be quick and as clean as possible." Roger assured.
Leon nodded in understanding.
"How's Dorothy?" Leon asked.
"She's a bit frightened. She's worried that whoever broke into your house, might want to find your clients next." Roger answered.
"She's scared they'll harm her."
"I'll be damned before I let that happened."
"No one lets it happen. It just happens."
"Are you saying you think it's going to happen?" Roger asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'd hope not. But sometimes things that are out of your control happen. And you don't look like the type of gentleman who'll just let it slide and reason with yourself. I can tell you'd beat yourself up over it. Well, at least for a while before you get pissed." Leon responded.
Roger and Leon both laughed.
"Well, you should go find Jane. Both of you get some rest." Roger said.
"I will. I think you should talk to Dorothy." Leon said.
Roger nodded in understanding.
\\\\\\\\\\
Dorothy was sitting at her easel by the piano, painting. She was trying to get her mind off of the situation. Even though she didn't want to admit it, the whole thing bothered her deeply. What was so bad about androids? Why couldn't they just try to understand, instead of automatically hating them?
Roger spotted Dorothy and walked up next to her.
"Are you ok?" Roger asked.
Dorothy stopped painting and looked up at him.
"Why is being an android such a bad thing?" Dorothy asked, clearly upset.
"It's not Dorothy, you know that."
"To them, those people after Leon, we are. They think we're all just a hunk of useless metal and memory data, that's bound to malfunction and go on a rampage."
"That's only because they are ignorant, and are so closed minded they don't see the truth."
"I know deep down they don't really hate us; they're afraid of us, but to cope with those emotions they focus it on anger. Which is even worse." Dorothy said, as her eyes focused on her lap.
Roger just stood there looking at her, hands in his pockets. In the past, Roger would have been worried for Dorothy and wouldn't want anyone doing anything that could possibly mess up her mechanism, but this time it wasn't like the past times. This time if she got hurt, she could feel the pain. Even if it didn't kill her, she would be in excruciating pain, and that was something that Roger couldn't bare to see. Just the thought of it tore him up inside.
Roger bent down to her level and lifted her chin gently with his hand; his eyes softening.
"Everyone is afraid of the unknown. It has nothing to do with what you are, but with them not knowing who you are. Don't be ashamed of what you are or where you come from, Dorothy, be proud of who you are today."
Dorothy smiled lovingly at him. He had a way with words that knocked her old cold sometimes. That's when it hit her. A part of her wanted to suppress the emotion, due to the fact Roger hadn't expressed his feelings for her. A kiss is a powerful action, but it meant nothing without the backing words of reassurance. She wanted to hear it. But how could she get him to say it? When would he be ready to admit it?
Dorothy decided to describe what she was feeling, in hopes he'd say something before she said those three little words.
"Are you ok?" Roger asked.
"I have an overwhelming emotion." Dorothy replied.
She could feel her eyes watering, but she didn't know why. What was this from? Happiness?
Roger was caught off guard. He scanned her face as he watched her eyes water. A part of him didn't know what to do, but the other knew what he wanted to do. Swallowing hard, Roger spoke.
"Describe it to me. Maybe I can help you." Roger said, hoping this time around it was the emotion he wanted her to feel.
Never in his life, had Roger wanted something so intensely, and the realization of that one simple thing made him begin to realize how much he was in love with her; more than he was willing to admit.
Dorothy hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"My entire body feels heavy, but my soul feels weightless. My heart won't slow down, and the intense feeling is almost numbing. I feel like I'm itching with anticipation, but some how I'm completely calm. All these emotions are conflicting, but the one sure thing is... When ever I look at you and only you, these emotions intensify. When you're near me I feel complete, and when you're gone I feel a need for you." Dorothy said, waiting for his reply.
Roger just stayed bent there, speechless and trying to find the right words to say. He had finally heard what he wanted to hear. He knew exactly what she was feeling. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"You might disagree, but... It sounds to me... like you're in love." Roger said.
Dorothy felt liberated by the reassurance that love is what she was feeling. Roger nervously looked around, then back at her.
"If you don't think-" Roger started to say, but was interrupted by Dorothy cutting in.
"I'm in love with you, Roger Smith." Dorothy said firmly, with unmistakable genuineness. Even though she wanted to, she couldn't hold it in.
Roger's eye widened, clearly shocked that she had just came out and said it. He felt nerves run through his body. Something in him was afraid to say it back; once it was said he couldn't take it back. He wouldn't want to take it back, only prove it everyday; but the main thing that made him hesitate was that it would be coming to terms with the fact that it would be real. Not only would it be real, she would be real, and his one weakness would be real.
"Dorothy..." Roger began, with a soft emotion filled voice.
He placed one hand on her cheek and gently caressed it with his thumb. Dorothy closing her eyes and slowly reopened them as he did so.
"I've tried forgetting about it; putting it out of my mind. But eventually I couldn't put it out of my mind anymore. I find myself thinking about you all of the time." Roger said. Dorothy just listened in anticipation for the words she wanted to hear.
Roger took both of Dorothy's hands and stood up, gently standing her up with him. Dorothy stood looking into his eyes. There was something there, a certain tenderness she's only seen a few time before. But still the look was something different; there was a vulnerability she hadn't seen. Roger placed his hand on her lower back and pulled her closer to him. As he looked down at her, he couldn't help the feeling growing inside of him.
"Dorothy, I-"
"You have a phone call, master Roger." Norman said, interrupting.
Roger looked over at him and back away from Dorothy. Dorothy felt her heart sink.
"Thank you Norman, I'll take it in my office. When will lunch be ready?" Roger asked.
"Sense we have guests, I decided to do something special. Lunch will be served in 25 minutes." Norman said, before leaving for the kitchen.
Roger looked back over at Dorothy.
"Dorothy, I need to take this call." Roger said. He could visibly see her disappointment.
Dorothy sadly nodded her head in understanding. Roger stood there for a moment. His eyes fell to her lips, and he felt an urge to kiss them; realizing the urge he quickly looked up at her eyes. If he kissed her now, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop.
"I'll see you at lunch and perhaps we can talk after." Roger said, before leaving for his office.
Dorothy just stood there, not moving. She couldn't believe he was so close to saying those words, those three little words and it had to be ruined.
((It's just my luck.)) Dorothy thought, sighing.
\\\\\\\\\\
After lunch Jane was chatting with Norman as he cleaned up, and Roger was talking with Leon as they walked around.
"You know Leon, I've been wondering about something." Roger said.
"Go ahead and ask me your question." Leon responded.
"You said Dorothy can have children right?"
"Yup, she has a full reproductive system."
"But how did you do that? How did you allow her to have the ability to give birth when she's an android? She needs DNA that would allow the children to be human and biologically hers." Roger asked.
"From what she told me about herself, she was modeled after the real daughter of some man. Her creator, her father, used DNA from her 'twin' sister, if you will, to give her the taste buds. From extracting DNA from her taste buds, I was able to clone her DNA and use it to make her reproductive organs through a 3D printing system I developed. Pretty simple." Leon answered.
Roger chuckled.
"You call that simple? Leon you are an interesting man; brilliant, yet interesting."
"Thank you, I try."
"So her children, would actually be HER children?"
"Yuppers. And if you were the father, the children would be half Dorothy half numb nuts."
Both Leon and Roger laughed.
"I know it's a bit ridiculous asking what's already been answered." Roger said.
"Do you plan on having children with her?" Leon asked.
Roger hesitated for moment. Seeing on Roger's face that he wasn't sure if he should answer, Leon changed the subject.
"So does this mean you told her how you felt?" Leon asked.
"In a matter of speaking... No."
"Is it because you're not sure about her feelings?"
"She told me she loved me."
"What? When?" Leon asked, enthusiastically.
"Before lunch." Roger answered.
"And you didn't say anything?"
"Well, I tried to get it out, but then Norman came in."
Leon sighed.
"You really are numb nuts." Leon said, shaking his head.
Roger chuckled.
"I'm not used to this. I'm not used to this kind of emotion. I've never been in love before; it's hard for me to get the words out." Roger said.
Leon nodded in understanding.
"The moment will come when you can say it. Don't worry." Leon said.
"I hope so."
The two then spotted Dorothy dusting in the hallway.
"I think I'll go and chat with Norman and Jane. I think you have a little chat to have of your own." Leon said, before walking off.
Roger watched her for a moment before walking over to her.
"Dorothy." Roger said.
Dorothy looked over at him, then perked up.
"Oh, Roger!" Dorothy said putting down the duster on a hall table.
"For god sake, how many hallways do you have? It took me forever to find you." Angel said, entering the room.
Roger turned and watched as Angel walked over beside them. Dorothy picked up the duster and started dusting again, clearly agitated.
"What is it now, Angel?" Roger asked, slightly irritated.
"I heard of a little trouble your friend is in. Leon is his name? I came to give you a little tip I heard." Angel said.
Roger frowned.
"How do you even know about that?" Roger asked.
"Oh come on, a big story like that? It's bound to be in the papers, which I'm sure you can't be all that surprised. Leon's work is a hot button issue." Angel replied.
"And what would make you think I'm friends with him? You would have had to assume that before coming here. And speaking of that, did you even see him here?" Roger asked.
"No, but considering how your little play thing is life like now, I had a feeling you might have known him." Angel said, giving a coy smile. Dorothy tensed up, trying to hide her annoyance.
Something about Angel's words and demeanor didn't sit well with Roger.
"Well, I think you should know that there is a bar in town where some of Leon's most notorious protestors go to; including one of his most popular ones, Joe. I left the address and names with Norman to give to you; he wouldn't allow me in your office sense you weren't there. Whenever you're ready to check it out, you can just pop on by. I better be off now. Business to attend to, you understand." Angel said, walking past them to make her exit.
Roger turned his attention back to Dorothy.
"I'm going out to by some groceries." Dorothy said quickly, as she put down the duster. Angel's presence had annoyed her and she wanted to get fresh air.
"I need to talk to you." Roger said, wondering why she suddenly wanted to go out.
"We can talk later." She replied.
"Is something wrong?"
"I just want some fresh air. Besides, I needed to go to the store anyways."
Roger nodded.
"Alright."
And with that Roger turned and left.
\\\\\\\\\\
Dorothy slowly strolled down the street examining each face as she went by. There was no differentiating Leon's clients from the rest of Paradigm city, and there was no differentiating her from the rest of the city. And yet, some how it made androids bad.
As she walked, keeping her eyes on the people passing her, she suddenly bumped into someone causing her to drop her bags.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Dorothy said, bending over to pick up her groceries.
The man bent down and began helping her.
"It's alright, we all day dream from time to time." The man said, handing Dorothy her groceries.
Once Dorothy got everything back in her hands, she stood and the man stood up.
"Thank you. I really am sorry." Dorothy said, smiling.
The man smiled back.
"No problem. Where were you heading anyways?" He asked.
"I was just on my way home from the grocery store." Dorothy said, lifting her bags to show them.
"Well, be sure to be careful. And it was nice meeting you." He said.
"It was nice meeting you too, Mr?"
"Joe Dorian"
Dorothy froze. She recognized that name being mentioned earlier. He was one of the main protesters of Leon's work. Dorothy felt herself tense up; even though she knew he didn't know what she was or he wouldn't be nice to her.
"Nice to meet you Joe-"
"JD."
"Nice to meet you JD. I'm... Dorothy."
Joe stuck out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Dorothy."
Dorothy shook his hand nervously.
"Aren't you the one who's famously against Leon's work?" Dorothy asked, already knowing the answer.
Joe sighed and motioned to sit on a near by bench. They both sat down, remaining silent as Dorothy waited for his reply.
"Well... Yes, I suppose." Joe answered.
Dorothy hesitated for a moment, before continuing on with her questioning. Joe had no idea what she was, and because of that he was kind and friendly. If that was the case, then why would he have problem towards a group a people he couldn't tell the difference from?
"Why do you hate him so much?" Dorothy asked, concern clear in her voice.
Joe once again sighed.
"I don't hate him." He answered.
"You object to his work." She said.
"Well-"
"So why do you hate him and his work?"
"Like I said, I don't hate him. I want to hate him, but I can't."
Dorothy sat thoroughly confused.
"But... Why would you act like you do?"
Joe sat back on the bench, as the world past by them.
"It's... Easier for me."
Dorothy thought for a moment. A part of her was afraid, but another part knew she had to say what she was about to say.
"I'm one of Leon's clients. I'm an android, Joe, yet when you didn't know you had no problem talking to me."
Joe sat there quiet for moment.
"I'm not sure what you want me to say." Joe said.
"I want you to explain to me, why you hate androids like me; androids that can pass as human. I can do everything a human can, but I wasn't born human and yes I do have upgradable parts. Leon's not trying to replace humans, he's only trying to help the androids who want to be human; who want to be equal to everyone else, and not be considered only of the value of a servant. It's not fair and Leon knows it's not fair. Why does everything else, animals, androids, nature itself, have to bow down to the human race? Why should I bow down to the human race? You may not be made of machinery and organic tissue, but you cause more trouble than any technology did. It's not technologies fault, it's the fault of the human who created the technology with little to no understanding of how reality works. How can a race so flawed, expect to make something so perfect?" Dorothy said, passionately.
As Dorothy finished speaking, she took a deep breath to control her breathing. She hadn't noticed how worked up she was getting, but she meant everything she said and she wanted an answer. She knew she was taking a chance speaking to him that way, but she knew if she didn't speak firmly he might not take her seriously.
Joe took a moment to let everything she said sink in, before he finally broke the silence with a shocking statement, that even Dorothy wasn't expecting.
"I don't hate androids either."
Dorothy shook her head trying to grasp what he was saying. He didn't hate Leon and he didn't hate androids. Then what did he hate?
"I don't understand... What do you hate?" Dorothy asked, watching as Joe stood up.
"It was nice meeting you, Dorothy. I hope to bump into you again sometime." Joe said, looking down at her.
He extended his hand and helped her to stand up. Dorothy just stared at him confused, before finally smiling and nodding her head at him.
"It was nice meeting you too... JD"
Joe smiled back at her.
"Can I ask you a question, this time?" Joe asked.
Dorothy chuckled.
"Sure." She responded.
"Is there a particular reason you went to Leon?"
"I wanted to do what was best for me."
"And what was best for you would be to pursue the understanding of human emotions and experience them right?"
"Well, yes."
"And aside from all that, love is your biggest motivation, right?"
Dorothy looked at him in shock; it was almost as if he was reading a book.
"Yes." Dorothy answered.
Joe smiled and nodded in understanding.
"Well, whoever he is, he's a lucky man; got himself a real ball buster."
Dorothy laughed.
"Take care of yourself, JD." Dorothy said.
Joe gave her a mini salute with his fingers, as he turned around and walked off.
((What a curious man.)) Dorothy thought, as she watched Joe leave.
\\\\\\\\\\
There was a knock on Roger's bedroom door. Roger slowly began to wake as his bedroom door opened, and the light from the hallway streamed in. Roger drowsily looked at the clock.
((2am, again?)) Roger thought as he laid back down, not bothering to see who it was.
"Why must you wake me up?" Roger said, sounding a bit exasperated.
"Roger?" Dorothy called from the doorway.
Roger sighed.
"We didn't have a fight, so why are you in here?" Roger asked.
"I wanted you to know..."
"Know what?"
"What I did today."
"And that can't wait 6 more hours?"
"I talked to Joe today."
Roger immediately sat up in his bed.
"You did WHAT?"
Dorothy took a step back, keeping her eyes on the floor.
"I spoke to him...today... when I went out to get groceries."
Roger stayed silent. He didn't know how to respond to that. Finally he spoke.
"I... Don't even know what to say to that. Why? Why would you do that?" He asked, pressingly.
"I bumped into him while I was walking back home. He helped me pick up my bags." She replied.
"How did you know that was him?"
"He introduced himself."
Roger took in a deep breath.
"What happened?" He asked.
"We started talking. After confirming that he was the Joe I thought he was, I... told him I was an android."
Roger's eyes widened. He could feel the anger building up inside of him, but underneath the anger was fear. Fear that Joe really had no intentions of helping. Fear that he could possibly tell who ever broke into Leon's house, and put Dorothy in danger. Everything was swirling around in his head, and he couldn't stop them long enough to make sense of his it all. His mind was blank, and his body was numb but he tried to find SOMETHING to say.
"You-I-I can't EVEN-"
"He told me he doesn't really hate Leon, and that he didn't hate androids either." Dorothy blurted out quickly. She could see the fury in his eyes, and hoped he didn't explode.
Roger frowned in confusion. Was this the same guy he heard yelling at the newspaper in the park?
"What do you mean he doesn't hate androids?" Roger asked.
Dorothy entered the room and sat on the side of his bed.
"I didn't tell him what I was at first. I simply asked him why he hated Leon. He told me he didn't, and then I pressed him on why he hated androids, because I was one and he couldn't tell. I got a bit heated and that's when he told me he didn't hate androids. I tried to ask why would he act like it, but he simply said it was nice meeting me. He seemed troubled by something." Dorothy answered.
Roger rested his head in his hand for a moment, breathing out a sigh of relief before looking back up at her.
"You can't- You just can't, alright?" Roger said.
Dorothy nodded obediently.
"I never would have told him if he didn't say he didn't hate Leon. For someone so well known for his beliefs, he wouldn't deny them if he really felt that way." She said.
Roger placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Just don't do it again, ok? You know how my cases can get, and I don't want you harmed." He said.
Dorothy looked into Roger's eyes, taking in the emotions he brought out in her and taking note of the worry in his eyes. She leaned in and gave him a quick gentle kiss. Roger looked into her eyes, unable to keep his emotions bottled up any longer. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Dorothy was caught off guard, but soon met his passion with her own as she climbed on top of him, causing him to lay back down to balance the shift in weight. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her waist. Dorothy felt her heart beat faster as their kiss intensified. Roger wrapped his arms around her and held her body tighter to his. Dorothy couldn't help her hands from exploring his body, and feeling his skin on hers. She gently pushed his pajama shirt up, allowing her to place her hands on his chest and feel the warmth of his skin. As Roger's breath got heavier, his kiss got more aggressive and he slowly felt himself struggling to keep control; and didn't even noticed that he had rolled on top of her. Her scent was intoxicating and the feel of her hands only fueled his passion.
Roger broke off the kiss, but Dorothy still felt the joy well up inside of her.
"We should go to sleep." Roger said, rolling back onto his back.
Dorothy placed her head on his shoulder, and wrapped her arm around him.
"Can I stay here? Just for tonight?" Dorothy asked.
Roger could hear the desire in her voice to stay, and wrapped his free arm around her.
"Of course." He said.
Dorothy yawned feeling her eyes getting heavier and beginning to close.
"I love you... Roger." Dorothy said in-between yawns, as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
"I love you too, Dorothy Wayneright." Roger said, as he stared up at the ceiling. He was fully aware she was fast asleep and couldn't hear him.
"I love you"