"Good morning sunshine! The Earth says Hello!" (Willy Wonka in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, 2005).—A big hello to my readers. I hope all of you felt a little better with my note I had left for a chapter ten to know that I didn't abandon this story…although I do apologize for making people think it was an actual update. However! Here is a real update with 3 whole pages worth of new stuff. The story is getting rolling a bit more here after the drama slowed down from the point of Layrial's death. Please note though that I have no idea when I'll get the next chapter written. I decided to just take a break from school stuff tonight and work on some fanfic stuff. I'm not sure if I'll do any within a week or so, but I'll do my best to not wait months like I had been.

Feel free to ask questions…I hope this is a little unified…I did reread the entire story to refresh my memory on what I did so far—and gasp I made them do that last time! Hehe. Hopefully though they're still not way out of character…I promise things will start to get more interesting action wise after this. But for now, enjoy :) Please review too!!

Chapter 10: Road Block

I hadn't expected to sleep as late as I had. When I awoke it was nearly nine o'clock. I sat up quickly and looked around at the guest room, studying a room that had once belonged to my mother, but I hadn't spent much time in. The bed I was in was up against the wall; I had been sleeping on the edge to the point if I rolled over I would've been on the floor. The other occupant, however, was missing.

I should've expected this. I mean, I couldn't expect Cell to sleep until this time. For the time being I didn't even know how long ago he had left since I recall falling asleep soon after our activities had ended. I also recall something else…Cell had put his arms around me and held me close. It was a wonderful feeling because I felt like he had finally gotten over his "android" personality and started to calm down. However, it was a way Kei usually held me and it unnerved me to no end.

I got up and went towards the bathroom to hop in and out of the shower before I never got a chance. It was the quickest shower I'd taken in a long time. Once I was finished I hurried down the hall to my room and threw on some clean clothes. The cat was hiding in the corner, which led me to believe Cell was somewhere nearby since she apparently didn't like our visitor.

When I went into the kitchen, however, I discovered Cell was outside. I watched him through the window; he was apparently practicing something. His arms flung out, his legs swung around in kicks. I was amazed at how agile he looked even though he claimed that his abilities were gone.

Daring to interrupt him, I went outside to watch him from a shorter distance. He stopped the moment he saw me and stood still for a brief moment without saying a word. "You look like you've still got some skills," I said with a small smile.

"I feel different today," he replied and cracked his neck as he walked towards me. "I don't feel as weak."

"Well maybe it's because you got some," I said with a wink. When he stared at me blankly I explained that it was a saying women said about men the next morning—they usually were in a much better state than they had been prior.

Cell chuckled. "I doubt it," he said and walked past me.

I watched him and swung my arms, my head turning to look at the tree he had splintered the previous day. "So now what?"

He looked over his shoulder. "I don't know," he said. "You tell me."

"That's the thing," I said honestly as I approached him. "I don't know what to tell me, no less you."

"You care for the human—the one in the pictures—don't you?"

"Of course I do," I replied. "I've been sharing the last two years of my life with him." I waited for a moment before continuing. "What about you? What do you want?"

Cell merely shook his head without a verbal answer. I knew that Cell wanted to be his old self again; this was only second best in his book. The fact that he still had competition, though, might be an intriguing factor for him, now that I thought of it. I didn't want to see Kei get hurt, though. I couldn't let Cell turn it into a "I'm better for her than you are" match.

We eventually found our way back into the house and I prepared a larger-than-usual breakfast. Cell devoured everything I gave him; it was the first time I had seen him eat so quickly and so much. He sat back in his chair and stared at nothing in particular, his pink eyes sharp and alert.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

At first he said nothing. Then he looked at me with an unmarked expression. "Will you do what your mother did?"

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Do what?"

"Settle down with that man and bare his children?"

I almost laughed. "Why Cell, I'm starting to get a feeling you're a little jealous. You're afraid I'm going to just leave you on the streets."

"I never said anything of the sort."

"Yes you did!" I said hurriedly. "You're seriously thinking that he's going to come back and you'll be pushed aside."

"If that's not the case then, what do you plan on doing? He will return at some point I'm assuming. Do you expect me to still be here when he does?"

I opened my mouth to rebut, but his last sentence stopped me cold. I thought for a moment as to what he said. "You're thinking of leaving, aren't you?"

"I will be leaving," he said.

"Why!?" I started quickly. "After last night I thought…"

"Sasara," he started sternly, "what we did is to be forgotten. I was never meant to be in this situation or settle down with a human. I have learned in the past that to have a woman as a lover is nothing more than a headache to me and my purpose. I cannot do anything for you that'll make you happy not to mention myself."

I took a deep breath and looked away. I wasn't about to cry…I was starting to become angry with him again. "I cheated on my boyfriend with you….I let you into my life when I promised myself I'd never make my mother's mistake and this is what you do to me. I can't believe you. No, wait…yes I can. Cell I do believe you'll be just fine…the selfishness you possessed as an android is starting to return."

"How dare you speak to me—"

"Don't start," I said quickly and pointed a finger at him. "You want to know something? I love you. Heaven forbid it, but I love you. I've known it for a long time now, but I refused to ever say it or think it. I sometimes even wished that Kei was you. When you turned into a human and then last night happened I thought that for once I would get something I really wanted. You want to go out there and do whatever? Fine; but I promise you this, Cell, I will not let you back in a third time."

I was going to storm away, but he got up and grabbed my arm so tightly I didn't have a chance to pull away. He swung me around and pulled me to him, immediately pressing his mouth against mine.

"So tell me, Sasara," he said shortly after. "Do you speak the truth? Would you be able to turn away from me so easily?"

"You are a manipulative…" I paused when I heard a car. My heart stopped. I pulled away from him and looked out the window to see Kei's blue car. I almost died on the spot.

"By the look on your face I'm assuming he's returned already," Cell said smugly.

"Yes you idiot and a day early too," I said quickly. I was nearly in a panic. "I haven't even thought of a story to tell him yet!"

"Tell him the truth," Cell said.

"Are you kidding?!"

Kei appeared at the door and started to unlock it. I couldn't get myself to move. He opened the door and stepped in, a small smile on his face—obviously happy to be home—and shut it behind him. When he raised his head to look into the room, finding Cell and I standing there, his smile quickly disappeared and concern swept over his smooth face. His dark eyes stared at me for a moment and then traced their way to Cell, looking him up and down accusingly.

"Hey sweetheart," I said quickly and waltzed up to him to plant a kiss on his cheek. He accepted it wordlessly, but continued to stare at Cell. My eyes caught a rather stiff Cell staring back. "Umm, I know what you're thinking…"

"Do you?" Kei asked in his mid-toned voice. "I was just wondering who this man was."

"He's my cousin," I said quickly. "My cousin Seru from up north."

"I didn't know you had a cousin Seru," Kei responded as he put his duffle bag and briefcase on the kitchen table.

"Yeah, but I haven't seen him in a long time. A lot has happened though," I said to throw the topic off. "I got news about my mother."

"Oh?" Kei said surprised and brought his full attention to me. I explained to him about her being found near a crater; I told him that I saw her in the hospital and she died a day later. "Sasara…I'm so sorry…why didn't you call me?"

"Your phone wasn't on," I said solemnly. "That's when I called Seru…I had to talk to someone that knew she had gone missing. He decided to come down and keep me company since you were gone for a few days." What a lie that was…

"I see," Kei said but his gaze upon Cell wasn't one of trust as I had hoped. I wondered if he could tell I was lying to him about even the smallest thing. "Well then," Kei said and approached Cell. "Thanks for taking care of her during my absence." He extended his hand towards Cell, who looked at him with a cold stare.

Finally, though, Cell took Kei's hand and shook it. He released it quickly, though, and turned to me. "Sasara," he said, "this is where I leave."

I wanted to yell out with frustration…Kei just had to come back at that given moment. "Are you coming back?" I asked with concern.

"I haven't decided," Cell replied and left the house. I watched him round the corner and then he was gone.