Okay, so I basically try to update on Friday night/Saturday, but I was kinda depressed so I couldn't finish in time (plus the chapter is shorter bleh). But I managed, so, here you go.

"Hey, Oliver."

Oliver opened his eyes and blinked a few times to wake himself up. His fingers were still grasping the phone.

"We should go see if we can talk to the guide now," Gumi said, staring down at Oliver from atop the bed. Oliver had fallen asleep on the floor, trying to ignore the problems of the night.

"Oh, okay," Oliver said, and sat up. Gumi slid off the bed and Oliver followed her out the door and down the stairs.

"What time is it, do you think?" Gumi asked as they looked around for someone.

"Why are you asking me?" Oliver asked, slightly frustrated. "You're the one who just woke me up."

"Ah, you're up now."

Oliver and Gumi turned to see Jennifer walking out of what was in fact a kitchen.

"Would you like breakfast?" she asked kindly. "If you're hungry."

Gumi and Oliver considered the question. "Um, I guess so," Gumi said brightly, shrugging. "Thank you," she remembered to add.

"It's nothing," Jennifer assured with a wave of her hand.

"You can join Hannah and Charlie at the table," Jennifer said, pointing at the table that was slightly obscured by a wall. Gumi brightened up even more, while Oliver hesitantly followed her over to the table where the children were sitting.

Gumi and Oliver sat down, and Gumi grinned at the children, who seemed to be just as shy as Oliver. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to have children," she remarked.

Jennifer stopped what she was doing to look at Oliver and Gumi quickly, but didn't ask any questions. She set down plates in front of the table's four occupants, and Gumi and Oliver stared at the food they had never eaten before. Thankfully, the children were quick to begin eating, and Gumi and Oliver were spared an explanation of what to do with a fork.

After breakfast was over, Jennifer told Gumi and Oliver to take a seat in the living room, and that Steven would be there in a moment. A nervous silence ensued, until finally, Miku's guide finally entered the room and sat down in a chair across from the 'couple.'

"Gwen and...Oliver, I presume?" the man asked, and the two both nodded, though Oliver felt especially nervous with the way the man paused before his name. "And of course Jennifer already told you, my name is Steven. I understand you have some questions for me, so feel free to ask away."

"Well," Oliver started, trying his best not to stutter when this man seemed so polite and professional. "You worked as a guide for the Vocaloids when they held their first concert here, right?" Steven nodded. Oliver tried to think quickly, deciding whether or not to address the fact that he also deserted them before the concert, and also wondering if it was safe to talk about Miku's absense.

Gumi took over. "So how did you, say, apply for the job?"

Steven smiled. "Well, I happen to be very good friends with one of the top coordinators of the Vocaloid company, and since I can speak Japanese and English, along with many other languages of course, I managed to secure a position as the five Vocaloids' guide.

"What made you interested in having the job?" Oliver asked, getting the hang of it.

"Ah, I just thought it would be a great experience to be able to help out such successful creations. I mean, what I'm hoping for is a future in Vocaloids where there are many different Vocaloids from many different countries, all holding concerts in many places. I've always appreciated languages and music both in themselves, and to see them work together is always wonderful."

Oliver sighed inwardly. This guy didn't really seem suspicious at all, but there were still nagging doubts. Oliver realized he couldn't mention anything about the suspicions surrounding Miku, though, because, if Steven was responsible, he probably assumed no one knew about that, thus knowing in itself would be suspicious.

Just then, Jennifer started to walk by followed by Hannah and Charlie. "Bye, Steven," she said fondly. Then she looked down at the children. "Say bye to Daddy," she told them. After their goodbyes, Steven also bid them goodbye and then turned back to the two guests, who were momentarily distracted.

"I don't mean to be too personal, but where are they going?" Gumi asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"They're spending the weekend at Jennifer's parents' house. I have to stay and work," Steven explained.

"So, what do you do when you're not guiding Vocaloids around here? You wife mentioned something about a trip you were hoping for, I believe," Oliver continued.

"Ah, yes," Steven said, nodding. "In a couple of-"

He was interrupted by his phone, which went off from his pocket. He looked at Gumi and Oliver apologetically. "Please excuse me for a moment," he said, and left the room.

"Do you think he's on to us?" Oliver whispered to Gumi.

"I don't think so," Gumi responded lightheartedly, but still in a whisper.

"Just, the way he paused before my name...and the way he talks about Vocaloids seems a little bit too enthusiastic."

"Rin, didn't you say that the creators had placed their trust in us?" A panicked Neru was asking.

Rin seemed just as shaken as Neru, if not more. "I don't know! Well, I do remember saying that, and I remember Meiko saying that probably meant they wouldn't shut any of us down, but what if they changed their minds?"

"But why Meiko?" Neru asked in exasperation. "She's the only one who has had communication with the creators since the beginning!"

"Calm down," Miriam said, patting Neru on the shoulder. "It's not like it's anyone's fault."

All of the Vocaloids and Utauloids that were part of the search were gathered in the meeting room, except for Meiko, who was lying on Miriam's bed, sharing the same symptoms that Rin and Len had shown before.

"Do Oliver and Gumi know?" IA asked Neru.

"Well, I tried to be calm about it, but I didn't get a response, so I don't know how they're reacting to it. They haven't updated me on anything else, really."

There was silence. Finally, Mai spoke. "I personally think you'll get an update soon," she said seriously. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Why is that?" Miriam asked.

"Whatever happened to Meiko has to be connected to what's going on with Gumi and Oliver. So basically...Neru, just be ready for anything," Mai replied. She took her leave and Eri hesitantly followed.

"Hey, have you talked to Kiyoteru lately?" Mai asked casually, completely changing the subject.

"No," Eri replied bitterly.

"I've just noticed it always seems forced," Mai said.

"Gosh, I wonder why."

"Oh come on, you desperately want to talk to him," Mai said, grinning as she gave Eri a sideways glance.

"Nope, I can honestly say that is untrue," Eri said, not bothering to look at Mai as she spoke.

"The only problem is, you don't have anything to say," Mai speculated, ignoring Eri.

"Yeah, that's the only problem," Eri said while rolling her eyes.

Having reached their room, Mai reached out to open the door and the two went inside.

"So perhaps I should just leave you two alone and let you bond while you're searching for Miku together."

"Now there's an idea," Eri said lying down on her bed with her arms behind her head, just hoping that Mai would be quiet so she could relax.

"But the setting just doesn't seem romantic enough. Unless, of course, you were in trouble or-"

Eri sat up and interrupted Mai. "Why don't you go somewhere else?"

Mai tilted her head. "This happens to be my room," she replied calmly, used to Eri's irritated remarks.

"If you want me to talk to Kiyoteru so much, you go talk to Riku first," Eri said, sighing.

"I talk to him all the time already, why would you..." Mai paused for a moment, seeming confused. "Why did that sound like one of those analogy things? Is there supposed to be a similarity between the two situations?" Mai asked, raising her eyebrows, waiting to see what Eri's answer would be.

"Yes, yes I believe there is," Eri replied coolly.

Mai faltered for a moment, but shook her head quickly. "Well, there's not," she said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Eri asked, determined to turn the conversation around on Mai.

"What do you think?" Mai asked, narrowing her eyes.

Eri opened her mouth to respond, but then she stopped with a small sigh. "I think you're very sure. But I'm not going to talk to Kiyoteru when there's nothing to say. So just let it drop."

Steven returned to the living room, putting his phone away in his pocket. Gumi and Oliver smiled politely at his return, but Gumi's smile faltered when she realized he was staring at her more intently than before he had left.

He finally turned back to Oliver. "I'm sorry, remind me of what your question was."

"I was asking about a trip your wife mentioned you were hoping for, if that's not too personal," Oliver repeated.

Steven hesitated before he answered. "In a couple of days, I'll be leaving for a trip. If it's all the same to you, I'll keep the location personal."

Oliver nodded. "That's fine. I think that just about covers everything then." Oliver looked over at Gumi. "Anything else?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"Are you staying in town?" Steven asked.

"We don't really have a place to stay," Gumi explained quickly.

"Well, you stayed here one night, you can stay here for the weekend if you have more business," Steven offered.

"I'll take you up on that offer, thank you," Gumi replied almost immediately. Oliver glanced at her again, unsure of what she was hoping for by staying. "If you'll excuse us, we need to attend to other business, so we'll be out of your way for the day." She got up resolutely, and Oliver decided she probably wanted him to come along, so he got up as well.

He followed Gumi out to the car, and they got in and Gumi started driving, having become quite good at driving in such a short time with no instruction. Of course, she had paid attention to how the bus driver drove, and she was still quite logical, but she found it harder to remember things as a human.

"Mind telling me about whatever you're planning?" Oliver asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't feel safe around this guy," Gumi said.

"Do you feel safe around anyone? I mean, except me, I hope."

Gumi pursed her lips. "The way he got that phone call...and then stared at me...it made me uncomfortable. He didn't use my name, either."

"So? He didn't use mine," Oliver pointed out.

"And then he offered to let us stay for the weekend?" Gumi continued. "While his family is gone? That just doesn't make me feel very secure."

"Then why did you accept the offer so quickly?" Oliver cried, confused.

"I figure, the best way to figure out what's going to happen is to let it happen."

"Oh, really, brilliant method, Gumi," Oliver said with a sigh. "I'm going to text Neru. We might as well let her know that nothing really happened."

"I wonder if Meiko was already planning to send someone out, assuming that we'd have information by now," Gumi said.

Oliver paled. "Oh, about that..." he started nervously. "Meiko has apparently been shut down," he said quietly.

Gumi's eyes widened. "Since when?"

"Last night."

"Last night?" Gumi repeated. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Well, with the condition you were in, I didn't feel like it would be wise," Oliver replied bitterly. "Where are we even going?" he asked, referring to Gumi's driving.

"I'm pretty sure we're going in circles," she answered.

Oliver sighed. "Okay, first of all, you're 'pretty sure?' And second of all, circles? Just...why?"

"I just wanted to get away from that guy, and I wanted to talk," Gumi said.

"Well we did both, so can we go back now?" Oliver asked impatiently.

"I also want to eat more food."

"Okay, whatever, I'll just text Neru now," Oliver said. He pulled out the phone and started to text.

"Um, do you remember everything in that little lecture Meiko gave us before we left about money and stuff?" Gumi asked hesitantly as she looked around. "Oh, Oliver, I can't read all of this stuff fast enough! You have to help me find a place that has food," she complained, trying to read signs as she drove past them, not quite used to reading English.

"Is food really the most important thing right now?" Oliver asked without looking up. "Find somewhere to stop, and we'll figure something out."

Gumi found a parking lot and stopped the car just as Oliver finished texting.

"What did you tell her?" Gumi asked when Oliver put the phone away.

"I just told her that the guy hasn't really told us anything, but we do know he has a trip planned in a couple of days, and that he looked at us funny," Oliver said. "Now drive back by the signs you wanted me to read."

"Did you get a text? Hm?" Rin asked Neru, slightly giddy from the recent discovery of her chair's ability to spin around in a circle. Len sat by her and watched, mildly interested.

Neru stared at her phone as if seeing it for the first time. "Actually...yes..." she said slowly.

"Ooh what does it say?" Rin asked, jumping out of her chair and peering at the phone's screen. It wasn't long until she lost her balance from dizziness and ended up back in a chair.

"Um, well, apparently they don't have much information yet..." Neru said, disappointed. Even though they said nothing was going on, Neru was starting to feel unnerved and worried about what to do if Mai was right, and something bad was about to happen.

"I have to say I'm personally troubled by this, too," Meiko said, standing in the doorway with a slightly alarmed expression on her face.

Neru's mouth fell open in shock. "Meiko! When did you...?"

"Just now, but how long have I been inactive?" Meiko asked with concern.

"Not even a day," Neru replied.

Meiko nodded grimly. "I don't think this was done by the same people that shut down Rin and Len."

"Do you have an idea of what it means?" Neru asked.

"An idea, yes. A solution, no."

After wandering around the city and figuring things out to the best of their ability, Oliver and Gumi arrived back at the house right after they found something for dinner.

"How much money do we have left on this thing?" Gumi asked, playing with the credit card that had been given to her by Meiko.

"A lot," Oliver said simply before knocking on the door. Steven opened the door and nodded, stepping aside to allow the couple inside.

"Did you get dinner? I can still make you something if you need it," he said.

Oliver shook his head quickly. "Oh, no, we're fine. We'll just go to our room and stay out of your way."

He led Gumi back to his room, and sat on the bed while Gumi sat in the single chair that occupied the room. They contemplated their situation in silence for a moment before Gumi spoke up.

"He's definitely being way too nice," Gumi said.

"Hey, you don't know that. Maybe he and his wife are just really kind," Oliver said, feeling slightly obligated to defend the man.

"I don't doubt that about his wife. If there is something up with this guy, I doubt his wife knows about it. Him, on the other hand...he just seems like the type that wants to move up in business, without regarding people like the ones we're pretending to be," Gumi speculated.

"Do you think we should...sleep in the same room? Just, for safety?" Oliver asked. His expression had darkened.

Gumi managed a small smile. "Of course I do...but is it okay with you? You seemed pretty uncomfortable with the idea last night."

"Well, if your theory is: 'the best way to figure out what's going to happen is to let it happen,' then I just want to take every precaution to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to keep y...my partner...safe," Oliver said.

Gumi tilted her head. "Why'd you change the last part?" she asked, looking amused.

"I don't know," Oliver mumbled.

"Well, it's okay to want to keep me personally safe, you know?" Gumi said. "It's not like we're strangers anymore. We're friends, right?"

Oliver's expression regained the shy characteristics he had when he first met Gumi. "I guess..." he said quietly.

Gumi pouted slightly. "That's it?" she asked, just as quietly. She sighed. "Well, that's okay. I'll be friends with you, at least."

Oliver was about to reply when his phone went off from his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the message quickly before looking back at Gumi. "Apparently Meiko's back to normal, and news has gotten around to everyone. They want to be relieved but Meiko is very suspicious," he said.

"Sheesh, you got all of that from just glancing at it so quickly? I wish I could read this English stuff that fast," Gumi complained. "But that is weird, that Meiko would be shut down but then active within 24 hours."

"I'm sure they're trying to figure it out too," Oliver said as he put away the phone. "That's something I don't like about this search. We can't really actively do anything when we're so far behind the ideas of whoever the attacker is."

"Shall we go to sleep, then?" Gumi asked nonchalantly.

Oliver sighed and smiled. "I suppose we shall." He moved over to make room for Gumi in the bed, swallowing the uncomfortable feeling that was threatening to make him run to the next room over to avoid the situation.

Gumi's eyes widened. "Oh, I was going to sleep on the floor..." she said.

"No, I told you I'm not letting you sleep on the floor," Oliver said firmly, despite the fact that if it wasn't contradicting himself completely, he would sleep on the floor himself for Gumi's sake.

Gumi quietly got up and awkwardly got into bed, as close to the edge of her side as possible. She was thankful it was a bed meant for two. "Goodnight," she said quietly.

Oliver responded this time. "Goodnight."

Neru tapped Len, who was sleeping while sitting in a chair, his head resting on the large meeting table.

"Len!" she whispered. He shifted and woke up, blinking slowly at Neru.

"What?" he asked sleepily.

"You sent that message about Meiko for me, right? What time did you send it?"

Len sighed quietly. "Just check the phone's 'sent messages' folder. It should have the time recorded," he said, though he wouldn't admit that he knew that because he had tried to figure out how everything on the phone worked in his excitement at getting to use the phone. "Why are you even still awake, anyway?" he added.

"I can't miss any messages from Oliver!" Neru stated, still in a whisper. "But I guess he isn't going to respond to the last one...you sent it like five hours ago."

Len rested his head on the table again. "Just go to sleep," was his muffled reply.

As if trying to defy his instruction, the phone suddenly rang. Neru looked at it in surprise. Rin woke up from the other side of the table. Neru quickly answered it, though it took her a second to figure out the buttons, since she hadn't been called yet.

"Neru, tell Ran to switch Gumi's and my appearance. Now," Oliver was saying urgently.

"But-"

"Just do it. Please."

Neru nodded, even though Oliver couldn't see her. "Okay," she said, and the call disconnected. Rin and Len stared as Neru dashed out the door.

So I recently read the latest chapter of Project: VOCALOID and it's like 25K words long. ONE CHAPTER. I'm pretty sure that's like...impossible...but okay. I'll just live with my incompetence.

A thought struck me the other day that I could in theory just not upload so many chapters for just one "arc" (example: Gumi and Oliver's part in the story)(is that even the correct term?...), and not update as often. However, I like to try to update at least once a week. Plus long chapters intimidate me. I hope these short-ish chapters are okay with you guys. If you want longer chapters, I will strive for longer chapters! Just tell me so.