Note: Second part of what I feel is the final episode of this particular volume! Sorry to sound ungrateful, but I sort of get bummed out when reviews don't come in for a while and it does become discouraging. Still, I did screw myself with my compulsion to go and get things into 5 parts even if it screwed up the chapter order. Plus, I feel that I made a mistake in deleting the continuation too early and moving those few episodes here. That said, the 2nd volume is coming soon! So please give your input as I miss hearing from you all!

That said, here's part 2!

Too Many Times Part 2

Landing in the grassy section that surrounded the large, white building, the Light family exited the hovercraft and looked up at the massive structure. It was a wonder that it managed to be concealed so well amidst the expansive forest surrounding it.

'Not concealed enough, though.' Mega Man thought, continuing ahead as and the rest of the Lights moved towards the entrance. A couple of security bots were stationed in front of the building.

"Dr. Light." one of them nodded in acknowledgement. "You've been expected."

"Yes." the older man said in turn. "How is Kouin's cousin?"

"Doing well for the most part." the other bot responded. "He's rather anxious to get back to Japan, though he wished to speak with you first." With that, the doors opened, allowing the trio (plus one robot dog) inside, things seeming to not have changed from when Mega and Roll had first seen the interior of the building. As if it were stuck in time itself.

"Ah, Professor!" a voice called out, a green android garbed in a lab coat coming to them all.

"Brainbot!" Mega cried out, going over to hug the other DLN, said DLN somewhat taken aback by the gesture of such direct contact.

"Um, y-yes." he said with uncertainty, giving the blue robot a small pat on his back. "Good to see you too...I suppose."

"So, whatcha been up to?" Roll questioned, Rush by her side, wagging his tail in anticipation.

"Yeah, yeah!" the dog chipped in. "Whatcha up to? Huh, huh?"

"Little." Brainbot admitted. "Since…" he paused. It was clear what was about to slip from his lips, yet before they could, he stopped himself and thought better of it. "Well, so far, there's been little going on." he paused again, pondering whether or not to speak what he was intended to say next. Still, given that his creator, and thus, Kouin's partner on the Time Skimmer project was present, perhaps it was best to shimmy around it as much as possible. And that he had been told that perhaps he was a bit 'too' discret. "Although," though this time, it couldn't be avoided. "I think it best that you meet with Kobayashi before his departure to Japan."

"Yes, of course." Dr. Light nodded, stepping away from the rest of the family and going with Brainbot.

"Hey, wait!" Mega Man called out, Light and the green robot turning to face him. "Um...sorry if this is being a little invasive, but you wouldn't happen to know where Time Man would be, would you?"

"Mega…" Light began, yet Brainbot cut him off.

"On the fifth floor." the green, walking supercomputer told him directly. "You'll find him on the balcony of room 5-G. Although…" he stopped again, contemplating. "Whether you'll get what you want from him is debatable."

"I don't want anything from him. I just...want to talk." Mega answered back.

"Either way, be prepared." With that, Brainbot and Dr. Light turned away, leaving Mega, Roll, and Rush alone in the silent, still hallway seemingly frozen in one place in time.

New York

Station

"So, it's true then? That Theo guy is your boyfriend?"

Simone nodded, all the while giving a small smile. "Well, he's not exactly open with it, mainly because I think he's still a little skittish, but if you want to be technical, yes. Yes, he is."

"From what he said, you're the first relationship since his wife passed." the bearded officer said, the red-headed woman folding her hands and resting them under her chin, as if she were the one at the helm of the interrogation.

"Yes..there's that." Simone lowered her head, hiding her eyes. The officer analyzed her, though not as if she were some new specimen of life. No, this specimen was one that he was quite accustomed to. And he suspected that there was a good reason for her hiding her eyes from view. After all, if they were indeed mirrors to the soul, what would they be reflecting now? "We didn't exactly intend for it to happen, mind you." Simone said, finally looking up, brown eyes catching the light of the lamp above in them, yet it reflected as if it were making contact with a mirror and not an organic structure. The officer found her expression and eyes as a whole very...artificial. "I just so happened to be doing laundry when I bumped into him."

"Did you now?"

"Yes." the woman nodded. "You could say that we literally 'bumped' into each other." a small smile came to her face, her eyes closed as if reminiscing on something pleasant.

'Yeah. Bet you did.' The officer thought, narrowing his brow. "And from what Theo also told us, he has a daughter."

"Yes. Chelsea." Simone confirmed. "I met her when we ran into each other. Literally." she giggled a bit at this, though the officer remained as he was, unphased by this gesture. "Still," the woman's expression faltered. "I don't think she's that fond of me. Even when Theo officially introduced me to her, she...well...she didn't say much, but I could tell she wasn't exactly happy."

"So, you're saying she doesn't like you?"

"Well, I don't know if I'd say that." Simone bit her lip. "She was more combative at first, I'll admit, but even though that's mellowed out, it seems that she just doesn't really acknowledge me unless she has to. Like she's completely indifferent to my existence."

The officer studied her further, noticing the sudden quiver in her lip. "Does she think you're trying to replace her mother?"

"Hm?" Simone was brought from her musing, she too was studying the officer, more than aware he had been surveying her as if she were some sort of prey animal. "Maybe. But I can't get an answer out of her about that. Not that I have the right to ask."

"He told me he loves her." the officer then said.

"He does." Simone confirms. "He says that she's his world."

"He also said that he loves you too."

Simone stopped at that, the officer, to his surprise, saw a genuine look of surprise come to her features. "He...he did?"

"Indeed he did." the bearded man drew nearer to her. "He says that, along with Chelsea, you're also his world. That he'd hate to see anything happen to you." he was then taken back by the woman's hands seizing his shirt.

"Officer, please!" Simone cried out. "You can't! Do whatever you want with me, but don't send him to prison, please!"

"Whoa, hey now!" he lost his footing, both she and him fell to the floor.

"You can't leave that girl all alone! Poor thing's without a mother and now she'll be without a father if you lock him up! Please! Take me instead!" Simone clutched on tighter, refusing to let go. "We didn't want to do it! Honestly, we didn't! But Michael...we thought that he was Theo's friend! That he would never do something like this! But…" she paused, taking in long, heavy breaths due to the fit she had just had. Or the show she had just put on, the officer thought. "But he said that he'd hurt me if we didn't go along with it! I didn't care about that! But when he mentioned Chelsea…" she then broke down in 'sobs' again. "I...I couldn't let that happen! Poor Theo couldn't let that happen!" she then lowered her head to the officer's chest, he feeling fresh tears wet his shirt.

How long she sat there and wept, he was unsure, yet she was quite winded and tired by the time it was over. It was clear that this session was over, she had to be escorted from the room. The bearded man sighed. It looked like this was going to be difficult. Then again, when wasn't it?

California

Chronos Institute

Room 5-G...he could've sworn that it looked familiar.

Opening the door, Mega Man noticed that it bore the same silence as the rest of the building had. Before, despite the robot that he had to deliver, it was...well, it wasn't entirely noisy, but there was clear activity going on. He was beginning to ponder whether or not he should even approach the bot he was looking for.

Though...when he saw said bot outside of the sliding window, he found he couldn't resist.

Time Man didn't turn his head when he heard the window open, yet he suspected who it was, especially seeing as his creator was here. Which was the very reason that he was out here to begin with.

"Hey...Time Man."

Time Man in turn sighed. There was no getting out of this, along with what was surely coming...so why not get it over with.

Note: I would like to address why these chapters are so short. Granted, it's me wanting to get on with the Second Volume (as I should've instead of deleting it), as well as get everything out to set it up, as it deals with Mega Man 6 events and the Robot Masters there. Granted, there will be liberties taken, but it also will set up for things that'll go throughout the series as a whole.

Again, I miss hearing from you all, and I apologize for the inconvenience that this whole debacle has brought on you all.

That said, please give your input, and I hope to hear from you soon!