Burning Embers
Chapter Two: Feather Duster
Roger opened the door to Dorothy's room quietly, feeling rather stupid and foolish. He hoped she wasn't awake. That would be all he needed. To be caught in this idiotic endeavor. Not that he wasn't doing it for the right reasons, he was, or he thought he was. It wasn't like Dorothy to be upset for any reason and, though he hated to admit it to himself, he was worried about her. The android didn't need to sleep so it was odd that she used it for an excuse to skip dinner. However, she did like to mimic human behavior and this could just be one of things she did to that purpose.
He stepped into the room, soundlessly closing the door behind him. Her room was completely dark except for two bands of light that came in through the balcony doors to paint the floor and part of the bed in silver light. It was by this light that he was able to see the outline of Dorothy's body tossing and turning under the covers. He immediately frowned and went to her side, all thoughts of leaving melting under her soft cries. Was it possible she was dreaming? And having a nightmare at that? He looked down at her, noticing the way the moonlight played over her vibrant hair and pale skin. Her face was scrunched up as she battled whatever images she was seeing and it amazed him, because he had never seen her look more human.
He had never known exactly the extent of her functions, what she could and couldn't do. Could she cry? He hadn't thought so but she could definitely have nightmares, so maybe he had been wrong about her...But then, he didn't think he would ever be entirely sure, always wondering if she were mimicking or actually having the feelings that made a person real. Norman had said she was upset and that surely spoke of having some sort of capacity for emotion and there had been no reason for her to fake her reaction...
"No, let me go, please!" She suddenly mumbled into her pillow, curling in on herself. He blinked. What? Dorothy being vulnerable? Of course, she WAS dreaming. It was possible that asleep, she wasn't entirely herself. He leaned over, wondering what to do. He really wanted to wake her, ending whatever torment she was seeing, but then she would know he had been in her room and she would ask him some of those unanswerable questions of hers...
Well, he would just have to do it, he could stand to see that frightened expression on her face anymore. He reached over and shook her shoulder gently, calling her name.
"Dorothy, wake up. Dorothy."
Her dark eyes snapped open instantly, making him jerk his hand away from her, startled. She looked up, meeting his gaze, and it became obvious that she wasn't completely awake yet. Her eyes were wide, filled with emotions he had never seen in her before. Fear, sorrow, and even anger. All jumbled within that deep gaze of hers.
He was hypnotized.
Until she realized who she was looking at. Immediately she slammed the floodgates closed, the light vanishing from her pupils. Dorothy was back in control.
He reeled back from the sudden disconnection to her. He had been happily drowning in her eyes until she had cut him off. He ran a hand through his hair as she looked at him calmly, nothing to betray what he had just seen in her.
"Thank you for waking me, Roger." She said, her voice steady. He nodded, still a little dazed.
"You were having a nightmare." He replied, by way of explanation. She didn't say anything and he gave a long suffering sigh. She was back to normal after all. He turned away from her, walking back towards her door to make a hasty exit when she called to him softly. He half turned, looking back at her, wondering at the childlike tone in her voice.
"Yes?" He asked gently.
"I meant what I said." She whispered. "Thank you."
He hid a sudden grin at the warmth her words caused in him and managed a nod to her before exiting her room, closing the door behind him. He then leaned back against the smooth, cold wood, wondering at the feelings the slim android caused in him.
* * * *
Dorothy ran a feather duster lightly over the framed pictures on the wall, not really dedicating any thought to her actions. Dust particles danced in the early morning sunlight as she went about her chores, her mind on other things. She couldn't help but think on the events of the night before, speculating on what Roger had seen in her that had caused him to have such a funny look on his face. She was confused, a situation she found herself in more and more of late. Questions flitted through her mind on transparent wings, teasing her with an answer just out of sight. She couldn't comprehend what had seemed to happen between her and Roger so she chose to ignore it as useless information. She couldn't make sense of her reactions to him so she shut them off, as she had done the night before, masking with effortless ease what she didn't want him to see. She must not be perceived as weak. That was a human trait that didn't suit her, and besides, what would Roger think if he could read her thoughts?
She dropped her arm as the doorbell echoed through the corridor. Norman was down in the basement hangar, doing some last minute repairs on Big O, and Roger would never answer his own door. Not to mention he was probably still in bed. She started gracefully down the hall, pocketing the feather duster as she did so. The bell rang once more before she got to it, and she opened the heavy door just as the person lifted a hand to ring it again. The woman dropped her hand with a smile, her fingers clenching around a clipboard she held under her arm.
"Hello, I'm here to see the negotiator, Roger Smith."
Dorothy peered at the woman with blonde hair and a sly countenance, and took an immediate dislike to her. It was strange really, she usually didn't take notice of people, good or bad.
"Come in." She said, steadily, opening the door a little wider. The woman stepped in and Dorothy closed the door behind her. "If you will wait in the office I will tell him you are here."
The woman nodded and Dorothy started to turn away, only to be stopped as the stranger laid a hand on her shoulder. Dorothy turned her head, looking impassively into the other woman's eyes.
"I'm sorry, but we've never been introduced." The blonde extended her hand. "My name is Angel."
Dorothy looked at the offered hand a moment before shaking it slowly. "I am called Dorothy."
"You work for Roger?"
Dorothy stilled at the woman's informal use of her employer's name. "Yes."
Angel smiled. "You must be a great help to him."
Dorothy said nothing, and turned away to fetch Roger. Angel watched her go, a faint smile on her lips.
"It seems you were right, Mr. Price."
* * * *
Norman watched as Roger smoothed his hair before walking into his office, a ready greeting on his lips. The door shut solidly behind him. A flicker of movement caught his eye as Dorothy walked quietly away, a feather duster reappearing in her hand. The old butler sighed. He could see what was happening and knew it wasn't healthy, most for him. All he needed was to have some kind of stroke when his matchmaking blew up in his face. He was definitely getting too old for this.
If only one of them would bend, both of them were too stubborn, and now this Angel woman. He turned tiredly and started back towards the basement.
It was time for Plan B.
tbc...
* * * *
Author's Note: Well, is it still good enough to continue? Sorry it took me awhile to upload this part, Gundam Wing takes alot of my time. *hugs a chibi hee-chan* isn't he cute? *grins* hope you liked it! and thanks for all the great reviews, they gave me warm fuzzies! tee hee. cya next time!
please review! *starts handing out little chocolate bunnies* "What? Another bribe? Of course not, for heaven's sake, just what kind of person do you think I am?...uh, don't answer that..." *wink wink*
Chapter Two: Feather Duster
Roger opened the door to Dorothy's room quietly, feeling rather stupid and foolish. He hoped she wasn't awake. That would be all he needed. To be caught in this idiotic endeavor. Not that he wasn't doing it for the right reasons, he was, or he thought he was. It wasn't like Dorothy to be upset for any reason and, though he hated to admit it to himself, he was worried about her. The android didn't need to sleep so it was odd that she used it for an excuse to skip dinner. However, she did like to mimic human behavior and this could just be one of things she did to that purpose.
He stepped into the room, soundlessly closing the door behind him. Her room was completely dark except for two bands of light that came in through the balcony doors to paint the floor and part of the bed in silver light. It was by this light that he was able to see the outline of Dorothy's body tossing and turning under the covers. He immediately frowned and went to her side, all thoughts of leaving melting under her soft cries. Was it possible she was dreaming? And having a nightmare at that? He looked down at her, noticing the way the moonlight played over her vibrant hair and pale skin. Her face was scrunched up as she battled whatever images she was seeing and it amazed him, because he had never seen her look more human.
He had never known exactly the extent of her functions, what she could and couldn't do. Could she cry? He hadn't thought so but she could definitely have nightmares, so maybe he had been wrong about her...But then, he didn't think he would ever be entirely sure, always wondering if she were mimicking or actually having the feelings that made a person real. Norman had said she was upset and that surely spoke of having some sort of capacity for emotion and there had been no reason for her to fake her reaction...
"No, let me go, please!" She suddenly mumbled into her pillow, curling in on herself. He blinked. What? Dorothy being vulnerable? Of course, she WAS dreaming. It was possible that asleep, she wasn't entirely herself. He leaned over, wondering what to do. He really wanted to wake her, ending whatever torment she was seeing, but then she would know he had been in her room and she would ask him some of those unanswerable questions of hers...
Well, he would just have to do it, he could stand to see that frightened expression on her face anymore. He reached over and shook her shoulder gently, calling her name.
"Dorothy, wake up. Dorothy."
Her dark eyes snapped open instantly, making him jerk his hand away from her, startled. She looked up, meeting his gaze, and it became obvious that she wasn't completely awake yet. Her eyes were wide, filled with emotions he had never seen in her before. Fear, sorrow, and even anger. All jumbled within that deep gaze of hers.
He was hypnotized.
Until she realized who she was looking at. Immediately she slammed the floodgates closed, the light vanishing from her pupils. Dorothy was back in control.
He reeled back from the sudden disconnection to her. He had been happily drowning in her eyes until she had cut him off. He ran a hand through his hair as she looked at him calmly, nothing to betray what he had just seen in her.
"Thank you for waking me, Roger." She said, her voice steady. He nodded, still a little dazed.
"You were having a nightmare." He replied, by way of explanation. She didn't say anything and he gave a long suffering sigh. She was back to normal after all. He turned away from her, walking back towards her door to make a hasty exit when she called to him softly. He half turned, looking back at her, wondering at the childlike tone in her voice.
"Yes?" He asked gently.
"I meant what I said." She whispered. "Thank you."
He hid a sudden grin at the warmth her words caused in him and managed a nod to her before exiting her room, closing the door behind him. He then leaned back against the smooth, cold wood, wondering at the feelings the slim android caused in him.
* * * *
Dorothy ran a feather duster lightly over the framed pictures on the wall, not really dedicating any thought to her actions. Dust particles danced in the early morning sunlight as she went about her chores, her mind on other things. She couldn't help but think on the events of the night before, speculating on what Roger had seen in her that had caused him to have such a funny look on his face. She was confused, a situation she found herself in more and more of late. Questions flitted through her mind on transparent wings, teasing her with an answer just out of sight. She couldn't comprehend what had seemed to happen between her and Roger so she chose to ignore it as useless information. She couldn't make sense of her reactions to him so she shut them off, as she had done the night before, masking with effortless ease what she didn't want him to see. She must not be perceived as weak. That was a human trait that didn't suit her, and besides, what would Roger think if he could read her thoughts?
She dropped her arm as the doorbell echoed through the corridor. Norman was down in the basement hangar, doing some last minute repairs on Big O, and Roger would never answer his own door. Not to mention he was probably still in bed. She started gracefully down the hall, pocketing the feather duster as she did so. The bell rang once more before she got to it, and she opened the heavy door just as the person lifted a hand to ring it again. The woman dropped her hand with a smile, her fingers clenching around a clipboard she held under her arm.
"Hello, I'm here to see the negotiator, Roger Smith."
Dorothy peered at the woman with blonde hair and a sly countenance, and took an immediate dislike to her. It was strange really, she usually didn't take notice of people, good or bad.
"Come in." She said, steadily, opening the door a little wider. The woman stepped in and Dorothy closed the door behind her. "If you will wait in the office I will tell him you are here."
The woman nodded and Dorothy started to turn away, only to be stopped as the stranger laid a hand on her shoulder. Dorothy turned her head, looking impassively into the other woman's eyes.
"I'm sorry, but we've never been introduced." The blonde extended her hand. "My name is Angel."
Dorothy looked at the offered hand a moment before shaking it slowly. "I am called Dorothy."
"You work for Roger?"
Dorothy stilled at the woman's informal use of her employer's name. "Yes."
Angel smiled. "You must be a great help to him."
Dorothy said nothing, and turned away to fetch Roger. Angel watched her go, a faint smile on her lips.
"It seems you were right, Mr. Price."
* * * *
Norman watched as Roger smoothed his hair before walking into his office, a ready greeting on his lips. The door shut solidly behind him. A flicker of movement caught his eye as Dorothy walked quietly away, a feather duster reappearing in her hand. The old butler sighed. He could see what was happening and knew it wasn't healthy, most for him. All he needed was to have some kind of stroke when his matchmaking blew up in his face. He was definitely getting too old for this.
If only one of them would bend, both of them were too stubborn, and now this Angel woman. He turned tiredly and started back towards the basement.
It was time for Plan B.
tbc...
* * * *
Author's Note: Well, is it still good enough to continue? Sorry it took me awhile to upload this part, Gundam Wing takes alot of my time. *hugs a chibi hee-chan* isn't he cute? *grins* hope you liked it! and thanks for all the great reviews, they gave me warm fuzzies! tee hee. cya next time!
please review! *starts handing out little chocolate bunnies* "What? Another bribe? Of course not, for heaven's sake, just what kind of person do you think I am?...uh, don't answer that..." *wink wink*
