Breathe in one.

Exhale two.

Breathe in one…

So far Alex's breathing exercises had done about as much good at calming her nerves as the gallon of strawberry ice cream that now sickened her stomach. It wasn't her fault really, Dan had distinctly told her to activate Joe's imprinting code soon. Soon, the exact word he used. She was just following orders, wasn't she? How many times had that been said: 'I was just following orders'.

The excuse hadn't held up at Nuremberg and it wasn't going to hold up in the board meeting tonight.

Breathe in one…

The hell with it. Alex twisted up her hair into a clip quickly and applied a touch of lip gloss as an after thought. She admired her reflection in her compact that she kept in her desk at work. To stare at one's self in the mirror was a very Joe-like thing to do. Maybe Dan had even modeled some of Joe's tics after her. Alex considered that once the companion models were perfected, she might like to have one. Not as soul mate or any such nonsense, but as a bit of adornment around her apartment, the way decorations were put up for Christmas or birthdays.

But now she had show her face in the meeting and confess. She, Alexa Hobby, had just undermined the entire Tagawa-Bell effort. Dan could have at least told her earlier than this morning that there were "a few kinks that needed to be ironed out."

A few? Try infinitely many. That afternoon, Alex had met Caroline for lunch.

*************************************

Ever the sly diplomat, Alex waited until after the salad--but before the grilled swordfish--to inquire after Joe. It wasn't so much about Joe, more to do with David's interaction with his new friend, tutor, protector, etc.

"Oh Joe's great. He's absolutely grand. Every time I turn around he's shoving a goddamn bouquet in my face. 'Are you all right Caroline?' 'Have I said or done something to displease you?' 'Do you like my hair? If not I can go blonde, or perhaps auburn? Anything for you my love.' Oh, yeah Alex, Joe's fantastic."

Alex waited a second to make sure Caroline was finished.

"Well don't just sit there Alex!" Caroline demanded.

Alex said the first thing that came to mind: "He can change his hair color?"

********************************************************

True, Dan had no idea that when he had first implemented his scheme that his creation would take the given programming of damage avoidance and interpret that to include any potential rivals that might upset his place.

True, Dan had no idea that he would immediately be perceived as the said rival.

That said, Dan had to of known that some reaction, similar to jealousy, might manifest itself. A mecha would be capable of understanding a human could love it, but could it understand that a human needed to love others as well?

They had sought to create a robot that could think, think, for itself. Analyze, learn from past experience, be self-aware, these were all the virtues Joe had possessed. There was nothing in his programming that would ever limit his capabilities, but now? Now everything hinged on what he thought Caroline wanted to do, or what Caroline wanted him to say. More to the point, Joe was not able to understand that this was not how things always were. To Joe, this was just business as usual.

All throughout the meeting, these words, dying to be spoken or screamed, just sat in the back of her throat, until a painful lump formed there. Only after all the other members had left, did she dare relieve that lump.

Dan went straight for tray of drinks set up. Small surprise.

"Let me pour you one." He said it indifferently. He was not in an amorous mood tonight, no doubt after seeing Caroline last. Dan must have taken one look at Caroline and one look at Alex, and realize he could do much better than his underling.

So now they were just friends again. Not even that, just collegues.

"No thanks. Dan we need to talk. I did something…", Alex couldn't finish.

"Tsk, Tsk."

"Dan this is not a joke. I imprinted Joe, and I think we should discontinue any further work in the companion model area."

Dan took a sip out of his glass and just glared at her, as if to say, "How could you be so stupid?"

"It hasn't-it hasn't gone like we thought it would. Jesus Dan! How the hell do you replicate love? Obsession, jealousy, and whatever else Joe is experiencing is not what we intended," Alex managed to spit out. She had believed Dan's propaganda over the past few weeks. She genuinely thought that Joe would be kind, sensitive, attentive (well he certainly was that now), and tender. In short she thought he would be the opposite of what he was. However, Caroline had enjoyed his selfish peculiarities and found his acid wit endearing. Rich people were allowed to be eccentric though, it seemed to add to their appeal.

Alex was losing Dan, she needed to bring him back.

"Dan, Joe hates you, I mean really hates you," Alex said. That brought Dan back. He leaned forward.

"Why?"

"He found out you two were involved. Joe honestly thinks you have some massive conspiracy to take Caroline from him, or at least that's what she told me at lunch."

Dan still held his drink. What did he care, Joe, was an 'it' to him. It was what he wanted to reconvince himself, as if something not real could not harm him.

When he spoke, he used his dull voice, the one he used when tiredly explaining to his secretaries to cancel the meeting.

"Alex, we've shown time and time again that people with good interpersonal skills can communicate with mecha better than people who are more…erratic…emotionally than your sister-in-law."

"I'm calling Allen tomorrow. We need his input here." Alex threw up her hands and started walking away. This time Dan did set his drink down and rushed after her. He caught her by the sleeve and spun her around.

"No! Allen isn't going to find out about this project, not one detail. He'll steal any innovation or any progress we make, do you hear me? Whatever happens, he can't know any of the technical details."

Realizing how firmly he held Alex in his grasp, he let go apologetically.

Alex looked at where his hand had been. Was this what it had come to? Did she have to piss him off just to get him to touch her?

**************************************

"You've been avoiding me."

Joe didn't bother to look up from his book as he spoke. He just continued glancing at the page for a few moments, then turning it, committing its contents to memory, absorbing it completely.

Well, what he was reading wasn't particularly absorbing--Danielle Steele, he thought it would give him insight into female psychology--but he wanted to look busy. It would not do to seem as if he was particularly vexed by Caroline or thinking of her.

In truth he was very much enveloped in both.

Caroline took a few steps back. What was he doing in her room, shoes kicked off, pajama pants on, reclined on her bed reading her books? She considered that she might have just become the victim of an ambush.

"Intellectual curiosity Joe, what are you doing in my bed if you don't sleep?" she managed to ask while throwing her official shopping outfit off.

"True, I don't sleep, but you do, and I enjoy watching you when you sleep. You like it too, remember? Or has the notion of our relationship--built on communication and respect I remind you--completely slipped your mind?"

Caroline had reached her limit. She felt the need to do something nasty or cruel. Instead of demurely changing some place where Joe couldn't she, she just undressed in front of him. She relished it, like the times she had teased her dog as a child, bringing the treat into taste's reach and then snapping it away.

"Save the strip tease for Dan."

That smug little prick.

"Get out Joe, I'm serious. I need to sleep and I can't do that if you're around. Besides won't you get bored laying there, staring at me for seven, eight hours?" Caroline kept her voice calm, she really was trying to reason with Joe.

"Don't you have other things to do?" she tried desperately.

"Nothing more pressing than you. More to the point us. What's happened? You won't make love with me, or talk to me, or even look at me. Is it Dan? Tell me now," Joe pleaded. Caroline felt uneasy: was he being sincere, was it programming, or just cunning manipulation? But it sounded real, he looked real, the words were real.

Caroline pulled a t-shirt over her head and midway through, she answered him.

"No."

Joe was not convinced. He slid off the bed and came over to her, helping her pull the shirt over her head.

"Look me in the eyes, Caroline," he said softly. With some effort, Caroline obeyed.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you aren't lying. Promise me."

Caroline stared into those stark blue eyes. They had become blue instead of green. Intense, unyielding blue. Cold.

"Joe, I promise there is nothing. You have nothing to worry about. I promise, okay?" For effect, she leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek. It was a strange sensation. His body was neither hot nor cold. There was just the absence of any temperature.

His gaze remained steadfast for a moment, but then the sun broke through the clouds and he smiled, the warm green returning to his eyes. Awkwardly, Caroline made her way past him to the bed. He followed her, drawing the covers over her like he was tucking in a child.

Joe carefully assessed the situation and decided to give Caroline her space. He lay at the far corner of the large postered bed. He didn't want to instigate another fight, even though he would give anything to hold Caroline in his arms right now. It was so strange to him that wanting to have her close seemed to drive her all the further away.

Caroline shut her eyes tight, like a little girl afraid of the dark. She held her breath, just waiting for Joe to bring up Dan again, but he didn't. In fact, since he did not breathe or move now, it was easy to forget he was there. Other than the subtle tilt of the mattress in the opposite direction, Caroline was alone in bed--again.

Gingerly, she felt Joe edge toward her and curl his body around her form. It wasn't so much as frightening as it was strange. It was strange to be touched again. Her dealings with Dan Tagawa had been nothing but fiery fumblings in the midst of desperation and Allen was a non-entity in the bedroom. Who honestly experiences real tenderness, tenderness that transcends the physical stimuli, Caroline thought to herself. The Joe she had come to know and respect was somewhere, beat down by Romeo, but somewhere. She had felt comfort when he had been snappy, as if things were back to normal.

As normal as Joe could be, the most extraordinary mecha ever created. Who could call a robot that could feel "normal"?

***********************************

Eventually, Caroline's breathing slowed and thickened. Two hours, twenty-three minutes, and twenty-five seconds since they had laid down, Caroline finally allowed herself to sleep. Joe decided to keep track of how many times she breathed, how often she moved, and whatever else he could do to pass the hours. In truth, he was already beginning to get bored. Painting, or writing usually relieved those times when he had nothing to do, but out of a sense of duty to Caroline, he remained exactly where he was. Carefully, he pulled her sleeping body slightly closer to him. He liked the feel of her warmth, and the softness of her body, like satin.

Caroline needed his protection and love. She just didn't know it yet.