COMING HOME

CHAPTER X

"Do you have any sevens?"

"Go fish." AndrAIa giggled.

"Crash! I should no better than to play card games with you – especially 'Go Fish'." Anything with fish."

"Hey – I can't help it if I rock at games, Enzo. I'm a game sprite."

"I wish Phong would let me go home." Enzo grumbled. "I feel fine."

"He's just waiting for the results of your scans, that's all. They're just being careful. Its not every day a boy animates a null monster, is it?"

"I guess not." He smiled. "I feel good, though – I was just tired. I slept for almost a cycle."

"You'll get home today, don't worry."

Enzo sighed and absently ruffled his cards. "This is basic – I never win. We should call Mouse and find out if there's any news-"

"Enzo – they haven't even started yet! We're just gonna have to wait a while."

"Crash. If Bob dies, I'll-"

"Hush. Have some faith, Love. He's survived a lot of stuff already, you know? He's strong. In the meantime it doesn't do any good to worry about it, does it? So chill out. Do you have any kings?"

"Cursors and crashes! How do you know this stuff?" He tossed his cards aside. "That's another game. Jeez!"

"Games are my function, Young Guardian. Another go?"

"Nah." The boy leaned back, hands behind his head. "I wonder what Dot'll do. About the two Bobs. I mean, if… Well-"

"It'd be a pretty nice thing to have to worry about, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah." He whispered. "I really think she loves 'em both."

"When did you get to be the big romantic advisor, huh?"

"Andri! Stop it…"

"You're cute when you blush." The game sprite giggled. There was a tentative knocking at the door, barely audible. AndrAIa frowned. "Its open."

Matrix poked his head through the door. "Hey. OK if I come in for a nano?"

"Sure." Enzo said softly. There was a palpable spike of tension in the room. Matrix shuffled his feet, looked around uncomfortably.

"How you feeling?" he finally asked, not making eye contact.

"Fine. Better." Enzo replied.

"Good. Uh – Andri, can I have a few nanos with Enzo?"

The game sprite looked at Enzo. The little sprite felt a bit unsure, but shrugged. "OK, Sparky. You two have a nice talk."

"Thanks." AndrAIa kissed both sprites on the cheek, then departed the room, casting a worried look back before she closed the door. Matrix coughed, sighed and sat down on the chair next to the bed. "You really feeling OK?"

"Yeah – I'm alphanumeric. I slept forever, almost – but I'm fine. I hope they let me go soon."

"Yeah." The bearded sprite still wouldn't look Enzo in the eye. He sat rigidly, awkwardly in the chair, eyes on his feet. "There actually is something I wanted to tell you."

"What?"

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the big sprite's mouth. "Don't waste time, huh? That's good, I guess." He looked up, at last – not quite meeting Enzo's gaze, but close. "I wanted to come and see you. When you were really sick, you know. I wanted to come and see you."

Enzo frowned. "Thanks, I guess. Why didn't you?"

"Dot… We didn't think it would be a good idea. We thought it might get you upset or something, and you were pretty sick."

How strange this was - looking at this big, awkward sprite and looking at himself. But not himself, too. It was strange. "I would have been happy. You should have come."

"Yeah?" Matrix scratched his beard, took the opportunity to run a big hand over his eyes. "I thought maybe you'd be blaming me for putting you in here. If I hadn't gotten you upset in the armory-"

"Spam! I wanted to see you. You should have come."

"Oh." The big sprite sighed. "I'm sorry. Sorry I got you upset. Sorry I didn't come and visit. I will, next time. Not that there'll be a next time, I mean…"

Enzo felt like pouting for a while, extracting some guilt from Matrix. But part of him felt sorry for Matrix too – he seemed so unhappy all the time. "Jeez – it's no big deal. We're cool. OK?"

"Yeah." Matrix shook his head, smiled gruffly. "I heard about your promotion – that's pixelacious." He extended a hand. "Congratulations."

Enzo stared at the big paw for a nano, surprised. "Thanks." He shook, marveling at how huge Matrix' hand felt, a thousand times bigger than his own. He'd be that big someday – how weird was that?

"Well, you deserve it. You proved it on D-Day."

"Thanks, Matrix."

"So… You brought Dad back again, huh?"

"Sort of. For a little while. I'm not very good at it. I want you to be there the next time, OK? I want Dad to see you."

"Yeah. Maybe. Is it- Is it tough, Enzo? How do you do it?"

"Yeah. It's pretty hard. I have to control the nulls, and they're-"

"Stop!"

"What?" Enzo frowned.

"I don't want to hear." Matrix sighed. "I thought I did, but I don't. I'll take your word for it."

Enzo felt a sting of hurt, surprisingly deep. "Whatever."

"Enzo… Sorry. This is just really weird. I was finally getting used to the idea of having you around and that was hard enough… Now this – it's gonna take me some time-"

"I'm still me! I'm still Enzo – I'm not some freak or something!"

"I know. I didn't say you were!"

"I'm not viral or anything, they all said so. I'm not! I'm just a kid, Spammit."

"I know. I know… I didn't mean it that way. I just-"

"Never mind."

"Enzo-"

"Never mind. It's OK." Enzo crossed his arms in front of him and squeezed his eyes shut, finally giving in to the urge to pout. "I wish you wouldn't be such a jerk."

Enzo heard the sharp intake of breath, then a few nanos of silence. "Sorry you feel that way."

"I wish you wouldn't be such a jerk because… Spammit! Because I… I want us to be like real brothers. OK?"

A few more moments of silence. "Brothers?"

"Yeah. Sorry that idea sounds so horrible to you-"

"Enzo! I never said that."

"Just…" Enzo opened his eyes. "I never had a brother. I thought it was gonna be really cool, you know! I thought we'd hang out together and you'd show me how to fight and all kinds of stuff. That's- That would have been alphanumeric."

"I never had one either. I went a lot longer without having one than you did."

"I guess so."

Matrix took a deep breath. "I really do care about you, you know? I care about what happens to you and I don't want to see you hurt. I hated it when you were sick. I want you to be happy. You know all that, don't you?"

How would I? Enzo thought bitterly. But he didn't say it. You just need to be the big brother sometimes. "I'll try, Dot."

"What?" Matrix frowned.

"Nothing." Enzo sighed, forcing a smile to his face. "I know. I know all that stuff."

"Good." Matrix nodded seriously. "I'm glad. You know I have trouble sometimes. Saying stuff. To people. You know?"

"Kinda like now?"

"You little…" The big sprite raised a fist in mock anger. "Yeah – like now. It's just who I am. So even if I don't say things sometimes, that doesn't mean I don't want to say them. Or feel them. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand." Just like Dot said.

"OK, then." Matrix smiled awkwardly. "You're a good kid." His big hand came up and gently cuffed Enzo on the neck, stayed there. "Good kid…"

Enzo wanted to hug him, more than anything. It was his way. But he knew it wasn't Matrix' way – not for now, at least. Instead, he lifted a hand and squeezed Matrix' outstretched arm. "Are we brothers, do you think?"

Matrix made eye contact with him at last, his big purple irises a reflection of Enzo's own. "That seems like a good place to start, I guess."

"Alphanumeric." Enzo grinned broadly, but that wasn't in Matrix' repertoire. The big sprite shook his head and chuckled softly. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Kid. You just get better and get yourself home, OK?"

"Deal." Enzo nodded. "Uh… Brother?"

"Yeah – Brother?"

"Can I borrow your gun? It looks pretty cool…"

"No!"

"Just checking." Enzo sighed. He playfully punched the bearded sprite on the shoulder.

"Don't push me. I'm a renegade." Enzo scrunched his face up, cheeks turning red, then grabbed his belly and collapsed on the bed, laughing "What's so funny?" The boy stared at him, caught his breath, and laughed even harder, tears rolling down his face. "Well?"

"N-n-nothing." Enzo panted, holding his sides. "Sorry." He gathered his breath, spitting out a few last involuntary giggles. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and looked up at Matrix' bemused face. "You better not be mean to me or I'll zap you."

"What?" the big sprite cackled.

"I'll zap you!" Enzo held his hands out in front of him and wiggled his fingers, putting on his most fearsome expression.

"Pretty big talk from a little sprite in his PJs." Matrix growled. "Besides – I know something about you."

"What?" Enzo asked, a little warily.

"This!" The big sprite's hands darted out and tickled Enzo mercilessly under the arms. The boy screamed and hugged his arms to his body, but Matrix merely assaulted him under the chin. "And this!"

"Stop!" Enzo wailed. "Please!"

"Had enough?"

"Yes! Yes!" Enzo squealed. "Please stop."

"Hmmm. Who's the big brother?"

"Y-you are."

"And who knows everything about you?"

"You do." Enzo panted. "OK? Please, no more…"

"All right, then." Matrix folded his arms, looking pleased with himself. "Thought you were gonna need some new pajamas there for a nano…"

"End file!" Enzo sat up, glaring at him. "I could still zap you if I wanted."

"Just try it."

"Maybe later." Enzo glared for a nano, then got another fit of giggles, prompting another bemused head shake from Matrix. The boy fell back, staring up at him. Thinking about how weird it was, having a brother who knew everything about him. But he guessed it could be pretty good, too. It would certainly be interesting – Enzo had no doubts about that…

"No boots on the sofa!"

"Jeeez…"

"You know the rule, Kiddo – they could be Prime Guardian Turbo's boots for all I care. Either take 'em off or put your feet down."

"Fine. The stupid stuff you worry about…" Enzo grumbled, working the oversized black footwear off his feet. That done, he drew his knees up under his chin and lounged lazily back on the couch. "Happy now?"

"I'm always happy." His sister said with a hint of a smile.

"All this domestic tranquility is getting to be a bit much for me. Think I'll head on back home."

"Aw, Bob! Can't you stay a while? "The Brady Bunch" is on in five micros!"

"Naw – time to call it a night." The Guardian smiled. "You should get to sleep soon, too – cadets need plenty of rest."

"Thanks." Dot whispered.

"OK." Enzo sighed. "I'm gonna have to think of a new name for you, now."

"Huh? Hold that thought. Glitch – car." The Guardian winked at Dot. "Like having your own personal chauffeur. Now- what's all this about a new name?"

"Well – I can't really call you Glitch-Bob anymore, can I? It doesn't seem right."

"You called me Glitch-Bob?" the silver-haired sprite raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I like that much…"

"Sorry! It was only, you know – in my head. So I could tell you apart." Dot coughed and looked towards the wall.

"Well – OK, then. Though I don't see why you should have any trouble telling us apart…"

"Can't you stay? Please?"

"I'm beat, Tiger. It's gonna take a while for me to get my energy levels back to normal. But I'll see you tomorrow, I promise. You're going on a training run with crewcut, right? We'll do some concentration exercises later."

"Alphanumeric! Thanks." Enzo studied the Guardian's face for a nano. He still looked tired, but that awful shimmering had gone. And the web scars were starting to fade, although Enzo figured they'd always be there. They added a note of sadness to that face that Enzo guessed would always be missing from the younger Guardian's.

"Sleep well, Kiddo." Bob knelt and kissed Dot on the cheek, forcing Enzo to swallow a giggle. "Off to bed for me."

"How does that work, exactly?" Dot grinned.

"We take turns sleeping on the sofa." Bob sighed. "I could do without that. He doesn't clean up after himself, either…"

"What about Glitch?" Enzo asked.

Bob winked at him. "Glitch I don't share! Not after I carried him around inside me for all that time."

"That's enough stalling, Enzo. Let Bob go home, all right?"

"Fine. Night, Bob. I'm glad you're OK."

"Night, Pal." The Guardian kissed Dot again and was out the door.

"He's the best, isn't he?" Enzo grinned, leaning his weight against his sister. "Both of him."

"Yeah he is." Dot draped an arm around his shoulder.

"Dot?"

"Yes?"

Enzo was silent for a moment, deep in thought. It was a pretty weird time they were living in, that was for sure. "What do you think you're gonna do about Bob? I mean – Well, you know…"

"None of your business aps." Dot said firmly.

"You don't know, huh?"

"Smart guy." She wrestled him playfully, tweaking his nose. "Whatever happens will happen, Enzo. I wish I had an easy answer – but I don't."

"But you do love them both though – right?"

Dot sighed deeply. "Yeah. I do. I wish that was all it took."

Enzo could think of nothing further to say on the topic. It was one of those grown-up matters that he could only get his mind around the fringes of. It was complicated. He understood enough to know that he wouldn't want to be in Dot's shoes – that was for sure. Everything about it was double-sided for him, though – two Bobs, no waiting. No waiting for jetball, circuit racing, Guardian training… It was too cool. Whatever happened, the boy wanted both Guardians in Mainframe forever.

"What're you grinning at?"

"Sorry." he said hastily.

Dot raised her arms. "Maybe I should give you something to grin about…"

"No! Please!" She offered a feint towards his armpits, then his chin… Then lowered her arms with a laugh. "Very funny!"

"Heh! My little brother. Off to bed with you, soon. Getting late."

"I know…" He snuggled a little closer to her, only half paying attention to the sitcom on the vidscreen. Everybody on sitcoms always seemed so happy. So perfect. Life wasn't like that. He sighed. "Dot?"

"Mmm?"

"Next time I bring Dad back, I'm gonna do better."

"Honey - you did wonderfully. I was very proud of you."

"But I know I can do better. I have to! I wanna bring him back forever, so he never has to go away again. And I want to be able to hug him and wrestle and do all that stuff we used to do before he… He…"

"I know." Dot whispered. "Enzo, it's a miracle that we got Dad back again. You gave us that miracle. That's a good start."

"No I didn't – Hex did."

"Spam! You did. I didn't see Hex in that lab when you brought Dad home."

"I guess." The boy sighed. The vidscreen had lost all interest for him now. "I don't know how Hex did it, Dot! Controlling those nulls was so hard – and I could barely even talk to Dad at the same time. She controlled thousands of them and did all that other stuff and she didn't even need to think about it. She just did it! I wish I knew how."

"She was a very powerful virus, Enzo. All that stuff – it came as naturally to her as breathing or walking comes to you and me. She didn't even have to think about it – it was the only way she knew how to be."

"Yeah - I guess."

"You're learning. You're an amazing boy, all the things you've done. Hex gave you a gift because you accepted her for who she was – that's what kind of a boy you are. It was a wonderful thing for her to do – to repay your faith like that."

"Yeah." Enzo found himself missing Hex all over again, like it had just happened. He'd hated her once, just like Dot. But people changed. You just had to give them a chance. He was glad she was a part of him now.

"My Enzo." Dot whispered, and kissed him on top of the head.

Enzo yawned deeply, losing all the sense of the world outside he and Dot. He wrapped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes, letting his body relax and his mind rest. The closeness of her was perfect, a complete and totally secure world – his world. She was his whole heart, his entire spirit. He didn't need anything else.

"Angel…" Dot ran one hand through his hair, tousling it slowly over and over, her touch communicating unreserved gentleness and love. It was as pure and untainted as the clearest data stream. To Enzo it felt like the thing he loved more than anything else in the net.

"I can feel your heartbeat." He whispered, sensing himself half-drifting into a dream.

"I can hear yours."

Enzo lay still for a while, the gentle drumbeat of his sister's heart a soft kiss against his cheek. He thought about her heart, and about his own. About what someone would see if they could look inside and find only the truth there. "Dot?" he whispered. Her hand was still slowly ruffling his hair. The boy lifted his gaze to meet her gently smiling one. "I forgive you."

Her smile never left her face, but it was joined by one lone tear at the corner of her right eye. She said nothing for a nano, simply kissed him on the forehead twice, then hugged his cheek to hers. "I love you so much, Sweetie." They were the only words Enzo thought he'd ever need to hear, for the rest of his life.

The knock on the door was so soft that neither sprite heard it at first. When it repeated itself, Dot switched off the vidscreen and laughed softly. "I guess the old piece of junk wouldn't start again." She hoisted Enzo in one arm and walked to the door, his hands around her neck and his head on her shoulder. "Bob, when are you going to get rid of- Oh!"

"Hello, Pretty Lady." The blonde sprite in the doorway said with an easy smile. "And you too, Young Fella. Sorry to disturb you so close to bedtime…"

"Ray!" Enzo beamed at the sight of the Surfr. "How you doin', Mate?"

"No worries, Lad. Sorry to intrude-"

"It's not an intrusion, Ray." Dot smiled. "What brings you out here?"

The surfr scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, the thing of it is… I'm a search engine, y'know? I find things – that's my function. I've felt about as useful as a comb at a bald convention around here lately…" Enzo giggled, and the blonde sprite winked at him. "Anyway – I was thinking what with our young mate's new abilities and all, maybe he could use a little help. And I was talking with pretty AndrAIa and Matrix about it, and they suggested someone that might be able to do just that. Someone with inside information, if you like. Only no one knew where to find him, eh? Guess this fella can hide pretty well."

"What in the net are you talking about?" Dot frowned.

Ray flashed an embarrassed grin. "As I say, Pretty Lady – I'm a search engine. And Mainframe's only so big, figured I could find just about anything or anybody slick as a snake, yeah? So I went out and did a little searching. And I found what I was looking for – naturally."

"Ray!" Enzo gasped, an astonished smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You mean…"

"Free to a good home." Ray stepped aside, revealing the vidscreen and whiskers of a most unusual cat.