----

I wanted to be like you, I wanted everything

So I tried to be like you and I got swept away

-"All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch

----

"Saito?"

"Go away! I'm not Saito anymore!"

Rock didn't know the layout of the lab all that well, so in that short outburst, he soon

found himself in the room where he'd woken up that very morning, and all this madness

had begun. He jumped onto the bed and buried his face in the sheets; not exactly crying,

but close.

"Come on... yes you are." Netto smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, embracing his

brother. "DNA link or not, you're still my brother."

Rock pushed Netto away. "I'm sorry, it just...Netto, I don't feel the same at all!" He

paused, then added, "I didn't even call you Netto-kun!"

"Saito..."

"I feel like we're drifting away! Like pretty soon, Saito's going to fade away, and all that's

going to be left is Rockman! This world's Rockman!"

The brunette hugged his brother. "Come on, you're not going to fade away..I won't let

you!" He gave a cheerful grin, but his brother shrank back.

They were silent for a moment. "Saito...did you ever consider staying there? In that

body?"

Rock's eyes went wide and a cold, heavy feeling of sadness engulfed him. "You...like the

other Rockman better?"

"What-? No! That's not it at all!" Netto placed his hands on the robot's shoulders. "Think

about it! You'd never have to be Rockman again! No more netbattling, no more risking

your life, no more being separated by a tiny glass screen! No more Rockman! Just plain

old Hikari Saito!" His grin grew wider. "And maybe...maybe dad could make new navis

for the both of us! We could netbattle against each other! We could be real brothers!"

A hopeful sparkle passed through Rock's eyes. Real brothers... his mind echoed. It

sounded so promising...he'd be able to be with Netto...it'd be perfect...

"It sounds wonderful..." Rock murmured.

Netto cocked his head. "What's wrong?"

"But what about the other Rock? The one in my body?" Secretly the idea thrilled Saito.

He could stay like this...this body was strong and agile, and felt much like his own. Here,

he could touch Netto; could embrace him like he'd always wanted, see his real parents,

could be...human. Or as close to human as he would ever get.

Netto frowned at this. "You're right, I don't know if he'll like the idea...but it wouldn't

hurt to ask...but only if you want to. I can't force you."

"I do..." The more he though about it the more excited he became. "I feel like I belong

here....Netto-kun." He smiled; for the name felt natural once again. If this could work out

he would really be Netto's brother again!

----

"Rockman...?" Roll.EXE breathed, holding the navi in her arms like a big baby.

"It's okay, Roll...it stopped...I'm better, for now." He smiled up at her. That warm tingle

he felt when Roll looked at him...touched him...that sensation was at its highest point

right now...it was something he'd never felt before. He sighed. "Do me a favor..."

Roll blinked. "What's that?"

"Don't let go of me..." With that, his eyes drifted shut and he nuzzled Roll's chest.

Gutsman turned an angry red. "Don't touch my Roll-chan de gutsu!"

"I won't," Roll promised. "I'm right here." She hugged him to her, unable to stop smiling.

Suddenly he mumbled something, and she leaned close to hear. "Ne...Roll-

chan...wouldn't it be nice if we could stay this way?"

"Of course we can," she said uncertainly, unsure just what he meant.

"The Net...isn't so empty, with you here. You make me feel...happy."

"Oh, Rock." Was he actually suggesting staying as a Navi? But the other Rockman... Roll

winced. It was true that she wanted the old Rock back, and he was her dearest friend--she

wouldn't choose this version over him, would she?

Immediately so many possibilities had been opened up...perhaps Rock.EXE would like to

stay in the real world, with his twin....and the original Rock could stay here with her as a

Navi. It could be an excellent plan, if they both agreed! "I don't want you to leave me,

either."

He smiled. "Good...if you want me here, I'd stay...for you..."

Her heart pounded in her chest. Maybe he felt the same...maybe this could work! She

pushed back the anxiety that had risen at the mere thought, and tried to reassure him. "Of

course I do, Rock."

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong...

Gutsman grunted in disagreement, but otherwise stayed silent.

Rock had never felt so relaxed, so content, so...happy...in his life.

"Gutsman?" Roll looked up, "Maybe Emdee needs help with...um...whatever he's doing."

"De gutsu?"

Roll nodded. "Maybe you should go over to Hikari-sensei's PET and ask him."

"I don't think he does de gutsu."

"Go and make sure."

"Gutsu gutsu, why not send Rockman?"

"He's still sick."

"Why don't you?"

"I need to take care of him."

Gutsman pondered this. It took a while; he wan't used to that sort of thing. Finally, he

said, "Okay. For Roll-chan de gutsu." He trudged off.

----

"Come on back with me, Rock," Netto said softly, enfolding his brother in a hug. "Papa

and Dr. Light can remove the virus, and we can see what happens then. Okay?"

"Okay," Rockman whispered, burying his face in Netto's shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't

have gotten so worked up over it."

The younger Hikari grinned. "It's fine, after everything you've been through. But we'll

stick together, through and through--no matter what, you'll always be my big brother."

"'Bigger' by all of three minutes, I'm sure..."

"Someday we'll ask Papa." Netto began to move, but Rock was still clinging tightly to

him. "Hey...you okay?"

Rock's voice was almost too soft to hear. "Do you think....it could happen? I want to stay

out here, Netto-kun...and you could call me 'Saito-niisan' all the time...I'd like that." He

rose to his feet, pale blue eyes meeting Netto's chocolate brown.

The faint hope in his brother's words bolstered Netto's confidence. "Of course it can!"

Saito grinned, but it faded in a second. "Let's not get our hopes up…we have to make sure Rockman is okay with this."

Netto nodded, undersanding. "Okay. Why don't you ask him now, Saito?"

At the last word, Rock's grin reappeared and he nodded. "All right."

----

"Nobody's ever held me before, you know…"

"What?"

Rock and Roll sat alone on the 'ground' inside Netto's PET, the pink navi's arms wrapped around the other's chest.

Rock sighed, resting his head against his the Navi's shoulder, engulfed in an incredible warm sensation. He felt so comfortable In her arms…"Sure, when I'm damaged and need to be carried to a table, or something…" He smiled and looked up into her eyes, "But nobody's ever held me just for the sake of doing it…"

Roll nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. "I'll hold you as long as you want me to."

Rock never broke eye contact. "I want to stay here forever…"

"…Forever?" Roll echoed with a smile. "Are you sure Rockman would agree?"

The blue navi fell silent, sadness overcoming him. He stared downward at nothing in particular.

"Sorry, didn't want to upset you…"

"No, it's all right." He looked up at her and forced a smile. "But…if I can't stay…" He stopped. "No, never mind…"

"What?"

"If I can't stay…would you come back with me?" He looked up into her eyes.

Roll blinked in surprise, a slight blush appearing on her face. "I…what?"

"You could come back with me!" He said happily. "Dr. Light could make a body for you, and I'm sure he could transfer your program into it, and convert it somehow that you could control it! And then we could still be together! Forever!" Taking her hand in his, he grinned. "It'd be perfect!"

"Rockman…" She smiled and shook her head.

"Why not?" He asked, disappointed.

"You're forgetting that Navis are made for their operators." Roll explained. "I'm sorry, but Meiru-chan comes before my emotions…"

"Your emotions?" Echoed the blue Navi hopefully, "Does that mean…you love me?"

----

"You want to what!?" Despite the fact that Rock couldn't see his eyes through the visor, he got the distinct feeling that his brother didn't like the idea.

"I want to stay here," he said almost defiantly, his fingers entwined with Roll's.

Saito looked forlorn as he watched them, but there was a similar determination in his own eyes. I may not be able to be with Roll-chan, if I do this...but look what's happened between them while I've been gone... Could it be that she loved the new Rock more than him? A flood of emotions crashed through him, but he knew that this would only push his decision on. It's Roll-chan's choice to decide who she loves, now. To be out here, with Netto-kun...to be with my brother...that is what I want. His blue eyes softened and met those of his counterpart. "And I want to stay out here."

Blues looked at him in shock, fearing he'd lost his only ally. "You'd agree to this!?"

Saito nodded firmly. When Blues turned to continue staring at his brother, Saito directed a nod back at Roll, not missing the smile of relief on her face. Thank you.

Her eyes gave him even more hope. Be happy, Roll-chan.

Blues clutched the PET in his shaking hands. "No...Rock, listen to me...the reprogramming must have left you delirious. You..you can't stay in there! You just can't!"

Rock blinked and frowned. "And why shouldn't I? Dr. Light would probably agree...I mean, of course he'd be sad. But I know he wants me to be happy…"

"But you won't be! You're stuck inside a...a little...thing! Pet!"

"Blues..." Rock sighed, touching the screen, "I know this is hard for you, but..."

"Hard for me?!" Blues choked, "Rock, I'm losing my brother! Don't you realize that you're all I have?!"

Rock's frown grew bigger. "Then why don't you ever show it?!"

"Show it?! Can't you remember how many times I've saved your life?"

"My life? Sure, my life is perfectly intact, but what about my emotions?" His words abrubtly changed to shouts. "The thing I hate most in the world is being lonely...and do you realize how often that is for me? How many times I've wished for someone to talk to? Sure, there's Dr. Light and Roll-" he glanced quickly at the pink navi behind him, "- Not you, of course - " He turned back to Blues, "But...but someone who just...I don't know! Blues, you were never there when I really needed you! When I needed someone to talk to! Here, in the net...there are thousands of Navis...and there's Roll-chan..."

Something wet dripped from Rock's face to the floor.

"When you really..what are you talking about?" Blues snapped, "You'd be dead five times over if it weren't for me! What else do you want from me?!"

"A BROTHER!" Rock shouted, his voice cracking as he held back sobs.

Blues nearly dropped the PET as anger, fear and guilt washed over him... "FINE!" He screamed, "Just...just stay in there, for all I care!"

"I PLAN TO!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!" With that, Blues hurled the PET at a nearby wall, and ran out of the room and out of the lab.

Netto and Saito hung back and Blues stormed by, until finally Netto ran forward and picked up the abandoned PET. "Rock..."

The blue Navi hastily wiped tears away. "Netto..." Secretly Saito was glad that his counterpart hadn't added the -kun. He was still a little wary about the reprogramming that they had undergone, but if he was going to be Netto's brother the other Rockman would be Netto's Navi. He had to force himself not to be jealous.

"It's okay." Netto smiled warmly at the two Navis. "He'll calm down...if he really does want to be your brother, he'll understand. I'd back Saito-niisan up no matter what he chose. Ne, Rock?"

"Right!" His raven-haired twin mirrored the expression. "Blues will come to his senses. Now I guess all we have to do is talk to Papa and Dr. Light."

----

"You want to what?!"

The scientists stared in surprise at the decision between Rock and Saito.

"We want to stay here." The navi and bioroid said in unison. It was almost scary, hearing that...

Rock added, "Blues didn't take the news very well..."

Dr. Light nodded, taking this in...he was sad about his 'son''s choice, but if it made him happy...

"All right. Whatever you want, Rock..." He forced a smile. Turning to Dr. Hikari, he asked, "And your opinion?"

The young scientist crossed his arms. "I can't say I really approve of it, but it's up to you two...just don't forget to consider the consequences of what you do. Rock, you may want to be with Roll now, but don't forget that we'll be going back to our world eventually. The Net doesn't exist here the way it does for us...you'll have to leave Blues and Dr. Light." Rock's face fell, but he did not speak.

"And Saito...you will have to live out the rest of your life in that body, and there is no one in our world who can care for it. If something were to happen to you I wouldn't know how to repair it. It'd be a risk."

"I know that," Saito replied grimly. "I don't really intend to get into any street fights."

"Not only that...you would look like this all your life. Netto will begin to grow up, but you will stay the same. I doubt a bioroid ages the same way a human does."

"We know," Netto started to reply.

"It's okay," Saito said. "I thought about it a lot. I'm prepared to make sacrifices for this."

"So am I," Rockman said.

"Then..." Yuuichirou looked at the other scientist. "If Dr. Light gives his permission, I'll take you both back to our world as you are."

Dr. Light nodded and smiled. "As long as he's happy...then I consent." a sad look crossed his eyes as he looked at the PET which held the former robot that he had built himself, the closest thing he would ever have to a son, who was soon to be gone forever. He tried to focus on something else. "But first, we need to concentrate on the virus."

But for some reason, there were only two words he could concentrate on.

Goodbye, Rock...

----

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Marisa: …This really gave me chills…@_@;; And yet, it was so fun to write…and so hard…and so fun…help…

Shimegami: Me too... joint-writing is interesting, you never know what the other person is going to come up with next, ne?