Disclaimer: This is an independent work of fiction, with no connection whatsoever to CLAMP, and in no way is meant to imply any connection with CLAMP, or the Chobits universe in general, and has no direct connection to the events and continuity of the Chobits series or anime. This story is based on characters and situations from Chobits created by CLAMP. Chobits Characters © 2001 CLAMP. All Rights Reserved.

This story as far as CLAMP is concerned is not to be considered canon to the Chobits universe. All rights to story content reserved, I'm writing this story and only I know how it's going to end. Greggory Thompson and Shelby are © 2003 to me. Again this story is based on characters and situations created by CLAMP.

That said... please enjoy the story and tell me what you think!

Chobits: Lost and Found
by Artision2001

Chapter 1: Prelude

The building, well at this level, was dark and dust is still sifting through all the debris. My helmet light is the only lumination. Shelby is scurrying and sneezing just beyond my view. We were contracted with a couple of other K9 Search and Rescue, K9 SAR for short, teams to make sure that this tired old building is clear of occupants. That way the demo team can do their job and send this relic to the basement and make way for yet another more modern replacement. So far this wreck has been all but empty. Chatter on the radio reminds me that I should check in.

"Blue Team, low survey almost complete, over." Yep, we're low all right... I'm Greg Thompson and the furry four-legged assistant is my support mech. Okay you caught me, Shelby is a good sized two and a half year old black and white Australian Sheppard. We make up what is known as Blue Team. Shelby and I are a part for an international exchange program, set up in Tokyo Japan. We were invited to work with and train other K9 SAR teams -so that others may yet live. Well that's how the saying goes...

"Yellow Team and Red Team are waiting to dig you out Blue Team, over."

"Blue Team will let you know, over." That's for sure, the mutt and I are in the worst area of the damage. It's weird the damage is severe enough to condemn the place but how did it happen? There were no 'quakes in this area that I know of -must have been a structural failure, eh. I make my winding way towards Shelby as he's started to get excited about something up ahead. What th... "Base Command I might have something, wait one."

"10-4, Blue Team."

"What have you got, Shelbiiiie!?!" I take a spill through the ruined basement to the sub-basement floor, thank goodness the rubble softens my fall -gah. Shelby is just a few meters ahead, barking his head off. "I'm comin, sheesh." I dust myself off and take inventory -light, radio, watch, wallet. Yep, nothing broken but my pride sure is bruised... "All right monster dog what's got yer docked tail?" I ask, as I look over the room I just fell into, everywhere I look I see wall-to-wall tech gear. Correction, thrashed tech gear... I hear Shelby but still can't see him. "This is Blue Team, I'm still trying to catch up with my K9, over."

"10-4, Blue Team -do you need assistance, over."

"Negative, Base Command, wait one..."

I still think this place is too messed up to come across anyone, but that dog's got something... I have to squeeze through a tight entrance to the room Shelby's making such a racket in, I let him know I'm coming -such a patient mutt... The room is a branch off of the tech room, it's a mess too but it's the end on the line. Shelby is sitting pretty on a large vertical storage case. The case has been damaged and is partially covered with debris. As I approach Shelby, he lays down and points his nose through an opening in the lid. I aim my light just above Shelby's nose and I freeze solid at the sight of a young face with white hair.

Awe no, not a... I reach for the radio mike on my shoulder just as Shelby sneezes and I see an EAR, white over pink -sorta catlike. My knees give out and my butt receives yet another bruise as I land on the floor. "It's just a freaKIN PERSOCOM!!!" I yell, oh god don't do that... "My heart couldn't take it," I say to Shelby as he turns his head in that questioning doggy look.

"10-9 your last Blue Team, over."

"Negative on the assist Base Command, someone left their persocom behind."

###

"Thanks for the lift, Ryoko," I bang on the truck bed to let her know everything is off loaded in the courtyard of Shelby's and my apartment complex. We exchange farewells then she drives off for home. Its times like these I can understand why dogs enjoy riding in the back of a pickup bed. Bringing the salvaged gear and the persocom out from the basement was very taxing. The persocom weighed a lot more then it looked, must be a custom job. Well, enough brooding...

"Shelby, my lad we've work to do and it could be worse -we could have a room on the fifth floor instead of the fourth."

I opt to carry the blanket wrapped persocom fireman carry over my shoulders as Shelby gets the light duty of watching over our SAR gear in the courtyard until I come back. I'm thankful that the stairs are wide enough that I can pretty much walk up unhindered -except for this heavy 'com, sheesh. I'm glad I wrapped the top of my orange SAR jumpsuit around my waist...

Room 404, my destination finally comes into view. I key open the door, manage to get my boots off in the entry -without dropping the 'com. My apartment is what would be called cozy, room enough not to be crowded. Off to the right as you step in is a traditional Japanese kitchenette, straight ahead is the combo living/sleeping area, on the opposite wall is a sliding glass door that opens to a modest balcony, to the left on the left wall is the storage closet with the water closet a little further down and finally the area that is dubbed 'the lab' where I keep my antiquated computer station, complete with a hodge podge shelving system loaded with various computer bits and pieces.

I set the 'com down in the 'lab' area and unwrap the blankets that I used to keep her safe from the harmful environment in the ruined building. Wow, I didn't really get a good look at her until now. She is a pretty little thing with the build of a 15 or 16 year old. Her white hair is sensuously long, two long locks of hair tied with a matching pair of white and pink decorative clips that frame her face. She's wearing a black peasant dress with red satin lining that's running a close race between frilly and tarty. I carefully remove her black ankle high boots and place them with my other shoes by the apartment entryway.

I then, take a moment or two to get the few pieces of gear I'll need, mainly a 'com charger -older type that I found back at the building site but, still the right kind, I find out as I check the 'com's EAR section out for the connection. I set the charger up for a basic charge, then go back down stairs for the rest of the gear and Shelby, before I get side tracked again.

When I get down stairs I see that Shelby is 'faithfully' guarding the gear -more like laying all over it. "Shelb, if I took any longer you would be sellin' this stuff to the first person that came along."

Shelby just sits up, snort-sneezes and gives me the -I'm bored as hell groan.

"I know but we still have all this stuff to put up, it's still early -how 'bout after that we go visit Uncle Yoshi?"

That gets Shelby's attention, he kicks up and runs for the stairs as I grab our gear and head up after him...

###

Uncle Yoshi runs a family owned bathhouse that's anything but typical. One of the reasons that I rented that apartment, besides putting up with me and my dog is that I met Uncle Yoshi -well his kids and Shelby hit off while -we were looking for a place to rent. Did I mention the kids, man there's a lot of them. After Uncle found out that Shelby and I were a K9 SAR team he introduced me to the apartment manager and got us set up at a great rate. Uncle's family pretty much adopted me and Shelby. The benefits are great I wash and dry the monster dog and the kids play with him until I'm done with my bath. Yep, count my lucky stars on meeting Uncle and his family.

Oh, man a quiet bath to sooth out the days aches and pains. Uncle's place is great, but it ends all to quickly as I hear Uncle's squealing kids just over the click - click of Shelby's nails as he trots over the tiled floor behind me. The quiet moment's over as the monster dog steals the washcloth off my head.

###

Again I thank honorable Uncle for his and his family's hospitality, then Shelby and I head for home.

It's a good routine, Shelby already has the long way home memorized. We stop at the local park and I throw a ball around to help the monster dog unwind. Fall is in the evening breeze, soon the trees will be changing colors for the season...

After a while I check my watch and decide it's best to wonder on home. Now that I think about it, I do have a new challenge waiting there. As Shelby and I walk home I start to wonder about the who, what and whys that the 'com was doing back in the bottom of the abandoned building. Since no one on the site was interested and didn't help me with what I brought out the salvage rights go to me, barring that an owner doesn't come forward -even so, there will be the issue of property abandonment. Many questions will just have to wait until I can ask the 'com, that is IF she even works...

End of Chapter 1

That's it 'til chapter two, which is in the works. Email what you think to Artision2001yahoo.com, I'll take it under advisement. Flames taken under advisement, deleted as necessary.