For a moment, all Roger could do was stare at the not-Dorothy.

"That's impossible," he said after a moment. He wanted to believe it was impossible. After all, she still resembled the Dorothy he knew. Granted, the hair was different- yet that seemed to be the only physical change. She was still as petite and pale as before.

Even as he paused to contemplate her, she seemed to shift under his gaze. Her usually calm face bore a cast of emotion he'd never seen before. She was smiling for God's sake!

And her eyes... Unbidden, a memory from his life as the Wanderer came back to him. He'd seen the human Dorothy Wayneright, or at least imagined that he had. That girl had violet eyes, but the mischievious gaze holding his still came from the familiar dark ones

I don't understand." He hated saying it, but in this instance it was the truth. He was beyond confused, and beneath the confusion simmered a boiling mess of emotion he couldn't indentify.

"That makes two of uis," the not-Dorothy said. "Still, we must make the best of it." Her mood and questions switched gears like lightningin fact, if he didn't know better, he would say his confusion bored her.

"I'm hungry," she told him plantively. "Do you suppose they still have pizza?" Before he could answer, she was off on yet another topic. "Do you think I can still eat in this body? Besides toast?"

The words "this body" set off more questions in his mind. He had a reasonable suspicion that his earlier fear might have a basis in fact. So it was not the return of RD, thank God. Perhaps she had reverted to an earlier version of her core program, or perhaps it was only a glitch. He had, after all, seen such a program in play that night at the Nightengale, a happy, girlish persona she'd adapted expressly.

Whichever it may be, he was not prepared to handle the issue on his own. At the very least, he needed Norman. The butler/mechanic had memories allowing him knowledge of android repair. He might have an idea how to fix Dorothy.

The matter settled in his own mind, all that remained was to convince her of the wisdom of the decision. He had the feeling it might be easier said than done.

He drew confidence from his own abilities. He was Paradigm City's top negotiator. She was a teenage girl. A simple coming to terms would be difficult, but not impossible. As he'd reminded the other R. Dorothy before, part of negotiation included considering the feelings of the other party involved.

"I have to finish this," he told her firmly but not unkindly. "Then I want to have you looked at." He paused again as she started to...giggle? How was that possible? And what was so funny? Ignoring her, he finished his thought. "Then we can...find you something to eat."

To his surprise, she nodded. "I do have some of her memories, you know. I know how important it is to finish a negotiation. I'll wait." Of course, the cooperation was as fleeting as her previous mood. "But I'm Inot/I waiting out here, it's boring!"

As a negotiator, he also knew when the time had come to compromise. "That's fine," he told her.

As it turned out, the negotiation was already completed. During the recess, the Davies had apparently come to terms all on their own.

"Miss Wayneright, how can we ever thank you?" Regina Davies had tears in her eyes, a smile on her face, and a strangely satisfied looking husband hanging off her arm. Her free hand reached for one of Dorothy's and shook it vigorously. "If it weren't for you, James and I would have never remembered that we were still in love."

In love or insane... it didn't matter to Rger Smith. Now that the negotiation was closed, he could get Dorothy home.

Fortunately, James took the hint and wrote the check out with only a cursory complaint. The final shock came as Roger and Dorothy were preparing to leave.

"Miss Wayneright..." Regina Davies took Dorothy aside, slipping her what appeared to be a fifty dollar bill. This strange Dorothy took the money without a moment's hesitation, throwing her arms around the older woman and squeezing her in thanks.

As if the impetuous hug wasn't disconcerting enough, she immediately went over to James Davies and kissed him on the cheek.

Roger had to look twice to make certain he was seeing correctly. The older man was actually smiling!

"You two be good to each other," she said cheekily. She was also smiling when she turned her attention back to Roger. He must have looked as bemused as he felt, because as she looked at him, her smile grew wider as she walked back over to him. "What?" she asked innocently.

In a time that already seemed to be lost forever, he might have demanded that she return the moneyaccepting a gift was unprofessional. The turn of events had left him so off-balance, though, that he found he couldn't bring himself to care. Besides, the unexpected funds might be enough to keep her distracted on the ride home. He sighed inwardly. Next, she was probably going to want to go and spend it

Fortunately, his first assumption was correct.