Disclaimer: Chobits and all related charcters are property of CLAMP!
A/N: I got the idea for this while I was watching Chobits particularly the first episode while Hideki is at home, thus promting me to take notes on the idea. It is taking place at the end of the series, after the 8th book in the manga but before the 27 anime episode (Hibiya & Kotoko Talk).
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Chii Travels
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Hideki sighs as he continues to pack his things, folding his desired clothing into his suitcase, making sure to choose sensible things to suit the weather in Hokkaido. Failing his entrance exams was depressing but it wasn't going to stop him from trying again, it was cause for a small break to clear his mind however. A rest in the country with fresh air, away from the hustle and bustle of the city seemed perfect, and it was an opportunity to visit his parents, despite their small disappointment with his current ackademic standings.
Shuting the lid of his suitcase and propping it against the wall, alongside a second neatly packed suitcase, Hideki stretched and quickly made sure everything in the room was neat and in order. His gaze wandered down to Chii who was lying on the tatami mats absorbed in one of the 'A City With No People' books which she held so dear. After all that had happened it wasn't difficult now to understand why she loved those books so much. Hideki couldn't help but smile as he watched her slowly observing the pages of the book, he could clearly see her mouthing the words to herself as she read. It made him happy that she was coming along on the trip with him, despite being around familiar people it would have been undoubtedly lonley not having her around... he couldn't stand the thought of her staying here alone anyways, it was far to depressing and there was no way her would enjoy himself with the thought of Chii all alone.
He kneeled down next to her, placing one hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Chii turned her head, waking her from her immersion in the picture book in front of her with a small start. She smiled up at him, her amber eyes glistening as she did so, "Hideki, is it time to leave?" Her voice sounded excited about the upcoming journey.
"Yeah, everything is ready so we can leave. I packed your things yesterday and just finished with mine." He said, pointing to the suitcases near the door, "Are you ready Chii?"
Her head bobbed enthusiastically, "Chii is ready!" She grabbed her book as she stood and rushed over to the door to put on her shoes.
Hideki did the same, slipping on his shoes and grabbing the two suitcases, surveying the apartment one last time before opening the door and following Chii from the apartment.
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Hideki yawned as he got off the train lugging his two suitcases with him, Chii following closely by his side. It had been quite a ride with her constantly asking questions about things as they rode. Though tiring, Hideki didn't mind answering the flood of questions that Chii seemed to have. He was just glad to know that she depended on him so much, and it was a comfort to have her there keeping his mind and nerves focused on something other than his parents reaction... he honestly had no idea what they would think, about his grades, about Chii, about a million other things. And he knew they would have their own questions as well so the barrage that Chii had given him was almost like a practice for what was in store.
"Chii?" The blonde persocom said, looking around at the station they had arrived in, "Is this were Hideki lives?" She asked, staring up at him with a bit of confusion, this sure would have been an odd place for one to make residence.
Hideki laughed and patted her on the head, "No Chii, this is a train station just like the one we left from... we'll need a taxi to get to my house- Oh! There, mom had said there would be one waiting. Follow me Chii." He picked up the suitcases, from the spot he had momentarily set them, and began walking towards the yellow taxicab. Chii followed right behind with her book still in her grip, she glanced down at its cover and smiled. They both got into the taxi, which had been paid for by his parents, and headed off towards Hideki's rural Hokkaido farm.
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Climbing out of the cab Hideki inhaled the fresh, unpolluted, country air deeply. He instantly felt more at ease with the sight of his home in the distance. The sun was barely hanging in the sky behind the modest home he had spent his childhood in, and it sillouetted it with a bright orange glow. He looked back a Chii as she followed him out of the cab, quickly moving to shut the door behind her before watching the taxi head back towards town. "Well Chii, this is it!" He said, following the path up to the front door.
Chii's eyes were fixated on the house, "Chii..." Her voice was quiet and detected a note of awe as she too walked up towards the front door, his home was much different than the apartment the two of them shared back inTokyo. Watching, from behind Hideki, as he gently rapped at the door and called out. A woman appeared in the doorway, she was slightly blocked from Chii's vision from where the woman stood in the doorway, but she could see that she had dark brown hair up in a neat bun, she didn't look old but her face was beginning to show wrinkles about the eyes and mouth. Here eyes were dark brown and seemed really kind, the appearance seeming to double as she opened the door.
When she saw her son Naoko smiled and hugged him, "Welcome home! We are so glad to have you back, you should visit more often, or call us!" Tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.
"It's good to be home and it is good to see you too mom." Hideki said with a chuckle and a smakll smile, "Chii and I are both happy to be here." It was then he realized he had forgotten to mention that he was bringing Chii along.
Naoko moved back, holding him out at arms length and giving him a questioning look, she hadn't noticed the persocom standing behind her son, "Chii? Who's that?"
Suddenly the blonde head poked out behind from Hideki, "Chii is Chii!" She said with a smile in a cheery voice, "Hideki named Chii!" She added looking up at Hideki.
"Oh my!" Naoko exclaimed, taking a step back after being startled by the persocom, "I didn't know you were bringing a friend along, she's so cute." The woman smiled, she hadn't yet caught on to the fact that Chii was not human.
Hideki laughed, "Actually, Chii is my persocom... I'll explain but first where is dad?"
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Chii, Hideki and his parents, Naoko and Kenshi, all sat in the family's den as he recounted the tale of how exactly he came upon requiring Chii and breifly explained some af the mishaps that had happened such as Chii's kidnapping and a simplified explination of the night the Chii declared her 'someone just for Chii', leaving out the things that he feared may have troubled his parents. He especially made sure to leave out the peep show experience, he wasn't sure how they would handle that.
Naoko listened intently to the account, "Oh, we heard about that blackout and all the accidents that happened in Tokyo that say, we were really worried when we heard about that... so you were the one behind all that sweetie?" She asked with a smile as she looked at Chii.
"Chii?" The persocom tilted her head and looked back at Naoko.
Hideki was glad that it seemed his mother had already taken a liking to the persocom, he wasn't too sure about his father though. Kenshi was a dark haired, burly, deeply tanned man and had stood there listening to his son's explination of some of the adventures he'd had, his angular face nodding every so often but never interjecting as his wife sometimes had a tendancy to do. His father always had been a more quiet man, though he did have a more humorous side that few people outside their family had witnessed. Hideki wasn't much like his father but he knew his father was a good man and he had always had a good relationship with him.
"So," Kenshi finally spoke up, "What about your school work? I hear you didn't make the cut." He didn't sound angry as much as disappointed and it was obvious he wanted an explination.
"Well, I've been busy with my job and keeping things straight at home... sometimes I just couldn't keep up with my studies. I'm sorry, I'll try harder next year I promise!" His eyes were squeezed shut as he appologised. When Hideki opened them he could see his father had given a nod of approval accompanied by a small grunt before walking out of the room.
Naoko looked at her son, "I see you have made a lot of friends since you moved to Tokyo, those Shimbo and Minoru fellows both seem nice.. and that Yumi girl as well." She smiled, "It sounds like you are having fun... Say, do a lot of people have persocoms in the city?" Her eyes were filled with wonderment as she asked, Hideki knew the feeling. When he had first gotten to Tokyo he couldn't believe all the persocoms that filled the streets along with the number of people who owned persocoms... not to mention the insane price of buying and managing a persocom.
"Yeah, a lot of people have persocoms. They are really handy and can do lots of things." He smiled to himself and finished that sentiment in his head.
Hideki and his mom spent a few more hours discussing things before it was beginning to get late, the sun was already down when everyone headed off for bed.
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Hideki awoke with a start hearing his mom yelling for him just outside of his door, along with pounding on it in an urgent way. He groggily rubbed his eyes and then realized that Chii was not asleep beside him. Jumping up and quickly dressing he opened the door, "Get to the den quickly!" His mom was standing there, from the looks of it she had recently been preparing breakfast her face was flushed. Hideki quickly glanced at the time, from the time on the clock in his old room, it seemed his father would already be out working on the farm.
Hideki nodded to his mom and ran hurriedly towards the den, he could hear his mom following behind, turning into the room he asked, "What's th- CHII WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" Chii was on the floor of the den, crouched on her elbows and knees before the family's calico cat and mimicing the felines actions. Chii was wearing nothing save her underware and didn't even seem to realise anything was wrong as she looked up at Hideki with her bright eyes.
"Good morning Hideki!" She said, leaping to her feet and running for him in an attempt to tackle glomp him. She was, however, stopped short by Hideki as he held her at arms length by the shoulders, making it difficult to control the nosebleed he could feel coming on.
"Chii where are your clothes?! We talked about this before!" He cried in frustration, with Chii just looking up at him confused.
"Chii didn't know where Chii's clothes were... Chii is sorry, was Chii a bad girl?" She said, looking away with a sorrowful look on her face. It was then that Hideki remembered all her clothing was still packed neatly away in her suitcase.
"No, thats not it. Chii is a very good girl... It was my fault you couldn't find your clothing." Hideki said with a sincere smile, "I'm not mad at you, I promise." Chii looked up at him and seeing his face smiled as well, before getting her way and hugging him. "Alright, now lets go get you dressed." Chii nodded as Hideki began leading her towards his room, "Sorry mom, Chii doesn't know any better," It was odd to be in front of his mother trying to have a normal conversation in the presence of nudity.
"I-Its alright..." She said with a nervous laugh, blushing uncontrolably, "I'm just glad your father wasn't here." Naoko laughed before she heard the front door open and turned, her face becoming white as a sheet.
"When is breakfast going... to be... ready..." Kenshi trailed off as he stared at his wife and son standing there with the partially naked persocom. "I'll come back later." He said shutting the door.
Naoko's pale face suddenly turned as red as a tomato, in anger and embarrassment, she turned to Hideki who grabbed Chii and quickly ran off with an "OH CRAAAAAAAP!!"
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That was Chapter one, hopefully I will have time to write more as I am already having fun with this... perhaps Hideki and Chii try to help out with farm work Hope you liked it!!!
