She didn't know how he did it, but when Maria was ready to go to the test's new location at lab 204, Shadow had already cleaned the hall floor. It was even already dried. With her dress recovered and the hallway hazard-free, there was nothing to keep her from focusing on getting a good grade.

As she'd hoped, she not only passed, but she also got every question right.

Her next major responsibility was dealing with laundry day, and thanks to Little Abraham's stunt, she made sure to plan her outfits carefully so extra clothes would be ready to wear at any given time.

Soon after, another chore cropped up, demanding attention. Her room needed a good polishing and scrubdown. Most of the furniture was caked in dust, her mirrors were grimy, and she was out of hand soap.

She decided today was a day for domestic cleaning. Scattered throughout the Ark's residential hallways were a few janitorial supply closets for anyone to use, so she headed for the nearest one to pick up some cleaning products to whip her quarters into shape.

The door had a "Janitorial Supply" sign above it and a button panel next to it, which she pressed. The light turned on automatically as the closet door slid open. She walked inside. In the corner stood a mop, making her smile as she remembered the favor Shadow had done for her not so long ago.

She searched through the shelves for what she needed. There were bottles, cans, and boxes of assorted cleaning supplies all in a disarray.

She frowned at the mess. Knowing it would help someone else in the future, she took her time putting things back in order. Carpet fresheners gathered all together in one place, alphabetized by brand, furniture polishers organized in another spot...

Behind her, the door remained open, and the sound of rushing feet whizzed by. There was a small screech as the steps skidded to a halt and stamped back to the closet. A familiar voice shouted her name.

"Hey, Maria, there you are! I was going to your room to find you."

Little Abe stood in the doorway with one arm hidden behind his back.

"Hi Abe. What is it?" Maria continued arranging items on the shelves, wondering what he wanted to show her.

"I got to see them bring in these ginormous boxes from Earth." He stepped closer, looking at her with wide eyes of glee. "I was playing with some bubble wrap when I saw something cool!"

With a flourish, he took his arm out from behind him. "Look-it."

Spray bottle in hand, she looked.

There, wiggling in her face, was a big, fat, brown cockroach.

A wave of revulsion slammed into her. Her face scrunched up as she took a step back and bumped into a shelf, knocking down a few items, scattering them across the ground. The spray bottle she was holding joined them.

"I don't know what to name him yet," Abe said, oblivious to the clatter and her disgust, his attention fixated on the insect. "Do you know any good ones?"

She made a high-pitched gag. Finding it hard to keep her balance, she slumped against the shelf, averting her eyes.

Abe rambled off a list of names that sounded more befitting of a pet puppy. Meanwhile, Maria's vision swam. She concentrated on not throwing up.

The roach's numerous legs moved about, circling in an endless loop.

"I think I like Chuck the most. That's a cool name." Abe brought the bug to his face and smiled. "I'm going to show you around the Ark some more and find somewhere to keep you, and then later we can play with Maria in her room before bedtime. Right, Maria?"

Finally pulling herself to her feet, barely registering what he was saying, she squeaked, "Um, well, sure, but just for tonight."

"Alright! Say goodbye, Chuck!" He extended his arm closer to her and gave a tilted little wave using the hand with the cockroach.

She stood on tiptoe to increase their height difference and laughed nervously.

Abe turned and dashed away, holding Chuck out like a toy airplane.

The next minute was spent fighting off waves of nausea. She focused on the calming, fruity scent of the cleaning supplies. She breathed in and out, pushed the flaky skin and hairy legs from her mind, and went back to work. She returned everything to its rightful place and found the supplies she needed to clean her room.

She returned to the pleasant little sanctuary she called home. With a renewed sense of purpose, she hummed to herself as she polished the furniture and wiped the windows looking out into space. Her mind slipped back to the supply closet and remembered how Abe planned to come over later with his new bug friend to play. To lessen her dread, she reminded herself that it would be just for tonight.

The cockroach was still a living creature like her, a human, and just like Mobians, the animal-like people.

Although it was different from the Mobian insects of Earth, one thing they all shared in common was life, the most basic and important value. It wasn't its fault it wound up far from its natural habitat. She decided she'd tell Abe that the Ark wasn't a good place for Chuck to stay. She knew he'd be upset, but she would offer to make a small carrier for it so it could be transported back in comfort. She also had a camera and knew he'd be happy to keep a photograph to remember it by.

Maria cleaned her room from top to bottom. By the time she finished, it was time for dinner. She nodded at her work, gathered the supplies, and left to return them to the janitorial supply closet. Then she went to the cafeteria.

A part of her feared Abe would bring Chuck to dinner, but she didn't spot either of them.

She finished eating and headed back toward her room, intending to wait for them to come over. The residential hallway was quiet and empty. She walked through her front door, crossed the living room, and went inside her bedroom where the dresser stood beside her bed, waiting for her to pick out a set of pajamas to wear for bed later.

She opened the top drawer and found something round, brown, and alive amidst the layers of fabric.

She screamed. Flailed her hands. Any moment she'd faint!

"Chuck! Maria!"

She heard the entrance door slide open and small, hurried footsteps. Abe appeared, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What happened? Is Chuck gone?"

"What?" she asked shrilly.

"I put him in your drawer for safekeeping! I knew you'd be alright with him living there since he's safer here in your room than mine." Abe went up to the dresser and peered inside. "Oh, Chuck, you like your new home already! I'm glad! Who's a good bug?"

Abe scooped the cockroach up in his palms and cupped them together, cradling it.

"Abe, take him away! You can't come in my room without permission, remember? This is no place for a bug!"

He turned to her, blinking innocently. "Don't worry, he won't bite! I'll take good care of him and teach him tricks."

Maria swallowed and spoke calmly. "I know you want to keep him, but... Chuck can't stay on the Ark. He belongs on Earth with all the other bugs. I know you mean well, but it's for the best."

He pouted and drew his cupped palms to his chest protectively. "No fair... You're mean."

His words cut. It hurt to see him like this and she wanted to comfort him, but dared not take one step closer. "Trust me, he'll be happier down there. You want him to be happy, don't you?"

Abe averted his eyes, but muttered a shaky, "Yeah..."

There was a moment of silence as she imagined being in his position. If she had to give up a friend for their own sake, she would, but there was no denying her feelings would be crushed. She asked, "Are you worried of how alone you'll be once he's gone?"

His face scrunched up as if in pain, but he slowly nodded.

"How about this? If you let him go, I'll try to set aside more time for us to play together. So no more sneaking in here when I'm not looking, okay?"

He was still avoiding her gaze, but seemed to be concentrating, turning her offer over. "Okay," he said, and lifted his head. "But you have to promise."

"As long as you promise first."

"I promise."

She coaxed, "You promise what?"

"I promise to tell the grownups about Chuck so they can take him back to Earth. And I promise to not go in your room anymore, unless you say it's okay."

Maria nodded. Abe still pouted, so she left to find a nice box for Chuck to stay comfortable in. This perked him up a little. He seemed to understand even more as she cut air holes into a small cardboard box's lid and told him there was no dirt or grass lying around to put in. The Ark was not the best place for his cockroach to live.

He liked her idea of keeping a photo as a keepsake, so she found her camera and took a picture of the bug as his owner held the box. Then she sent them both on their way.

She collapsed onto the sofa in the living room as soon as the front door slid shut. She made a mental note to dump the clothes Chuck had touched into the hamper before turning in tonight.

She rested her eyes until a soft knock came from the fancy metal entrance door. The miracle of Abe finally learning to knock first and wait for permission made her smile.

"Come in," she called.

The door slid open, but it wasn't Little Abe who entered.

"Hi Shadow." She felt a lightness in her chest, not expecting to see him today. She smiled and sat up, fixing her hair as he walked to stand in front of her.

He had his arms behind his back, looking at her in concern. "Are you alright? You look tired. I know it's late—we can talk tomorrow if you prefer."

"No, no, I'm fine. I just had a long day. What's that you're holding?"

Shadow smiled faintly and revealed a cardboard box in both hands.

Maria's eyes shot open wide and she pressed her back flat against the sofa. For a wild moment, she thought it was the very box that housed Chuck the cockroach. With a squeak, she shielded herself with her arms.

Shadow almost dropped the box. "It's okay, Maria, it's nothing dangerous, I promise."

Her face burned sheepishly. "I'm sorry..."

"You sure you're okay?"

Her chest lifted and lowered several times. She closed her eyes and controlled her breath, slowing it back down to normal. When she opened her eyes again, she expected Shadow to look at her like she was insane. Instead she found red eyes filled with worry.

"It's no problem if I come back tomorrow, really."

She exaggerated another deep breath to prove she was calm. "I know, thank you, but I'm okay now. I promise."

He put his hand on the lid and gave her one last questioning look.

She leaned forward in what she hoped was convincing anticipation.

He opened the lid and slid his hand inside. He pulled out something that required both hands to hold; he let the box fall beside his feet.

It looked like a small statue of a tree... only it was inside a pot? A pot with dirt?

"Is that a fake plant?" she asked.

He smiled lightly. "No. It's a real one."

"But...?" Maria inched closer. "It looks like a tree, but it's... tiny!"

It was so life-like and detailed that it couldn't have been a sculpture, unless it was made by someone with unimaginable talent. Each leaf was nestled against another, each branch was curved in its own unique way, and the trunk was gnarled and flaked with soil.

"It's called a bonsai tree." Shadow's smile grew distinct. "I knew you'd like it."

"But how? Where did it come from?"

"A big delivery group came to the docking station today. One of the researchers was carrying a lot of boxes to her room. She looked like she was having a hard time, so I helped her out. Then I saw her unpack some of these plants and she told me what they were. She's raising them as a hobby and gave me one as a thank-you gift."

"Oh, how nice!"

"She showed me how to take care of it and I thought I'd see if you were still up so I could show you."

Maria's face warmed from how big her smile was now. She made a small humming sound in her throat and stared at the little plant. She thought briefly of the box she helped make to house a certain cockroach and considered asking to borrow the plant for a while for Abe's sake.

But if she did that, it might convince Abe that Chuck could live on the Ark after all. She wasn't looking forward to that discussion, or to seeing him wave the bug in her face again. Besides, it wouldn't be long before the insect could roam free amongst proper dirt and trees.

After a while, she decided to ask Shadow for a simpler favor instead. "Can I... if you don't mind, that is, may I hold it?"

He handed it over.

She stood, holding it in a steady grip, and inspected it thoroughly. She wanted to feel its trunk, its leaves, its branches, but didn't want to risk any damage, no matter how gentle her touch. This was Shadow's, so she settled for simply admiring the way the leaves rustled when she breathed.

"A special plant, straight from Earth. Trees are living things, too, and I'm holding one." She looked at Shadow. "Thank you so much for showing me this. It's wonderful." An idea for another favor popped into her head. "Can I take a picture?"

It was okay with him, so she gave the bonsai tree back and left to get her camera.

"Should I set it here?" Shadow asked, indicating the living room's coffee table.

"No, just hold it. You'll be in the picture too, silly."

She knelt down for a better angle and pressed the button on her camera.

When they said good night, Maria waved to him and the bonsai tree from her door. She kept watching and waving until they disappeared from sight.