Author's note:

So, I've gotten some questions in my PM's and such about this- whoops! In my head, everything makes sense. I forget people might actually read this.

So, the time period is two years after my other story, "Priceless Sorrows."

Which is one year after the Chobits storyline.

And how does Oliver know Sam and Aitsu, you ask?

All in good time, children.

All in good time.

Samantha sighed, glancing over at her persecom, a tired smile on her lips. After the recording, Oliver had left in a hurry, the emotion in the room making him uncomfortable. She remembered the first time she met him, not too long before she got Aitsu.

Sam had been struggling with her mother's disappearance. Her vanishing had really surprised everyone- one moment she was there, the next, gone, without a trace. It is a hard thing, to lose a mother. Almost too hard- to heavy a weight to bear alone. Her father started working full time, so she was alone most of time with her thoughts. She became somewhat obsessed with finding her mother. It was like she pictured a trail of breadcrumbs, and all she had to do was follow them.

So every day, she walked around town, asking questions. Searching.

The day she met Oliver, it was rainy. It had been cold, and wet, the icy fingers of the storm tearing into her clothing and soaking her socks. She was tired of looking for her mother, but she didn't know what else to do.

Finally, she just sat down, numb and tired. She wondered why… She didn't stay.

The wind began to howl through the empty streets, and then Samantha saw a couple. A tall boy with olive skin and dark hair, smiling down at the girl. She was focused on something on the ground, and after a moment of staring, she realized the girl was talking.

To a frog.

It was very absurd, so absurd, that Samantha almost smiled. Almost. Instead, she snorted, which drew the attention of the two.

And they just stared openly at each other. The couple, the girl, and the frog.

Until finally- finally- the pair made their way over to her. Once closer, Samantha could see that the girl was beautiful. And she wondered why she was with the dude, who was just average looking. But maybe she was biased, being lesbian and all.

The girl was dressed in a kimono, a paper umbrella over her head. She looked like… Samantha grasped for the name. She looked just like Lotus, from the novel "The Good Earth." She looked like the fairest of them all.

"I know you. You're that girl whose mother ran away." The woman said, peering down at her curiously. Her voice was melodic, like music. Sure, and confident.

Samantha decided right away she didn't like her.

"She didn't run. She's just… On vacation." Samantha said, crossing her arms.

The woman didn't look convinced.

"Did she send you a postcard? No? Then she's not on vacation, sweetie."

"Does she ever shut up?" Samantha asked the boy, irritation marking her features.

"Not when I'm drunk." She answered for him. "My name is Kinoshima, and I have a feeling we'll be great friends. I can tell. I have a mother's intuition."

That was it.

"Now look here, you arrogant piece of-"

Samantha was awoken from her thoughts by a faint beeping noise. She turned to Aitsu suddenly, who gazed off into space. Once more she was reminded her love was a persecom, that she wasn't alive. However, it didn't change the love she felt for her. They had been through so much.

Once more, a beeping sound erupted from her.

"Message received. Model number136-8-098-oo6-7469-003."

Sam gasped, hand flying to her mouth. It worked. It had actually worked.

"What's it say?" She asked urgently, heart fluttering in her chest.

Aitsu blinked.

"Nothing much, really. Just an address."

Aitsu searched for a pen, before scrawling it down on a scrap of paper. Samantha didn't recognize the address, but she knew wherever it was, they'd go.

"We have to tell Oliver."

"It's been six hours. It's four in the morning. He's asleep." Aitsu said tiredly, resting her head on Sam's shoulder. Though she couldn't be tired, Samantha realized she'd been on for over 24 hours, on hyper drive, searching the area's IP addresses and awaiting a message that may never arrive. She probably needed to charge.

Samantha kissed her cheek and rubbed her back, taking the tired persecom in her arms.

"We'll just tell him now, and let him go ahead and see her. You need your rest, and I'm not going without you. Who knows when you could have a relapse."

"I'm fine." Aitsu murmured.

"But the coder said, if you have one of your fits again, it might be so bad you won't switch back to-"

"Shhh…"

"And then when we take you to the coder he'll try to switch you back and you might not retain your mem-"

Aitsu shut her up with a kiss, ending the conversation.