Chapter Sixteen: Turning Points

For the first time in her existence the petite, blonde reploid wanted to be alone.

…but didn't.

Pallette stared at nothing as she sat on the short, concrete wall, her heels rhythmically tapping the grey stone as she absently swung her legs. Layer had left by herself fairly early in the morning, and Alia had holed herself up in her room after speaking with Dr. Light's hologram, her only words to Pallette being an apology for Max's absence, citing a work situation. Not even X or Shortwave were available, the pair having hurried to his quarters after speaking with the doctor themselves. And, of course, she couldn't be around Axl for obvious reasons. She couldn't be around Zero at that point either, also for obvious reasons. So, she'd left for the park to be alone around other people.

This left the junior navigator with her own thoughts, which were starting to feast upon her conscience yet again. "This is all my fault," she lamented, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she missed the concerned gazes of several passers-by. "If I hadn't talked Axl into…helping out, then Layer wouldn't have…and Zero wouldn't have…"

She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, feeling empty; she desperately looked forward to talking with her friend's husband to find the answers she needed.

Layer winced as she entered the store, startled by the sudden drop in temperature as well as the tinkling of bells so close to her head. "H-Hello…?" she shivered while covering the offended ear.

"Ah!" A semi-familiar face appeared from the back room and quickly approached her. "I'm so sorry; I was working on-Oh! It's you! Well, hello!"

"Good morning, Miss Ginny," Layer greeted with a bow. "I was…" She trailed off, realizing that she hadn't thought out how she would explain her reason for coming to the store; earlier that morning, Max had stopped by to apologize that he wouldn't be able to help her due to a situation at work. After a brief conversation, they decided that the best next step would be for her to consult with the clothier. "Mr. Hannity and Alia think that I should talk to you about a new outfit."

"I see…"

"He thinks that it would help me with Zero if I could…look at myself differently?" She wasn't familiar with the concept, but she did her best to repeat what Max had told her.

"Ah, I think I understand," Ginny said with a smile. "Knowing him, he's probably hoping that a new look will help you come to understand yourself better and gain more confidence in some way. Let's see what we can find for you…" She stepped back to take a look at her client. "My, you are rather shapely, aren't you? I'm a little jealous."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Oh, don't be," Ginny giggled, reaching out to give the anxious Reploid a gentle squeeze to the arm. "We can't all be blessed that way, dear." She gave the fidgeting girl another appraising look. "May I take your measurements? I can get a pretty good idea of what colors and styles would look good on you just by looking at you, but I'd need more precise measurements to see how I might have to alter what we have to fit you."

"O-Of course, ma'am," Layer replied, still sounding uncertain.

"Let me get my supplies," Ginny said with a motherly smile before heading to the back of the store, eventually disappearing around a corner.

As she waited, Layer glanced anxiously around at the racks and racks of clothing of various types and sizes. Other than her short time in the duplicate of Iris' body she wore that same outfit as when she was first activated, so the idea of wearing anything else was a little unsettling.

A jingle of bells drew her attention, and she looked back to the entrance to see an older man enter the shop. He appeared to be in his early- to mid-sixties, with streaks of black in his otherwise greying hair. He wore a dark-blue polo-style shirt and slightly faded blue jeans, and as he moved she detected a slight limp, as though favoring a leg. In spite of his casual attire, however, he carried himself with a professional demeanor.

Unsurprisingly, he noticed her as soon as he turned back from closing the door. "Oh. Good morning, young lady." In spite of the pleasantness of the greeting he sounded grumpy for some reason. "Is my wife helping you?"

"Y-Yes, sir," she stammered, mildly intimidated by his piercing, almost analytical gaze. "She's getting what she needs to measure me."

"I see. Well, you're in good hands; Ginny knows her stuff. Have a good day." With that odd greeting done he headed to the back of the store, disappearing around the same corner that Ginny had earlier.

"That must be her husband…" Layer mused. She then started to look anxiously around at the racks of clothing once again.

A few minutes later, Ginny returned with several measuring tapes of varying lengths. "I should probably take you to the back, since I'll be measuring your bust," she said matter-of-factly. "Just in case someone comes in while I'm working; we don't need everyone knowing how blessed you are, right dear?" she added with a wink, drawing a timid smile from the shapely reploid.

"I-I guess not," said reploid replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious. In spite of her discomfort, she managed to follow the clothier to the back area of the store.

"If you would step up here, please," Ginny said while indicating a slightly raised platform partway down a longish hallway, "I'll take your measurements and then we'll go from there."

"O-Okay." The anxious girl cautiously stepped up onto the platform as though expecting it to drop out from under her. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect," Ginny gushed with a motherly smile. "Now just hold still…"

For the next several minutes, Layer tried to not squirm as the older woman pressed the cool strips against various parts of her body; her legs, her arms, her upper back…

"Is there any way you could remove…that?" Ginny asked while gesturing to the white armor plate that covered most of the girl's bosom. "I can't take the measurements over it."

"Don't worry," a male voice called from a nearby room, causing Layer to blush. "I'll be in here for a while; I won't come out until you're done."

"Could you shut the door so my guest and I can talk privately?" Ginny called in her husband's direction, then smiled as the door appeared to close on its own. "Thank you."

Layer glanced cautiously at the door before releasing the clips on her upper armor to remove it.

"That's amazing detail," Ginny remarked with admiration as she measured her topless customer. "I wouldn't have expected a reploid to have… Considering you don't have babies, I wouldn't expect for you to have…" She stopped and gently slapped her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, dear; I don't know where my manners got off to."

"It's okay, ma'am," Layer replied. "I guess my designer put a lot of work into the details of my line."

The clothier quickly finished her measuring, and Layer put her armor back on just as quickly. "We're done, Jaxon," Ginny called.

"'Bout time…" Jaxon grumbled as he half-shuffled into the hallway. "I hope you find something better than that car hood she's wearing."

"Jaxon Hurt!" Ginny exclaimed. "She's my guest!"

He made his way up to his wife's guest and looked her in the eye. Or at least he tried to, considering the length of her bangs. "Are you the one who's trying to impress that Zero guy?"

Layer's head tried to turtle into her shoulders. "Y-Yes, sir."

He studied her face a moment longer. "Do you have eyes behind that hair, or do you use some kind of sensor array?"

"S-Sir?"

"You heard me," he prompted.

"I…I do have eyes, sir."

"Show me."

Layer briefly glanced at her hostess' concerned expression before raising her hand to lift her hair, uncovering her emerald-colored eyes.

"Hm," he grunted approvingly. "Why do you cover up such pretty eyes?"

"S-Sir?" she squeaked, quickly dropping her bangs.

Jaxon glanced over at his wife. "Did you tell her about showing her eyes?"

"The last time she was here, yes," Ginny said with an exasperated sigh. She'd had to deal with her husband's efforts to 'help' her customers before; hopefully he wouldn't drive this one away as well. "Please dear; she's timid enough as it is."

He grunted an acknowledgment before looking to Layer again. "You let him see your eyes," he said, pointing to her face half-obscured by her hair. "They're the windows to the soul. I understand that you might be afraid of making yourself that vulnerable, but if you want to be with him badly enough then that desire is going to have to be greater than your fear. Do you understand?"

Layer glanced over at the clothier again, even though the latter couldn't see the motion. "I-I think so, sir."

"And do something about this," he said while lightly rapping on her chest armor. "It looks like a car hood."

"Jaxon!"

"You're a pretty girl; you shouldn't be sharing your beauty with every man around you," he continued, ignoring his wife's outburst. "Breasts are a privilege to us men, not a right; I'd get pretty…well, nonplussed if Ginny here went around letting every man see her goods."

"J-Jaxon!" Ginny repeated with a blush.

"Is this your default outfit? The one your manufacturer put on you?" he asked, gesturing to her.

"I…think so, sir."

He stepped close enough that his face filled her entire field of vision. "You're much more valuable than just your jiggly bits, do you understand? Of course I don't know you very well, but you seem to be a very sweet girl who is very shy, ironically so in light of your attire. Am I right?"

"I…I think so. Sir."

"Jaxon, stop harassing my guest!" Ginny cried, having regained her composure.

"I'm not harassing her!" he exclaimed, finally losing his patience. "I'm trying to help her!"

"Just like my other guests?" she snapped, having run out of patience as well.

He opened his mouth but froze, his eyes just noticeably widening. He then closed his mouth with a barely-audible click as he stepped away from the reploid, restoring her personal space as his gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah, you're right," he said, visibly deflating. "Sorry." He started to half-shuffle away. "Uh, Ginny will take good care of you; you make sure to listen to her."

"W-Wait!" Layer suddenly blurted out, stepping down from the platform to take the man's arm. "Thank you."

He gave her a cautious look over his shoulder. "For what?"

Layer opened her mouth but paused; what was she thanking him for? She believed that he wanted to do right by her and had, in fact, succeeded to some degree. "For… For caring."

A small smile tickled the old human's lips. "You're welcome, sweetheart." He cautiously glanced at his wife before speaking again. "It…might be good for you to visit your creator, maybe see what he or she had in mind when you were designed."

"That's…not a bad idea," Ginny chimed in as she approached. "Knowing what you were initially meant to do could go a long way in your development."

"Not that you have to abide by their intentions," Jaxon added with a raised hand, intended to be reassuring. "But knowing your history could help you understand your place in this world."

Layer looked from husband to wife and back again. "I…will keep that in mind. Thank you, both of you."

The Hurts exchanged a parental smile before Ginny spoke again. "We're just glad to help, dear."

Shortwave watched worriedly as X stared unblinking at his clasped hands. After Dr. Light's departure the pair had made their way to his quarters, where X had lowered himself to the couch and effectively turned into a statue. "Are you okay, X?"

A sigh. "I dunno." He pulled off his helmet and half-laid, half-tossed it onto the table before them to run a hand through his hair. "It's just… After Doctor Cain activated me, I never really thought about going back. It's not that I didn't want to go back, it's just that he woke me, but before I could get my feet under me Sigma went Maverick, and…" He shrugged with his hands before letting them fall into his lap. "I don't what I think or feel right now."

"It's okay," she replied, carefully reaching out to cover one of his hands with hers. "Take whatever time you need; I'm here for you if you need to talk. Or rage. Or even cry."

He gave her an awkward glance before moving his gaze to study the hand that covered his. "I dunno how to ask this, but… Why are you doing all this?"

"Do what?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.

"I don't know," he admitted with an equally awkward chuckle. "I know it's your job to support me on missions, but…" He gestured to her with his free hand. "It seems like you're trying to support me outside of work, and I can't understand why."

Her face nearly burst into flame at his words. "I… I mean… That is, I…"

It was X's turn to watch his navigator with a worried expression. "If it's too hard to answer, then don't," he told her. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I-It's all right," she managed to reply while fanning herself with her free hand. "I'll figure out a way to tell you without exploding someday. Uh, figuratively speaking about the exploding, I mean."

"I get it," he chuckled, then realized that he'd never taken a good look at his new navigator before. Her curly hair was a rich shade of red, the curliness being unusual for a Reploid. He already knew that she was on the shorter side, the top of her head coming to just below his armpit, but it was clear that her designer had a good grasp of proportions; while most Reploids that were on the shorter side tended to have disproportionately large heads or busts, Shortwave was perfectly proportioned for her height. Her large green eyes were equally perfect for expressing a broad range of emotions, and they coordinated with the color of her hair quite well.

"Since…Doctor Cain is gone, we'll have to get Signas' permission to access his files," she said, drawing his attention to her full, pink lips. "We'll need them to figure out the approximate location of Doctor Light's lab; we already know that it was somewhere in the Midwestern United States, but nothing more than that." She looked over at him. "Has Doctor Light told you anything more than… X, are you okay?"

X's forehead had furrowed due to his processes registering a brief pause in his reactor's cycles. "I…think so." He shook his head, filing away the aberration's data for later consideration. "You asked me a question?"

"Yeah, I was just asking if Doctor Light had ever told you anything that could help us figure out where his lab is." The petite navigator pushed a wave of red over her ear, drawing the ancient warrior's eyes again. "You've talked to him plenty of times out in the field, so I thought that he might have said something that could help clue us in."

X thought back on his one-sided conversations with his creator. "Not that I can remember; his capsule would just show up, he'd tell me what power-up he was giving me, then his capsule would vanish after I'd collected it." He grimaced. "Now I feel kind of stupid for not trying to talk to him."

"You were pretty busy at the time," Shortwave said with a gentle smile, removing her hand from his to rest it on his cheek. "It's okay; we'll find his lab, I'm sure of it. After all…" She placed her other hand against his cheek, cupping his face in her hands to gaze into his eyes. "I believe in you, X."

X looked into the wide, green eyes fixed on his, saw the compassionate expression on their owner's face, and felt an odd sense of comfort.

Zero sat at his personal computer, idly clicking through the many images from the time of the Repliforce War. Images of Iris, of Colonel, of Iris, of himself with Colonel, himself with Iris, of Iris, Iris…Iris…

"Dammit…" he muttered at an image of a happily smiling Iris as she held his arm; it had been recorded shortly after the formation of Repliforce, and she had just received her transfer documents, reassigning her from being Zero's operator to an officer of the new reploid army.

He lightly smacked his desk with a fist at the sight of another image, one of her making the 'victory' sign as, again, she held his arm; behind them, Colonel looked on with an amused grin. "Dammit…"

Axl cackled to himself as he gunned down several lesser Mavericks. "That's another ten," he announced, more to himself than to anyone else as the last one fell, a smoking heap.

He'd have quite the total to show Zero later on.

Max wobbled on unsteady legs as he made his way from the Vehicle Depot; at Alia's request and Signas' approval, Outrun had picked him up from work and driven him to Maverick Hunter Headquarters as fast as safely possible. "I wonder if this is what being drunk feels like…?" he thought aloud as he weaved toward the elevator.

Fortunately the ride up gave him enough time to regain his bearings, and he was able to walk normally again from the elevator to Layer's quarters. He knew from talking with his wife on their way to see him off to work that she and Pallette would already be there, so he was able to ring the doorbell to another woman's room without fear of a misunderstanding.

"Good evening, Mr. Hannity," Layer greeted when the door opened. "Thank you for being willing to come here so late."

"Not a problem," he replied as he stepped through the entryway and into her quarters proper. It wasn't really late – barely five o'clock in the evening – but he understood that she was simply being polite by acknowledging his extra efforts to help her. "I'm sorry for putting you out like this; I didn't know that I'd be called in to clean up someone else's mess."

"I understand," she replied with a smile as she led him to the living room, where Alia and Pallette sat, drinking tea. "It's not as though-"

"David!" everyone flinched, and Pallette nearly dropped her tea as Alia launched herself from the couch to latch onto the front of her husband. "Welcome home! I mean, I know it's not home home, but…"

"I get it, I get it!" he laughed as he wrapped his arms around his beloved and gave her a tender squeeze. "Man, I missed you today."

As the couple basked in each others' presence the other two girls exchanged an awkward glance, each of them unconsciously comparing their own situations to that of their mutual friend.

The Hannitys finally ended their embrace, and Max settled into a chair next to his wife. "So, Miss Layer," he started with a smile, "did you visit Ginny's store like we discussed this morning?"

"I did." Layer then told the group about her time with the clothier, and the brief discussions regarding colors and styles. "I also met her husband," she added.

"Oh, no…" Max murmured, pressing his hand to his forehead. "He didn't say anything to you, I hope."

"Why would that be a problem?" Alia asked.

He looked over at his wife with an expression of disbelief, then blinked in realization. "That's right; you've never met him, have you?" At the shake of her head he explained, "Mr. Hurt can be…pretty blunt in how he phrases his thoughts." He chuckled. "You'd think with his years and years of knowledge of philosophy he'd be more…careful when talking to people."

Pallette turned worried eyes on her violet-haired friend. "He wasn't mean to you, wasn't he?"

"Not at all," Layer replied with a puzzled look, which then quickly softened. "Though I guess I could see why Mr. Hannity would think that; he was rather direct in how he talked to me. That would also explain why Miss Ginny was so upset with him." She straightened in her seat just slightly. "I could tell that he cared about me, and I guess that's what stood out most to me. In fact, he suggested that I visit my designer; he thinks that discovering my original, intended purpose would help me feel more comfortable with who I am."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Max said with a snap of his fingers. "I could see that helping you develop a better sense of self."

"Maybe you could find out why you were given such big boobs," Pallette giggled before remembering that there was a man among them. "Um, sorry."

"So…" Max said, trying to move the conversation along – and away from the shapely reploid's chest, "do you think Commander Signas would give you the time off to do that?"

"I….don't know," Layer admitted.

"It couldn't hurt to ask!" Pallette chirped, hopping from her seat to stand before her friend. "I'll come with you, if that would help!"

"So would I," Max offered. "In the meantime, let's work on your plan for clearing things up with Mr. Zero."

"The first thing I should do is apologize for using Iris' body," Layer immediately started, surprising all present with her forwardness. "I hurt him by doing that, and I need to take responsibility."

"For what it's worth, I agree," Max said, applauding as he spoke. "The tricky thing is going to be how you're going to do it; it wouldn't surprise me at all if he tries to avoid you for the time being. Outside of work, I mean."

"Couldn't she just send him an electronic message?" Alia suggested, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees and her chin in her cupped hands. "He couldn't ignore her that way."

"That's true…" Max sighed, "but something like this really should be done in person; that way the other person – Mr. Zero in this case – can hear her voice and read her expression and know that she really means what she's saying. E-messages are fine for most things, but personal stuff like this…" he trailed off with a shrug.

"But he might never give her the chance to do it!" Pallette protested.

Layer sighed heavily, drawing everyone's attention. "That… That's just the consequence of hurting someone," she told the group. "Of course he might not want me around, but…" She straightened in her seat with a resolute expression. "If I have to wait to apologize, then I accept that; Z-Zero's feelings need to be more important to me than my own."

Max smiled with pride at the young woman's revelation. "You're absolutely right, Miss Layer; well done."

She blushed lightly but said nothing in response.

"What should she do in the meantime, though?" Pallette piped up with a look of concern. "She shouldn't have to wait for him forever, should she?"

"Not at all," Max replied, leaning back to absently start rubbing his wife's back. "Whether she talks to him soon or not, she'll have plenty to do… right, Miss Layer?"

"I can still work on maturing," she replied easily. "I don't have to wait for Z-Zero's forgiveness to work on improving myself."

Pallette stared at her statuesque friend, astonished at the changes she had observed in her friend in just the last twenty-four hours. "You've…changed, Layer."

"I'm surprised as well," Max admitted. "Pleasantly surprised, I mean. You're really taken these things to heart, haven't you?"

"I have," Layer replied with a nod. "Thank you for giving me so much to think about, Mr. Hannity. I…" She trailed off, and a single tear slid down a cheek as she slowly angled her head as though realizing something. "I've been so fearful for so long, that…"

She seemed to be having trouble finding the words, so Max took over. "…you thought you'd never get a chance with Mr. Zero?"

"It's more than that," she replied as she wiped the tear away with a finger. "I've been online for so long, but I've missed out on so much; it's like my horizons are really starting to…to expand."

Alia glanced over at Palette, who had been strangely silent, and was surprised to find her in what appeared to be deep thought.

"For now, I'm going to focus on growing as a person," Layer declared, straightening once again. "If I find myself with the chance to apologize to Z-Zero, I'll grab onto it with everything I have."

"Sounds like a great plan," Max said, smiling like a proud parent. "For what it's worth, I'll support you to the best of my ability."

"We both will," Alia added while straightening to take hold of her husband's hand. "After all, we both care about and want the best for you."

As Layer stammered her gratitude, Pallette studied Alia's husband with an unreadable expression.

The trio made their way toward the exit from Maverick Hunter Headquarters, Alia holding her husband's arm while Pallette trailed behind. "That was draining," Max grunted as he rubbed his free hand across his face, "but productive. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she does next."

"Me, too," Alia agreed as she gave his arm an extra squeeze. "Thank you for everything you've done for her."

"My pleasure, beautiful," he murmured, briefly glancing down to enjoy her dazzling smile.

The couple was stopped by a surprisingly gentle touch to Max's arm. "Would…now be an okay time to talk?" Pallette asked with a hesitant expression.

The Hannitys looked to each other, then smiled as one as they simultaneously remembered her prior request. "Sure, that'd be fine," Max said with a pat to his wife's hand.

"Perhaps you could talk in the Rec Room?" Alia suggested. "It's usually empty after the morning rush, so no one should interrupt us."

"That's a good idea…" Max mused. He then noticed Pallette's concerned look and smiled. "Do you remember what I said? That I'm not comfortable with the idea of being alone with another woman?"

Pallette cast her gaze to the floor once again as she felt her face heat up at his reference to her as a 'woman'. "I… I remember."

"So is the Rec Room okay?"

She glanced up into his warm smile; oddly enough, her systems registered a brief interruption in her power cycles. "S-Sure."

Several minutes later the trio took seats in the Recreation Room; Max and Pallette sat at one end of the room, while Alia sat at the other to give them a reasonable level of privacy. That, and she could run interference if necessary in the unlikely event that someone else entered the room.

Max had a feeling that he knew what the petite Reploid wanted to discuss but thought it best to ask, just to be sure. "So, what can I do for you?"

She knotted her fingers as she repeatedly glanced across the room at Alia. "I'm…not sure where to start…"

"Does this have to do with Layer's situation?" he asked, hoping that giving her an opening would help.

Fortunately, it did. "I just…feel terrible for what I did, Mr. Hannity."

"What did you do?"

She glanced up at his serene gaze before casting her gaze to the floor again. "Well, you know that I had Axl unlock Zero's door so I could get the information for Layer…"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"And I know that violates MHHQ protocol, but…"

"Neither Alia nor I have told the commander yet, if that helps," Max offered.

She shook her head. "It's not that. I know you have to do what you have to do, it's just that…" She sighed. "I feel like I've let everyone down: Signas by breaking protocol, Zero by violating his privacy, and…" She covered her face and started to tremble. "…and Axl by using him to do it."

Max couldn't help but notice the order in which she'd listed her 'offenses'. "The one with Axl is hitting you hardest, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah!" she sniffed, her face still covered. "He trusts me, and I talked him into doing something bad!"

"Do you think you broke his trust?" Max asked softly.

"I…I don't know…" she murmured, finally removing her hands to reveal watery eyes and a forlorn expression. "Knowing him, he probably doesn't think anything of it. But when Signas finds out…" She covered her face again, and her shoulder started to heave with her sobs. "He's gonna get in trouble because of me!"

Max glanced over at his wife before returning his gaze to the distraught Reploid. "Miss Pallette; this may not make any sense, but if Axl gets in trouble it's going to be for the choices that he made."

Her sobs ceased as though a switch had been thrown, and she uncovered her face again, this time with a puzzled look. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Max rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "I understand that you encouraged him to help you get into Mr. Zero's room, but he could have said 'no'. He didn't, and the fault for that lies on his shoulders and his shoulders alone. Does that make sense?"

"Kinda…"

"It's called 'agency', Miss Pallette," he explained as he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It refers to the ability to act under one's own power. What that means in this situation is that Axl acted under his own power – and by his own choice – to help you. Does that help?"

She nodded as she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "It does. But it still hurts that I made-er…encouraged him to do the wrong thing. Wh-What do I do?"

Max smiled at the petite girl. "It's hard, isn't it? You meant well in that you wanted the best for your friend, but it looks like it's blown up in your face, huh?"

"Y-Yeah…"

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "For what it's worth, I think that everything'll be all right in the end. It might be rough for a while, but if you do what needs to be done then your relationships with others will be even stronger than they were before."

"You think so?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"It'll depend on the other person, of course," he admitted, "but from what I know of your friends, they'll forgive you. As far as Commander Signas…" He trailed off with a heavy sigh. "He's probably gonna have to impose some kind of consequence. But if you show genuine remorse and that you have learned from the experience, he may lessen its severity. In the end, you'll need to accept the consequences of your choices as well." He dropped his hand from her shoulder to shrug apologetically. "Sorry, that's the best I can say right now."

"That's okay," she murmured. Then, she drew a deep, cleansing breath. "I…guess I have some work to do, then."

"Alia and I will be behind you all the way," Max said reassuringly, then smiled awkwardly. "…Even though we'll have to be the ones to report you. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said, seeming to gain confidence in spite of the circumstances. "You're doing the right thing. Thank you for helping me figure out what to do."

"My pleasure," he replied before exchanging an encouraging smile and a nod with his wife.

The violet-haired Reploid hugged herself as she trembled down the hallway toward Zero's quarters. After her friends had left at the conclusion of their conversation she had decided that she needed to talk with the red-clad hunter as soon as possible…and before she lost her nerve.

As she stopped before the door to her target's quarters she forced herself to slow her breathing before reaching out with a shaky hand to press the 'communication request' button.

"Who is it?" Zero's voice sounded even more intense than usual, causing Layer to take an unconscious step back.

However, she managed to press forward. "Z-Zero? I-It's me; it's Layer."

With as long as the ensuing silence, the only way she knew that he was still possibly listening was the steady green light on the console. "What do you want?" he finally asked.

"I-…" Layer's throat tried to constrict on her words, but she forced it back open. "I'm h-here…to apologize." Hearing nothing from the other side she continued. "I am so sorry for wh-what I did to you, for taking on the appearance of someone you really cared about; I w-wasn't thinking about how what I did could affect you." She drew another deep breath as her face exploded in a blush. "I…just w-wanted you to notice me."

Still nothing from the communicator.

"I can never make up for what I did; all I can do is apologize and hope that you can forgive me," the trembling Reploid continued. "Apologize for being such a coward." Noting the still-green light she added, "Thank you for listening to me. I hope you have a pleasant evening." Having said what she needed to, she turned to head back toward her-

"Layer."

She flinched in surprise at the sudden voice and looked over her shoulder to see Zero standing just outside his door, half-hidden from her view, though she could see his long, blonde hair flowing down from his helmetless head, causing her to unconsciously shudder. "Y-Y-Yes?"

He appeared to briefly study her with a gaze more intense than his usual before speaking again: "See you in the morning." He then stepped into his room fully, allowing the door to slide shut again.

Layer's legs started to give out and she collapsed against the nearby wall, sliding down to land on her bottom as optical lubricant began to overflow. "H-He…He…"

From what she knew of Zero – his mannerisms and the way he tended to speak – she knew that she was forgiven, but it would take time for him to recover.

For both of them to recover.