The days after that were quite uneventful; already three months had passed and thus security, as promised, was lessened. Tenma still had to wear the silver bracelet at all times and there were still a few cameras and bugs, but not nearly to the same ridiculous degree, and Yukata now only came once a week. Of course, Astro still had her phone number and she was ready to jump in at any time, but Tenma had been so well behaved it didn't really seem like it would be needed.

The removal of the cameras also clearly put Tenma in a better mood, and with the prospect of being allowed to walk freely in the city again in another month, everything seemed to be going in the right direction.

And that was why Astro had decided it was okay for him to spend a night back at the institute.

"Do you have everything you need?" Astro asked seriously.

Tenma smiled, amused. "Yes, Astro, I should be able to survive until tomorrow."

"I'll come by tomorrow morning," Astro promised.

"I know," Tenma nodded. "You don't have to worry. I'm quite capable of looking after myself. And now that I don't need supervision to go to the park or grocery store, things should be much easier."

Astro smiled. "When you're allowed to go into the city in a month, we should do something together," he said. "Like when we went to the zoo."

"Whatever you want, Astro," Tenma agreed. "A change of scenery is going to be nice, though."

"You've done so well father! I'm so happy!" Astro beamed.

Tenma smiled lightly. "You should get going," he said. "I'm sure Uran is pretty impatient. Weren't you two supposed to watch a movie together?"

"Yes we are!" Astro grinned. "Black Jack. The doctor without a license. It's a medical drama!"

"I'm not so sure I would want a doctor without a license operating on me, but you go have fun."

"Sure thing!" Astro nodded as he headed for the door, laughing. "See you tomorrow morning, father!"

Tenma shook his head, but smiled, rather amused, none the less.

He turned back to his living room and dropped down in his chair. He glanced at the few robots still there and then at that third party robot that had been there since the beginning.

Tenma frowned. That third party droid… He knew it was filming him, but thus far it hadn't reacted.
Who was watching him on the other end? It was a very sophisticated robot, even able to hide from the police officers who had been removing some of the bugs and cameras a few days earlier.

As usual, though, Tenma elected to ignore the robot as he walked to the kitchen to turn on a kettle for tea. He reached for the remote to the sound system and put on some soft classical tunes. As the water in the kettle was boiling, the violins were playing softly and a soprano began to sing in Italian.

That's when the little droid flew up behind Tenma, turning on a green light that shone on Tenma's neck.

"Ah," Tenma reached for the kettle and poured hot water in his cup. "Finally decided to make a move did you?" he asked. "I must commend you for your patience, but as you have undoubtedly already figured after observing me so much, I am not really interested in taking up jobs. Especially not of the criminal kind, which I assume it must be since you've waited to contact me until Astro was absent." He finally turned to face the droid, holding his cup.

The droid didn't respond. Its green light merely shone on Tenma's face.

"My answer to you, whoever you are, is the same as to everyone else," Tenma stated firmly. "I am not interested."

"WHOAAAA!" Uran shouted happily as the credits rolled on their film. "Dr Black Jack is so cool! And so handsome!" she sighed deeply. "Totally my type!"

Amused, Astro shook his head. "He's not real."

"So what? He can still be my type!" Uran pouted, enticing a chuckle from Astro.

"That is true," he admitted. He looked out of the window, towards the dark sky. "It's getting pretty late. I hope father is alright."

"Astro, seriously!" Uran exclaimed. "Mr. Tenma is not a baby, and you're not his nanny," she said as she stood up.

"I know," Astro replied. "I just want him to be okay."

"He'll be fine," Uran assured. "Besides, you can't just keep watching over him every second of every day. You have a life!" She paused, then, "Although, Astro, I found something. It's really cool!"

"Oh?"

"Come on, this way!" Uran beamed as she grabbed Astro's hand and pulled him into the Ministry of Science.

"Uran, where are we going?" Astro asked.

"You'll see." Uran grinned and finally pulled Astro into a room filled with screens and buttons.

"The security office," Astro realised as all the screens displayed images from security cameras all over the building. "What are we doing here, Uran?"

"This computer has security footage stored dating all the way back to the foundation of the institute itself!" Uran grinned. "Everything that's ever happened here has been recorded; try and look at this." She hit a button and suddenly the screen showed footage dated back over twenty years.

Astro looked at the screen and saw a young woman standing by a computer console, working.
She looked rather small and timid; she had mousy brown hair tied up in a bun and wasn't much of an impressive sight. Her skin was pale and her small hands were working with all the buttons as she looked at the screen in concentration.

Astro didn't recognize her at all. Then his eyes glided to the name plate and he read, "Hoshie… Ponkotsu. Wait." He blinked. "HOSHIE?! Is that…?"

"Uhuh," Uran nodded. "This is before she married Mr. Tenma. Look at this." She pressed some buttons and then suddenly the image changed. Now suddenly it was Tenma standing there.

He looked younger than how Astro remembered him, and he didn't look as worn out or harsh. He still looked pretty stern, though, as he was supervised the construction of what looked like a pretty big robot.

Quietly, Hoshie then walked up to him, clutching a folder in her arms as she blushed deeply. "D-Dr Tenma," she stammered.

Tenma glanced at her. "Can I help you, Dr Ponkotsu?"

Hoshi swallowed. "The reports have come back," she said, opening her folder and finding some papers. "You were right; that transfer of energy is too unstable, it–!" she broke off into an exclamation as she dropped the papers just before Tenma had managed to take them. "I… I'm so sorry!" She fell to her knees, trying to pick them up. "I don't know what came over me; I am usually not this clumsy!"

Tenma sighed deeply but then finally got down on his knees with her. "It's quite alright," he said, picking up papers. Suddenly their hands touched accidentally and Hoshie gave a cry, jumping backwards.

Tenma glanced at her, but then shrugged as he finally picked up the papers and stood back up, looking over them. "Thank you, Dr Ponkotsu. Will that be all?"

Hoshie looked at him, only to blush deeply and stare down at her feet. "Yes. That is all," she said.

"Good," Tenma nodded and turned back to his project, dismissing her entirely.

Wide eyed, Hoshie stared at him, then bit her lip as she looked to the side. She sighed deeply as she walked to the door, then suddenly she stopped. She stood up straight and her expression became determined, before she swirled around and shouted, "COME HAVE COFFEE WITH ME!"

Tenma blinked, giving her his attention once again. "Pardon?"

"Erhm," Hoshie blushed. "Coffee..." she said. "You know, you and... and, erh, me. At a place that has coffee. That is, I mean, if you want." She poked her fingers together nervously.

For some time Tenma stared at her, and Hoshie avoided eye contact, her face rapidly turning a brighter and brighter shade of red.

"Sure," Tenma finally said, and Hoshie gaped as she looked up.

"Really?"

"Apparently I should be more social; that's what everyone keeps saying," Tenma replied. "Coffee might be a good opportunity for both of us."

"Oh… right. Sure," Hoshie blushed deeply. "I... I know this new place that has opened up. I've been told it's really good."

"Okay," Tenma said. "I won't have time today, but tomorrow I should be free at two o'clock. Does that fit your schedule?"

"Yes!" Hoshie said. "It fits just fine! I... I'll look forward to it!"

"Sure," Tenma replied, already back to his project, apparently having dismissed the conversation. Hoshie, however, was beaming happily as she left the room.

Uran turned off the footage.

"Man," Uran commented. "Your father sure was clueless. He could have been more romantic."

"Heh, father really has his own way of expressing himself," Astro scratched his cheek, then he glanced up. "Still… That was her. Tobio's mother."

"Yeah," Uran looked up at the now black screen. "She actually seemed really nice. I wonder what she saw in that big meanie."

"Father can be pretty nice," Astro reminded Uran. "You just have to give him some room."

"I guess," Uran pouted, just as a voice sounded from the entrance,

"Uran! I'm home!"

"PROFESSOR!" Uran lit up. "PROFESSOR!" she laughed happily as she ran straight out the door and towards the entrance.

Astro smiled in amusement as he gazed after her, then turned back to the security cameras and frowned. He pressed a few buttons and then hesitated, before he finally hit the last one.

The computer spoke to him in a calm voice, "This is the last recoding of Hoshie Tenma recorded at this institute."

Astro stared up at the screen, and saw a slightly older version of Hoshie walking through the Ministry. In her arms she held a bundle. It looked like a child, around one year old. Quickly, Astro realized that child had to be Tobio.

Hoshie finally entered a workshop where an older version of Tenma was bending over a project, working on a robot skeleton.

Hoshie hesitated, then she spoke up. "Umataro."

Tenma frowned, annoyed, but finally stood up from his work table and turned around. "Hoshie, can't this wait?" he asked. "I am busy."

Hoshie looked at him. "You didn't come home last night, either," she said.

"Because I was busy," Tenma explained impatiently. "I'll come home today when I am finished with this project, how about that?" he asked. "We'll go on that restaurant you like, whatever you want."

Hoshie watched him with sad eyes. "So that's your answer?" she asked. "Go to another fancy restaurant? Buy me another fancy piece of jewelry?"

Tenma raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you want?"

Hoshie turned away. "You give me all those things, and yet you never say you love me," she murmured.

Tenma frowned, annoyed. "Is that what this is about?" he asked. "I forgot to say three words? Well, I love you. There you go," he stated, barely refraining from rolling his eyes.

Hoshie sighed deeply. "Well, I can't fault you for trying," she admitted. "I must sure look strange in your eyes. Like a robot that is breaking its protocol, acting irrationally. You've done everything a good husband should: given me a home, a son, anything I ever asked for. And, yet, I'm just not happy." She looked up. "Silly of me, isn't it? If I were a robot, you would have diagnosed me with a dysfunction, wouldn't you?"

Tenma frowned at her, his eyes stern and his posture straight.

Hoshie bit her lip as she looked away. "Umataro, I'm going to go on that trip they offered me," she said. "And I'm going to take Tobio with me. I just… I need some distance, to think things through. I know it was me who wanted all of this but… perhaps it was too much to ask of you." She forced her gaze to meet his. "I think, maybe, neither of us can be happy like this. Perhaps it's better just to call it a day before we become too miserable."

Tenma raised an eyebrow. "You wish to divorce?" He didn't sound particularly upset, not even angry. It was just a matter-of-fact statement.

"I don't know; that's what I have to figure out," Hoshie said. "I'm going on that trip, Umataro. I would appreciate it if you don't come after me." She sighed. "Funny how you can't say 'I love you' like you mean it. Perhaps there's just one thing I can teach you after all." She stepped closer to Tenma, and gently held up a hand and touched his cheek. Leaning over, she kissed his mouth as tears streamed down from her eyes. "I love you, Umataro," she said, then she stepped back, and wiped her tears away. "Goodbye." She turned around and walked out with the child tightly clutched in her arms, leaving Tenma behind, who looked utterly confused.

And then the screen turned black as the computer voice spoke.

"This is the last recording of Hoshie Tenma. Died Age 31."

Sadly, Astro looked at the black screen. So that was why Tenma didn't kept photos of her; she was leaving him at that time.

Sighing deeply, Astro left the security room with his hands behind his back. He knew his father was a difficult man to read, but if there was anything he had learned, it was that Tenma indeed had very deep emotions, he just wasn't very good at expressing them. Perhaps if he had been better at expressing them back then, things would have gone differently. It was very hard to tell.

Saddened, Astro walked down the hallway, those depressing thoughts swirling around in his head, until a shout caught his attention.

"BIG BROOOTHER!" Uran screamed as she ran towards him, closely followed by Ochanomizu, who cried, "ASTRO!"

Wide eyed, Astro looked up at them. "What's wrong?"

"Big brother! Your father!" Uran exclaimed.

Astro gaped. "What… What about him?" he asked.

"He's gone!" Ochanomizu exclaimed. "Tenma has vanished from his apartment!"

Astro's eyes widened further. "What?!"

This chapter has been Beta read by MugetsuFoxPipe