A/N: I've decided that due to my busy school schedule, taking care of my cat, and dealing with annoying family issues, I'm going to update these about every other day. Anyway, I tried to make this one deeper in meaning because, well...my muse has been preoccupied and distracted...but besides that, I tried my best!

Warnings: Spoilers for Volume 2, Act 8 of the manga

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Day 2~ Ocean Depths

By Xsasara

"Really Tres, that was a rash move!" Sister Esther Blanchett goes off yet again on her just-because-you're-part-robot-doesn't-mean-you're-totally-invincible rant that often leads to a flustered Esther in the end, with the focused cyborg's eyes aiming up above at the purple evening sky. The forest clearing isn't what Esther has in mind when she suggests they camp for the night. The ground is yellow and dead plants litter the medium sized patch of earth, prickly beads surrounding the hard, broken stems.

"Sister Esther Blanchett need not worry about my safety, but her own," Tres reminds the young nun, turning away from her to blink and continue his normal patrol routine. It is rather rare for Esther and Tres to land in the same mission without at least one other person coming along as well, particularly Abel, though Caterina has other much more classified plans for him.

As Esther moves her already scarred hands to smooth a little bit of dried leaves out of the way, she settles carefully on the ground, leaning against a rude-looking tree. She crosses her arms, but moves her eyes up to examine his actions, only slightly entranced, with that leftover worry piercing her next response.

"Don't give me that, Tres," she says in a mumble, her eyes rolling at the self-assuredness of him. Sometimes she forgets he is part machine, and takes his self confident answers as a 'typical male response' instead of 'a programmed, robotic' one.

But unknown to Esther, Tres has his reasons. Despite having some common information already placed inside his semi artificial brain, he knows his own self a little too well. Perhaps that is why even his Lady, the Woman of Iron sometimes finds herself fretting about how his acting 'out of order' is something she just could not stand. She knows his strength enough to know he is very capable, but Tres can't have her constantly worrying, for he knows it only makes her health weaken from stress. His understanding of human fear can only travel so far with only limited explanation.

In his memory archives, he has had several instances where this fear not only happens in Caterina, but also in Abel, his comrade.

"Mermaids have a battle advantage under water. Why did you engage in such a situation, Father Nightroad?"

"You idiot! At that rate you'd be a gonner!"

"Negative, I would only break."

"Don't play nonchalant! You were upside-down, stupid!"

Of course, he's had many arguments with Abel about how his actions affect people. He doesn't take many to mind, even if in the little human brain he has left, he feels a small gratefulness, a tiny reaction.

It is small back then, and doesn't matter at that time.

But now, when Esther does her normal rant routine, he knows her intentions, but never truly wonders about how he would one day be 'shut down for good'.

"Sister Esther Blanchett?" The cyborg turns from his last scan of the area and moves to sit near her as well, though not against a tree, but in front on the ground. He waits until he has her attention, then continues: "I would like to ask a rather personal question."

Esther at first is not phased by this statement, though her surprise registers a few moments after it is said and she finds herself stumbling over words, a trait she still could not get rid of.

"Erm...Sure, Father Tres," she answers him formally, not sure of the sudden change in mood.

"Knowing Father Nightroad is capable of managing his own just fine, why must you use anxious interrogation to express your obvious fear? Your given reason earlier does not comprehend."

Esther stares wide-eyed up at him, a faint blush arises as she covers her mouth with one hand, wanting to turn away. She is at first unsure of how to respond, not wanting others to know of her awkward and wrong feelings for the tall silver-haired man. She inhales, looks back, trying her hardest to keep her face neutral.

Tres' face, thank goodness, is emotionless as ever.

"Well," she begins, letting one of her gloved fingers tap lightly in her chin, "when two people share...a connection, that connection makes them both strong and weak. I worry about Father Nightroad because of that connection, and because of my....rather conflicting strength."

"Negative, strength is the capability to how well you can perform a task. You are either one or the other. There is not 'both'," Tres replies immediately, taking note of Esther's flash of annoyance at being interrupted.

"That's not what I mean, Tres," she continues, "I don't mean physical strength, but emotional, mental..." she trails off as she suddenly feels uncomfortable with where this conversation may lead. Taking off her gloves slowly to stall some time, she thinks carefully at her next sentence, thanking God for Tres' patience.

"When two people share this certain type of connection, they feel closer to that person. They feel like they can open up more and be who they really want to be. They don't have limitations to thoughts and doubts. This connection, in my opinion, is the gateway to a person's soul, like looking through a window into a mirror on the other side."

She says it like it's lines from a play. She remembers her teaching from Lady Laura so well, like it only happened yesterday.

Tres stays silent for a moment, staring ahead and trying to process this new information. Souls? He couldn't have a soul, could he? Connections were a binding of two objects or ideas, what does that have to do with his question?

Letting out a hopeless and little amused sigh, Esther is more than eager to elaborate.

"Let me give you an example," she says, "You share a connection....with your Lady Caterina."

"Negative, I am a machine, they do not feel connections with humans."

Rolling her eyes at him, she mentally slaps herself for how....dumb he could be sometimes.

Honestly...

"You are only part machine, Tres," she tells him, shifting a little in the grass, not wanting her body to fall asleep, "your connection is loyalty. You want to protect the Cardinal, don't you?"

"Positive, it is my job to do so, how I am programmed."

Esther laughs at him, though Tres doesn't find it so funny.

"Action does not compute in current situation, please elaborate." he demands, narrowing his eyes at the now stifled laughter emitting from the young nun's lips.

"You may be programmed to do certain things, but you still have emotions whether you like it or not."

Esther, of course, knows how he will respond, but she doesn't give into that. She finds another way to convince him.

"You care about your Lady Caterina's safety, don't you?" she prods, giving him a friendly smile.

Tres considers this question for a moment before answering.

"Machines don't know care."

"But /you/ care," she shoots back.

"...Phrase does not compute."

"Admit it, Tres."

"Phrase does not compute, " he repeats.

Silence fills the forest clearing as Esther's hands shoot up in exasperation. She finally gets up from her spot, glaring slightly. She remembers something she read once in a book. It is slightly cheesy and may not help in her situation, but she has to try it out. Raising her voice and talking with an artificial authority, she spoke again.

"Caring is like the depths of the widest ocean. The deeper the ocean is, the more your care and the more you advance into the unknown characteristics of the one you care and love for, Tres! That's why Lady Cardinal is worried for you! That's why she's always onto you about going against her orders. It may not to love, but I know it's something close."

Crickets sound softly in the distance as Tres sat still as a statue, eyes focusing on the bark of the tree Esther previously leaned against. His archive activates, and the Professor's voice fills his auditory sensors.

"Abel does have a point you know Tres. It's not good to needlessly injure your own body."

How such a personal question could stir up Esther so much is beyond his comprehension, but perhaps someday he'll understand. The ocean is a vast body, after all. It's only nature to lose yourself from time to time in the tides of the blankness his artificial brain created, and the wall his emotion inhibitor put up for an advantage of his greatest fighting and functioning, blocking others from invading his unraveled and underused feelings.

Blocking everyone, except Caterina.

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A/N: So...I'm rather weirded out by this one. I really didn't expect a long conversation between Esther and Tres to be brought out. I hope I didn't bore any of you! Constructive Criticism is welcome!