The First Date

Paige…

"What… who's there?"

Paige… what are you doing?

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Relax Paige it's me, Beck.

"Beck?! Liar! Beck's dead!"

Paige open your eyes, I'm right here.

Paige's eyes shot open as she looked around the small hideout. Her senses were on edge as her body felt hot and sweaty from a nightmare she couldn't remember.

Was it a nightmare? She thought to herself. Her eyes fell to the disc sitting on her lap. She had fallen asleep holding onto Beck's disc and in her wake pushed it to her lap. She leaned back down until she was once again laying down on the small bed, lifting the disc over her head and staring at it in wonder.

Are you causing my nightmares?

The medic flipped the disc a few times and played with it before it slipped from her hands and landed directly on her head.

"Ow…" Rubbing her forehead where the disc's unlit edge hit her. She placed the disc back on her chest and held it tightly, comfort flowing through her as the leftover fear and anxiety of her nightmare left her. It was her last piece of Beck, she feared without it she would lose herself to the madness of anger. Fighting back the rage that was prodding the edge of her mind, she stroked her thumb against the disc and decided to look at another memory of Beck's. One she had on her own disc.

-disc memory-

"Here it is!" Beck said enthusiastically. The concert building was an old factory that had been shut down for lack of necessity.

"Are you sure Beck? This doesn't look like it," Paige replied doubtfully as she scanned the posters and designs of the building. There was a concert all right, but the theme looked too dark and heavy for it to be the band Beck was talking about. Then there were the Programs, most of them were sporting dark clothing, spiky shoulder pads, dark make up, and very… creative hair styles.

"Ticket said it was today and tomorrow," her companion told her casually. Looking back and holding his hand out for her to take. Reluctantly, she placed her hand in his and the two started to walk into the mass of Programs waiting for the concert to start.

"What was the name of the band again?" the orange circuited Program asked noting all the stares she was receiving from the nearby people.

Not the most welcoming crowd. She remembered bitterly.

"Trapanese. It's the guy's second name. It's just him so I guess he's not really a band, just an artist," Beck answered back.

"Thought you said we were going to see someone else," Paige picked her voice up as they started to go farther into the crowd.

"His artist name is JT, that's who I said we were going to see," he nearly shouted back over the talk of the crowd.

"Ah," Paige answered weakly. She was still uncomfortable with the situation. Her orange circuits made her stand out against the other white circuited partiers, no one looking happy to see her there.

"Beck, wait," she said firmly, yanking his hand. He took a step back and gave Paige a questioning look. "Look around you. Do these Programs look the type to like this JT guy?" Beck did as she asked and his expression did not reassure her.

"Now that you mention it, no, not really," he said, getting closer to her.

"Are you sure this guy is playing tonight?" Paige questioned again.

"Let's go ask somebody," Beck started moving back out of the crowd, their hands still holding onto each other.

"Hey buddy, can you tell me who's playing tonight?" the young Program asked when he had decided on one of the lesser decked out looking Programs.

"Yeah, Assault Assault," the man responded enthusiastically while pumping his fist in his excitement, a few of his friends joined in.

"Right, thanks!" Beck thanked hurriedly before dashing to the door.

"Who's 'Assault Assault'?" Paige whispered as they nearly ran to the exit.

"Let's just say, neither of us will enjoy them," Beck answered vaguely. When the two exited the old factory, he looked down to the ticket he had gotten.

"Whoops," he commented weakly.

"What is it?" Paige asked looking over his shoulder. Her breath dancing lightly against his neck and ear causing sparks of electricity to jump throughout his body.

Her breath! Beck thought nervously.

"W-We, I mean I went to the wrong concert hall," Beck stammered while looking away. It didn't take a genius to see his odd behavior and Paige wondered what had caused it. Realizing their hands were still holding on to each other's, she slipped her from his grasp felt a small blush appear on her cheeks and nose. It wasn't that she was embarrassed she had like how his hand felt around hers, it was just that she hadn't been on a date in a long time, and getting used to being on one was taking its time.

"It's just down the road, if we hurry I'm sure we can still make it in time," his voice caught her attention as he pulled out a baton and broke it into his Light Bike. He took a seat and looked back to Paige who didn't move, her thoughts still distracted her as she thought about how he made her feel.

Geez, I acted like it was my actual first date! Paige thought to herself as she continued watching the memory.

"Paige," the mechanic voiced after another awkward moment. She instantly perked up and sat down behind him on the bike, wrapping her arms around his waist as she did so. Again, her thoughts instantly took over as she felt a feeling of deja vu hit her. This was her first time on a bike with Beck, aside from coming to the concert, why was she getting this feeling?

"You okay?" Beck called back as they started down the road.

"Yeah, just thinking," she answered while resting her head against his back. The vibration of the bike through his body soon filled her thoughts as they road down the street.

I hope she isn't regretting this. Beck thought.

Sorry Beck… Paige thought sheepishly.

"Look we made it!" he stated as they road closer to a building, a few Programs rushing to make it inside.

"You sure?" Paige teased, trying to lighten the awkward mood they had entered ever since leaving the other concert.

"I promise," he answered as they stepped of the bike and Beck strapped it to his leg when it returned into a baton.

"Hope you don't mind that I got us seats,"

"It's fine with me, but I took you more of a dancing type,"

"When I'm in the mood I can dance, just too little tired lately," the spiky haired man stated while sighing. She could relate.

"Me too," she agreed while taking his hand. The two looked at one another, smiled, and broke into a comfortable silence as they navigated through the crowds until they had reached their seats on the second story balcony.

As if the concert was waiting for them to take their seats, it started as soon as the pair had gotten comfortable and started to relax. Beck had explained to Paige the style of JT's music. It was a mix, varying from club music, to a trance melody, even soft orchestral pieces that broke into heavier dramatic dub step styles. His last description had made her wary of the artist as the combination didn't sound good. She had been proven wrong when the solo man started off with a tranquil series of piano notes and ambient noises slowly adding notes and sounds before a strong beat could be heard and all of it crashed down as he started the waves of heavy hitting synthesized sounds. In all honestly, she could have done without all of it as she found his tranquil areas much more appealing. Thankfully, he had ended the concert with two songs matching exactly what she wanted.

Once again, it started off with ambient noises as a guitar had picked up and began strumming a simple melody. Then he began to sing. Not like his previous songs where he was singing out as if to shout over the music but to sing to his heart's feelings. The words were lost on her as it was her first time hearing the song but she remembered the repeated lyrics.

My love, will never change.

Though we ruined everything,

The stars still conspire for us

Until our final breaths.

The only constant is change.

The first time he sang them they were soft, yet burning with passion. The second time, it was loud, his heart erupting with the feelings and passion as the words came from his vocals. The last time it gentle again, as if he was talking to the one person he was singing about. The love, sentiment, and intensity all boiled down to soft words and whispers. Paige could feel tears welling up on her eyes as she imaged that amount of feeling. What was it like? To love someone so much, you devote everything to them? To write a song about how everything in the world will work towards having the two of you together? In her thoughts she hadn't noticed her grip on Beck's hand tighten, and his own fight to keep his tears inside.

The last song was nothing like the others. It was a simple piano melody with a tranquil yet dramatic background. There were no words to it, just the presence of emotions. This man, knew what it meant to love, but by the sounds of the song he also knew what it felt to lose this love. It was heavier in the middle, focusing on the drums and beat. He was telling a message, one Paige couldn't understand. Once again, it was a message for someone he loved, but it felt like it was meant for someone else. While the first song was a love song about devotion, the second was a song stating a promise of love, a long burning love, like charcoal. Ever lasting, undying and never willing to quit. Who was this man? What were these emotions?

It wasn't until a few minutes later when the crowd had started to applaud him did Paige open her eyes and realize her head was resting on Beck's shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked gently when she lifted her head. The rest of the Programs were making their way out of the concert hall. Giving a nod, the two joined the mass of Programs as they exited.

Finally reaching the outside, the two were glad to have personal space back and stretched out. Paige was still emotionally wrapped up in the artist's music as looked to be deep in thought, while Beck looked around. His eyes caught a door opening on the side of the building and saw JT exiting with a very small Program next to him. Looking closer he saw it to be a child. Beck wasn't surprised at seeing the child as he already knew of their existence, though extremely rare to see in the Grid. It was still a mystery how a child was produced, as most children didn't know their Users and clung to a pair of Programs claiming they were his/her parents. They also grew in size. As most Programs were created at their tallest form, a child grew into their adult bodies. One of the many mysteries of the Grid. Thankfully, Clu had decided that one unimportant.

A pull on his hand brought his attention back to the Program standing right next to him. Paige who seemed to have a lot of questions weighing on her mind looked to Beck with a confused and almost sad expression.

"Sorry," Beck apologized. "Was distracted,"

"What is that?" Paige asked looking the direction of the child, having followed his gaze when he hadn't responded to her first call.

"That's a child," he answered softly.

"What's that?" she asked airily.

"No one's really sure. Apparently, they're Programs that the Grid… or a User creates. These children are attached to two Programs and call them parents. They grow and eventually their Program is a mix of the two parent Programs," Beck explained briefly looking back to JT as they walked around a corner and disappeared.

"Beck, about some of his songs…" the former medic started softly. "How come they're so…"

"Powerful? Emotional?" Beck supplied.

"Yes! Exactly!" she exclaimed.

"Apparently, he was in love with a Program for a long time. Most of his early work is happier and uplifting, I assume because she influenced them. Then they were given a child. Children are usually given to a pair who fell in love but I've never read about any splitting up after receiving a child," Beck explained.

"You researched this?"

"He's my favorite artist, I wanted to know more about him," Beck answered easily. "JT and that Program stayed together for a few gigas but eventually they split up. JT took the child and now they're living together, happily I suppose. His newest set of songs are a little different than his early work but they're just as good, only in a different way," the mechanic continued to explain.

"That last song, what was that about?"

"It was about his daughter, the child. He fell in love with her as most of the parent Programs do. Not in a romantic sense but a family sense. The last song was about how no matter what happened, he would be there, to hold her, take care of her, love her,"

A peaceful silenced entered between the two as they pondered on Beck's words. The concert hall still housing exiting Programs who got on their bikes almost as soon as they had exited.

"Sounds wonderful," Paige whispered. Her body getting closer to Beck's.

"Yeah. Makes me think what kind of child I could have," Beck answered just as softly and airily. Silence settled over the two once more. Their hands no longer simply holding each other but fingers intertwined together.

"Maybe one day I'll find out," he said to himself, not realizing he had spoken out loud.

"Come on, let's go home," Paige suggested sweetly.

-disc memory-

By now, tears had been running down Paige's face for the past few nanos. Silently rolling down the side of her face while causing a stinging pressure from the back of her eyes. Their warmth being transferred to her skin until sinking into her hair as gravity pulled them down. When she became conscious of her wet eyes she became sobbing softly, small muscle spasms of her lungs causing her chest to jut outward in random moments.

She allowed her head to fully rest again the pillow it was propped up against and covered her eyes with her arm, allowing Beck's disc to rest against her chest once more. It felt relieving to cry out again, letting the pain of her loss grasp her heart and mind. But instead of reconciling with a dead Renegade she was grieving for the young Mechanic she was still just getting to know. A Program who had more heart than she could have ever imagined, caring for others with an unaccountable compassion, understanding while also pushing and striving for the best, and putting value in true effort and love.

Paige couldn't help herself from smiling at the fond memories. All his nice gestures and mannerisms, the way his attention to the small details amazed her. What had she done to deserve him? He deserved someone who could love him as much as he did. She was once like that, caring for others, healing them, tending to their needs as they recovered in their hospital beds. Where had that Paige gone? Was she consumed by the Commander? Now that the Commander was removed, there was only hatred. It fueled her and drove her, had it always done that? Or was it the Commander that taught her how to do that? She couldn't even remember. It was happening all over again. The feeling of being lost in nothingness, never knowing which way was right, where the light was, where love was.

I'll kept fighting. She thought. Even if he was gone, she'd keep moving forward, keeping living. It would be what he would have wanted. At least she hoped so. What was the point of living if you lost yourself in the process?

To be found again.

AN: Hello, just a little update. The next section I've been trying to write is something I could really care less for so that's why it's not attached to this chapter as it should be. Sorry for the not having much, but it's all Beck and Paige so it makes up for shortness by being sweet!

And if you're wondering why Beck was so embarrassed (as part of Gav and Tron's conversation in the previous chapter) I'm going with the reasoning that he let someone in so easily, I think he would care less about a little mistake as going to a wrong concert.

Originally, this little thing was only to introduce the voice that Paige hears and the disc dropping on her head was the end. Just goes to show, if you have a small idea write it down, you might be able to turn it into something huge.

If you guys didn't know Joseph Trapenese is the man who composed the music for Tron: Uprising, I wanted to use his name to give him credit for the wonderful soundtrack he provided for the show while using music from my favorite artist BT (Brian Transeau). The three songs I tried to describe were: 13 Angels On My Broken Windowsill, The Only Change is Constant, and Good Morning Kaia. Good Morning Kaia is a song devoted to his daughter and the video on YouTube makes me cry a little every time I watch it.