Chapter thirteen 'Time for Progression'

"You need to slow down little buddy!" Vic exclaimed as he watched Gar pace around in a mad rant. The little guy was babbling on about his 'great day' and something that Vic would never ever believe, but the rest of the conversation was still missing because Gar had been talking at rapid speed for ten minutes now. "Yo! Gar! Really, slow down I can't understand a word you're saying."

Gar paused and quickly looked up at his mechanical friend before smiling like a mad man. "I had the greatest day of my life!" Gar exclaimed throwing himself onto Vic's couch dramatically.

"Really?" Vic asked trying to breech the subject of how much weed Gar had smoked exactly without setting him off. "You seem a little…"

"Happy?" Gar asked sitting up straight and kicking his feet onto the coffee table. "I am the happiest man in the world dude!"

"Okay," Vic began slowly. "You didn't do anything illegal did you?" He asked his friend inching towards the sofa to sit down next to Gar.

"What?" Asked Gar seeming slightly alarmed. Vic took that as a good sign. "No way, but with all you guys' praises to go for it with Rachel I decided to give myself a shot and you know what? She actually likes me too!"

Vic let out a loud whoop and reached over smacking Gar on the back, which pretty much sent him flying off of the couch. It was saying a lot that even that didn't bring Gar's mood down a notch. "Way to go buddy! Let's just hope she didn't think you were talking about something else completely when you told her you liked her," Vic joked.

"What do you mean?" Gar asked sitting up and rubbing his head.

"I mean what if she thought you were both agreeing that you like tea? 'I like you'!" Vic imitated Gar's voice while pretending to swoon. "And then Rachel would have been all like 'Oh, I like tea too'!" Vic imitated the goth girl while pulling out a large dictionary and pretending to be entranced by the book.

Gar's temple throbbed. "There's no way that could have happened dude!" Gar exclaimed.

"Oh yeah?" Vic challenged. "Why not?"

"For one, she so wasn't reading at the time. For two, I totally could read her lips cause we weren't in her room and it was completely light out so I could see. And three, I don't think she would have let me kiss her if she didn't like me," Gar answered looking very proud of his answer.

"Wait a minute!" Vic yelled, his eyes widening at Gar's last statement. "You kissed Rachel?"

"Duh! Isn't that what I said when I first got here?" Gar asked as if Vic were the dumbest person in the world.

"Man, you were speaking gibberish for five minutes before I could pick up any English in there, but still I can't believe Rachel let you kiss her!" Vic exclaimed looking extremely happy for his friend.

Gar reached around to rub the back of his head nervously. "Well, actually I kind of just went for it. She really didn't say if I could or not…but she kissed me back so that must mean she likes me!"

Vic's mouth dropped open. "Wait a minute. You kissed Rachel, without her permission and she didn't maim you in any way?" He asked looking at Gar as if his scanners could pick up any bruises on the skinny teen. Gar wasn't sure but he figured they probably could.

"That's what I've been saying dude!" Gar answered smiling brightly up at his friend who was still looking as shocked as ever. "So, yeah I had the best day ever. She didn't even mind when I punched out her old…boyfriend? I don't know what they were but…"

"You actually punched someone out?" Vic asked seeming to regain control over his voice again. "I didn't think you had it in you string bean!"

"Hey, dude, watch it," Gar warned but he was still bearing a grin so Vic figured he couldn't have been too serious about his threat.

"Seriously Gar, that's great man, I'm happy for you and Rachel. Did you tell Kori about this yet?" Vic asked. "I bet she's going to flip out. I mean this morning she was practically dying to tell Rachel that you would be the perfect boyfriend for her…don't worry though, Dick and I restrained her."

Gar chuckled. "You're right, I should tell Kori. After all she was the one who was all for it from the beginning. It took awhile for you and Dick to hop onto Rachel and I's love bandwagon."

Vic rolled his eyes at this and quickly switched on the power button of the game station. "Yeah, yeah, just watch out for Kori's hugs. If you think she was bad when she first met you, you haven't seen anything when it comes to her being happy for her friends. Seriously, I thought she was going to squeeze the life out of Dick last time."

Gar looked slightly nervous by this statement. "Heh, maybe I'll just play one game with you before I go say hi to Kori…"

Suddenly a loud knock reverberated from Vic's door interrupting the two boy's conversation. "Yo! Who is it?" Vic called quickly heading towards the door.

"Open the door Victor I need to speak with Gar." The voice answered.

Vic quickly swung the door open and smiled at the pretty nurse on the other side. "Why Nurse Bee, what brings you to my humble abode? Would you like to come in?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Nurse Bee rolled her eyes at the half-man half-machine and briskly walked inside. "Gar, thank you for taking Rachel out today, I think she really enjoyed it. I'll have to see what I can do about giving you privileges to take her out again."

"You know, I would love it if I could receive privileges to get out on the town too," Vic suggested.

"Well, I don't know how Gar would feel about taking all of you…"

"I was thinking maybe you could help me with that actually," Vic cut in grinning down at the gorgeous nurse.

She let out a long sigh and gently reached up and patted his shoulder. "I don't think that's going to happen Victor," Nurse Bee answered. "How many times must I tell you that I'm not going to date you?"

"Until you change the answer and take out the not," Vic answered.

Gar had to give it to his friend, the guy was very persistent.

"Which won't happen soon," Nurse Bee responded sweetly. "I can't date you when you're a patient here Victor. Get out of this place and then we'll talk."

Vic smiled triumphantly at this statement while gar's mouth seemed to drop open slightly. "So…wait!" Gar interjected. "You mean that if you're working here you can't like…date any of the patients?" He asked beginning to pale a bit.

Nurse Bee looked up at him a bit shocked that he was actually paying attention to her and Vic's conversation. "Well, no, that wouldn't be right. The patients need equal care and if you are romantically involved with any of them that wouldn't be fair would it?" She asked.

Gar bit his lip wondering if that included him as well. After all he was just volunteering for community service it's not like he had signed any honor code about not dating the patients…or had he? He hadn't exactly read all of the paperwork they had given him. Now he was beginning to think that he should have. "Oh…I guess not. Makes sense," Said Gar shrugging and pretending not to care.

Nurse Bee turned to Vic with a triumphed smile on her face. "See Gar understands I don't see why you can't." She snapped. "Anyway, Gar your parents called here for you. You were supposed to be home an hour ago and they were right, your shift was up an hour ago."

"Oh," Gar began looking alarmed. "But I haven't gone to see Kori and Dick yet I can't…"

Nurse Bee smiled at him. "It's fine Gar, you'll see them first thing in the morning alright?" She asked. "We don't need your parents getting angry. Besides, you and Rachel were out for three hours today, you did your work for the day."

Gar seemed slightly weary to leave but he gave her a nod. "Alright, I'll just see you tomorrow then Vic?" Gar answered.

"Yeah man, hold up I'll walk you out…unless we have to stay put today," Vic said looking at nurse Bee expectantly.

She smiled at him and gestured for him to go and Gar took this as a sign that Vic wanted to talk to him alone for reasons unknown.

"Dude, what's up?" Gar asked once nurse Bee was out of hearing distance.

Vic looked down at Gar with an expression that was clearly asking him if he was dumb. "Are you sure you're still going to try this Rachel thing?" He asked.

"What do you mean am I still going to try this Rachel thing? Of course I am!" He exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air. "Just because the nurses can't date doesn't mean I can't. Or…it might but it doesn't mean I have to tell someone about it."

"Exactly," Said Vic. "Don't go getting yourself into trouble man, Rachel would understand if you have to wait another week to start dating her. I mean in another week you won't be volunteering anymore right?"

"I guess so," Gar mumbled. "I completely forgot about that…what if they don't let me back in?" He asked looking slightly worried.

"If you're here to visit they'll let you in," Vic answered as they turned around one of the corners, nearing the stairs.

"Yeah, okay, they'll let me in, but they probably won't give me any alone time with Rachel or any of you guys, and they definitely won't allow me to take her out of this place if I'm not working here. Do you think that maybe they'll let me prolong my community service?" Gar asked.

Vic looked shocked by this statement. "You would want to do that? Even if it means you can't have a relationship with Rachel?"

Gar rolled his eyes as the two shuffled down the staircase. "Like anyone has to find out."

"And that's what I'm worried about," Vic answered sighing.

"You worry too much Vic," Gar answered dismissing him with a wave of his hand. "Nothing's going to happen. I'll still be able to hang out with you guys and Rachel and I will be just fine! You'll see Vic!" Gar chirped as they neared the lobby.

Vic shook his head apathetically and gave Gar a smile. "I hope you're right man, I hope you're right."

"I will be Vic!" Gar yelled crossing the lobby. "You just wait and see!" He sent his metal friend one last huge grin before shoving the door open and stepping into the cool fall breeze.

Gar knew there were some faults in his plan but the only thing that mattered to him was getting Rachel and the rest of his new friends better. After he accomplished this he wouldn't have to volunteer anymore and he would be home free to see Rachel whenever he wanted. They wouldn't have to hide anything when she was finally out of the ward, but right now his best bet would be to secretly see her without any of the nurses knowing. They obviously wouldn't approve.

The skinny teen was so busy planning on how he was going to get his community service extended and all of the other outings he would take his friends on that he didn't notice that he was being followed. Perhaps if his head wasn't up in the clouds he would have seen what was coming and he could have stopped it. But poor Gar had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

Alright, I want to start off by saying that I am so, so, so very sorry I have kept you all waiting. You are lovely reviewers and I shouldn't have waited so long to update. But to defend myself I have been very busy in the last two weeks with friends, college orientation, and my birthday. (Which is over and I am finally eighteeeen. Shit I feel old compared to some people on here. Ahah.)

Anyway, I probably only updated today because there is a burn on my leg from my friend Brad's motorcycle that I got while riding it the day before my birthday. It hurts really bad right now and I've bee sitting all day so I'm like you know what I could do right now? I could update my stories! So you should all be happy I have an ugly burn on my leg the side of a motorcycle muffler. XD

Xoxo-Megz