Java smirked then smiled slightly, "Alright, I'm on my way." She could tell that from the way Noelle spoke kind of slowly and sporadically, that this was an urgent thing. She finished up typing a few reports then handed them to a guard nearby. "While you're at it, go get me a gallon of ice cream and two spoons. Chocolate ice cream, though."

The guard nodded and made his way to get the report to Ram then went to get the ice cream. Within minutes he handed Java the ice cream. She walked quickly back to Noelle's room. Upon entering the room, she saw the sorrow expressed through the kid's eyes and that's what got to her. Noelle's eyes always seemed to gaze, they wouldn't stare; they wouldn't gawk. They would just rest upon the person in front of her, as if he or she was the only person in the room. They were so focused yet gentle. Now as she looked at them, her beautiful grey eyes seemed so helpless and so anxious, as if they were searching for a solution or answer to her problem. Before her was a distressed young lady, but what she saw was her little girl, in need of help.

Java approached her with the ice cream in hand and sat on the edge of the bed, next to her. She then gave her a spoon but Noelle didn't eat.

"I can't believe he's gone," she said quietly between sobs. She rested her head against her shoulder.

Her mother wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder, "I know, kid."

"I don't know how I could just let that go…how I could just work and pretend like nothing happened."

Damien looked at the two girls before he spoke. "You just wanted to distract yourself, I think. You just didn't want to deal with it, or at least you didn't know how to. But right now, Byte, you're dealing with it just like anyone else would."

Flashback

Byte angrily stormed down the hallways with Max chasing after her. "Can't believe that moron," she muttered. Hastily, she turned a corner and accidentally hit Java in the shoulder along the way.

"Whoa! Kid, slow down there," she heard her mother say.

Noelle ignored her while she just continued walking back to her room. "Byte! Stop!" she heard Max yell across the hall.

"What! What the hell do you want?" she shouted.

He finally caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She, however, slapped his hands away. "God! What's wrong with you?" he asked angrily as he tried to touch her, but she hit his hands off of her.

"You're what's[i] wrong[/i] with me!" Byte yelled, struggling along the way.

Java watched the two duel it out and with Noelle's last statement, it just brought a bit of humor to her day. Her daughter's come-back was just classic. She smiled slightly then continued to let the two rip each other's head off.

"Dammit, Max! Why are you being like this? It's only Damien! He and I are just friends, that's all. I don't understand why you have to be so jealous!" she shouted, opened her door, walked in her room, and slammed the door in his face.

Max swung the door open, causing it to crash against the wall behind it. He moved over to her quickly, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Quickly, he clenched his fists. His eyes darted back to her while he gritted his teeth and raised his fist at her. "Fuck!" he yelled, "You can be such a pain in the ass! Sometimes I could just-"

"What. You wanna hit me? Then hit me," she snarled back at him with his face just inches from hers. She jabbed him on his chest and it caused him to grow even angrier.

"Stop!" he shouted into her face. He brought his fist down hard against the wall, barely missing the side of her face. Max then grabbed her hard by the shoulders and wrapped his muscular arms around her body, including her arms. He held her tight, so unyielding that she couldn't move. The guy knew that Noelle was mad, but he'd never seen her furious. "Stop it," he said to her, less angry now.

She tried to fight his grip but he was too strong for her.

"You know why I'm angry?" he asked with his temper beginning to rise once again. "I'm angry because I'm scared that I won't see you again!" he yelled for the last time.

His words hit her hard and soon she collapsed in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried.

He let go of her slightly, allowing her to move. With his arms still around her, he kissed her softly on the cheek. He faced her, his anger softening a bit. Max noticed how much he affected her and soon he felt guilty for making her cry. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to go off like that," he whispered. "I don't want to leave you, Noelle."

End of Flashback

Later in the evening, Java walked out of Noelle's room quietly and slipped the door shut. She sighed deeply once she saw Jay, "Well, she's been asleep since noon after I got her ice cream. I mean, earlier today I wasn't so sure if she'd give herself a break."

Once he saw Java leave Noelle's room, he stared at her. "How are you? I can only imagine what she's going through," Jay muttered quietly.

She shrugged while she neatly folded a few shirts and a couple pairs of pants. "I can't say that I'm happy about it. I'm actually crushed, Jay. As much as I wanted her and Damien to work out, I knew there was a small part of me that thought Noelle and Max should be together. It breaks my heart to see her like this."

"I know we all had our doubts about the guy, but in the end it was always gonna be Noelle and Max," he added. He nodded to her then to Damien, who was walking up behind Java.

"She still asleep?" he asked.

Java nodded as she walked away from in front of Noelle's room. "I'm curious though. How did this mini meltdown occur? You were there, weren't you?"

The young man simply sighed and shook his head out of guilt. "Yeah, I was. I think I may have actually started it. I didn't know about Max until it was too late and now I feel like such a jerk."

"Don't be. I'd rather have my kid crying than having it eat her up inside," she replied. [i]"Crap, forgot my phaser in her room."[/i] She looked back at Damien then excused herself to go back into Noelle's room. She tried her best to be quiet but with her daughter as a light sleeper, it was virtually impossible. Suddenly, she saw Noelle stir and then open her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," she replied, her voice just a bit raspy. She pulled the covers over her shoulders now and turned on her side. She exhaled lightly before she glanced back at Java.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Noelle simply shook her head while a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She breathed deeply and buried her head beneath the covers so her cries were muffled. She calmed herself as she tried to speak. "Don't you wish that sometimes everything's just a dream…and that when you wake up everything will be fine?" she said quietly.

"Yeah, sometimes," Java replied.

"Then why can't I wake up…just this once?" she said slowly. She felt her mom crawl into the bed next to her. Noelle then rested her head against her shoulder once again.

"Because, sweetie, life's gonna deal you cards that you may not know how to play. But once you figure it out, once you play at life's game, you're going to realize that it's not about the experiences that will shape your future. It's what you gain and how you use it that counts. As for you, kid, you're gonna be just fine. Trust me."

"God I hope so," she sighed.

"I'm not God, but I know so," Java smirked. "So are you hungry for anything? You haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch."

"No," she simply replied.

"You still have to eat…even a little," she told her. "Look, I'll bring you back your favorite, crème brulee."

"I just want to sleep," Noelle said.

Java stood up now, begining to leave the room, "Okay, just call me if you need anything. I'll have your crème brulee waiting for you when you wake up." She walked out of the room now and faced a couple of her guards. "One of you stay here, make sure no one disturbs her," she said quietly.

The guards did as they were told until late the next morning. At about ten o'clock, Noelle finally came out of her room. She was still dressed in her pajamas. "Have you seen Java?" she asked. When the guards told her that they didn't, she simply walked back into her room and back into the depths of her purple sheets. From there, she slept some more.

In the computer room, Java, Ved and Ram were all busy at work, except maybe for Ved. The boy was fuming mad. The mission that Ram told Byte about was the mission that he wanted and it would even place him higher on the officer rankings. He paced back and forth, until he finally spoke to his leader. "Ram, why couldn't you give me the job?" he asked, demanding an answer.

Ram calmly laced his latex covered hands together and turned to the boy. "Because I think Byte would do a splendid job. She's quick, she's organized-"

"But she's got different priorities. That job should be mine and you know it."

At this moment, Java turned around in her chair and stood up. "If Ram thinks that Byte could do it, so be it. There are other missions for you to do."

Ved scoffed, "Oh shut up, Java. Don't defend her just because she's your daughter."

"Ved! How dare you speak to my wife like that? If I think she can do it, she will do it! I am Ram, I make the decisions around here!" he yelled.

The boy sighed, "I bet you're missing a very important fact, a fact that could jeopardize Byte's performance. You said she was quick and organized, well forget quick and organized. We all know for a fact that it'll be half-assed, especially with your little Byte in the condition she's in."

"Ved, don't you dare say it," Java thought. She stepped between the boy and Ram now. "The kid doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh really, Java? How do you explain her illnesses, fainting after the game, or her lackluster performance? She's pregnant, Ram. Yeah, I said it. Commander Byte is expecting a little bundle of joy," Ved smirked.

Ram stared at Java for a moment, his rage beginning to rise. "Get the girl in here right now!" he demanded. He watched his wife leave as he inhaled deeply with the vein in his neck throbbing with anger.

"Let the drama unravel," the boy thought then chuckled to himself.

Java walked down the hallway quickly and suddenly burst into Noelle's room. "Noelle, honey, get up. You have to get dressed….quickly," she said.

Noelle groggily got up and changed into some new clothes, as in a new uniform. "What? Why?" she asked. She slipped on her phaser then her communicator.

"Ram just found out about your baby, he's mad…I don't have very much time to explain but you have to keep your guard up. You can't let the things he'll say get to you, alright?"

She nodded and finally followed Java out the door, fully dressed in her Techno outfit. Upon entering the computer room she looked at Ram then to her mother. "You wanted to see me, Ram?"

By this time, the Techno lord had calmed down enough. He turned around and faced the young girl, "Tell me, Byte, I'm curious to know if you are still a valuable member of my team. If you plan to accept this mission, how do you intend to evacuate all plans necessary?"

"Well that's easy, I plan to evacuate these plans with 100 percent of my effort," Byte replied.

"Oh really? Even in your condition?"

She looked at him, just a bit confused…or at least that's how she played it off, "What do you mean?"

"Commander, babies are harbingers of disease and distraction. How do you plan to do your job as best as possible?"

"Well as Commander of the Technos, I intend to command my troops to the best of my ability. If that means having to balance other priorities, so be it."

"You are only one person, Byte, let's remember. If you mean to evacuate your so-called plans with 100 percent of your effort, where's the rest of it? Wouldn't you agree that a person could only give so much? That there is nothing more than 100 percent?" Ram asked with his brows raised.

Noelle nodded, "Yes, I'd agree."

"I'm glad you agree. So soon, you'll undergo the procedure I've arranged," he said and handed her a folder with a few papers.

She read over a few of the papers and sighed, "An abortion? You're asking me to get an abortion?"

"I'm not asking you to, I'm telling you to," he simply replied.

His words astonished her. She clenched her fists just as a way to keep her temper under control.

"You don't agree with this procedure?" Ram asked.

"Of course I don't! This is a life we're talking about, not just some meaningless item. You can't just ask-"

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Ram yelled. "You are Commander of the Technos! You have duties to fulfill!"

"But it is not in my duty to kill a child!" Noelle barked back.

He glared at her fiercely as he began to speak slowly. "Techno is your priority and Techno is your life. If you keep this baby, then you are no longer a part of this empire. You will leave all of this behind just for a stupid baby. All of the luxuries, your family, your friends, will be gone...forever."

Byte huffed angrily and reached up behind her head then slipped the communicator off. She tossed it on to Ram's table and looked him in the eyes. "Then I am no longer Techno." With that said, she simply walked out the doors of the computer room then to her bedroom. After packing for only five minutes, she stormed out of Ram's Palace with nothing but herself and a duffel bag.