The Rappleberry Caper

Chpter 5

"GET...OUT!" Astro snapped as he chased his giggling sister from his room then sagged onto the bed. "I know it's time for school but..." He turned his head to see the light on his cel phone blinking on and off. "Daichi's been trying to call me?"

Astro fumbled with the phone resting against his cheek as he rummaged through his dresser for a pair of clothes. "I've been trying to get a hold of you since midnight." Daichi replied as Astro fell backwards onto his bed struggling with his pants.

"It's a school day or did you forget that?" Astro said as he jammed his feet into his red boots.

"You can skip school today." Daichi replied. "I talked to Miss Myoki...even though I know missing a day in her class will break your little heart, she's letting you spend the day here."

Astro pursed his lips. "I'll consider it. What could possibly be better than being at school?"

"Well..." Daichi replied. "Reading a contract. You do have an extensive memory of law don't you?"

Astro flopped on his bed. "That's about as fun as licking a light socket."

"That was my next offer!" Daichi said gleefully. "Oh come on Astro? You wanted to know if I was going to be serious about this business right?"

Astro rubbed his head. "Ok! I'll be over in a few minutes."

Tokugawa residence

Daichi's room

Astro walked about the overly large bedroom with his lips pootched out and his fingers moving swiftly over the collection of papers in his hand. "So far it sounds reasonable...except for the section where they talk about "business right of entitlement". " Astro stopped by Daichi's computer desk and pointed out the few phrases as Daichi adjusted a set of reading glasses. "Do you...need those to drive that bike?" Astro asked with a questionable face.

"No." Daichi replied. "Well...to be honest...I should wear em but how cool would they look? I mean what biker ever goes around with a pair of perscription glasses?"

Astro snorted back. "One who doesn't end up road pizza? Anyway...this section could be interpreted to mean two or three different ways and all of them would give this company an excuse to grab the rights to the recepie from right under your nose. I'd question that."

"See?" Daichi said as he pointed his glasses towards Astro. "I told you this would be a productive day. Certainly better than school."

Astro stopped reading the contract to focus on several picture paintings on Daichi's wall near his bed. "Who did these?"

Daichi got up from the desk and stood next to Astro. "I did...when I was ten."

Astro looked closer. The painting of Mount Fuji had him spellbound. "I'm still trying to understand the indepth concepts of appreciating art but if I'm right and you could call what I'm saying to be perfectly honest?" Astro squinted with a smile. "This is... totally cool!"

Daichi frowned. "I'm glad you approve. My father certainly doesn't."

Astro noticed Daichi's change. "Why not? You did that at ten? How could he miss the potential you have?"

"Un-nessesary." Daichi replied as he sat on his bed. "Art is un-nessessary, a diversion from my destiny. The last time my father was ever pleased by my artwork was when I was seven. After that...it became a hinderance."

"A hinderance." Astro said with a sigh. "I can see why you'd decide being in a gang was a better thing to do. It seems your father's lost what it means to be a parent."

Daichi shook his head. "Let's drop that for now. Take a break from this contract stuff." Daichi said as he poked Astro's head. "Let's take a minute to talk about your little problem named Niki. What's your plan for Saturday night?"

Astro took a moment to think. "We're going to the Yushino Guarden Park."

"And that's all?" Daichi asked.

"Yeah." Astro replied.

"And what are you going to wear?" Daichi asked with a slight smirk.

"Well..." Astro said scratching his head. "I have a nice blue suit, black dress shoes..."

"Woe!" Daichi said shaking his hands. "A dress suit?"

"Uh huh." Astro replied with a sort of worry in his face. "I thought it would be appropriate for the setting."

Daichi shook his head. "So all you're going to do is go to the garden and what else?"

Astro's lips rubbed together as he thought. "Maybe kiss her...I dunno."

"Oh God." Daichi said as he winced. "You need some serious coaching. If Nicky's anything like you describe her? You're well on your way to looking like a fool."

"I knew all the research wouldn't help." Astro said a little miffed.

"Fortunatly for you my good partner? My dad didn't teach me everything in life. Trust me and I might get you more than a little peck on the cheek Saturday. Consider it a generous bonus for helping me with my business?"

Astro smiled back. "She's really very nice..."

"The first thing we have to do is work on your vocabullary." Daichi said as he pointed to Astro's nose. "You sound a little bland when you describe her? It's a little pre-schoolish not high schoolish."

Astro pursed his lips. "I've heard some of the high schoolish stuff and to me it's upsetting and disrespectful."

Daichi fist bumped Astro's shoulder. "Don't worry...I'm not going to teach you to swear and stuff like that. But let's get back to review this contract ok? Then we'll work on your problem."

Astro nodded then started to read over the contract once more. He felt he was finally getting to Daichi and changing his life's course, which for a robot was always a moment of warm satisfaction...at least for Astro it was a "feeling" of some sorts. For a robot, accomplishing his primary aim in life mattered greatly. Bolstering his purpose for existance.

As the afternoon came, so too did the every so often expectation of trouble. Inspector Towashi's voice boomed in Astro's ear. "Astro? Where are you?"

"I'm helping a friend with some paperwork." Astro replied quietly.

"Well I need you at the municipal building like yesterday! Some guy just got his law suit thrown out and now he's holding the prefectoral majestrate and a whole court room hostage with a bomb!"

Astro sighed. "I thought you had things like SWAT and bomb squads Inspector?"

"I need a plan B! Don't be a little wise ass Astro, I'm not in the mood..."

Astro stood up. "You're never in the mood."

"Get down here before I call your father!" Towashi snarled before he clicke doff his communicator.

Daichi snorted. "Oh call your Dad? Like what's he gonna do, spank you with a bare hand?"

Astro shook his head. "Oh...Doctor Tenma's pretty convincing when he's upset...trust me. So...how are you going to help me on Saturday?"

Daichi walked with Astro to the front door. "Trust me...I'm sure you've seen Cerano DeBergerauc right? Look it up, great old movie trust me."

Astro looked around. "It doesn't have anything to do with the poster in your room? The one that says "My dream biker bitch?"

"ASTRO!" Daichi screamed.

"What? I said one bad word and now the whole world's gonna end? Sheesh!"

Daichi pursed his lips. "Don't grow up too quickly kid? And don't tell anyone about my poster."

Astro waved as he flew off to help the police. Just then, Lewis poked his head into the room. "Master Daichi, Mister Mitsunari is waiting for you in the study room."

Daichi walked to the study and found Mitsunari arranging files on the large coffee table. "Sir, I have done the research you requested on potential manufactures and producers..."

"It's not "Sir" Mitsunari." Daichi said waving a hand. "Just Daichi while in my house."

"Excuse me." Mitsunari replied with a smile. "I would say these four are the most fitting prospectives."

As Daichi reviewed the files, Mitsunari sipped a coffee. "There is one concern I should express however. In talking with your father I know your mother never wrote down her recepie for the jam, doesn't that worry you?"

Daichi tapped his head. "It's here..." And his chest. "And here. That's the best place for it and no I'm not going to write it down."

"But you're taking a risk." Mitsunari said as he waved a finger. "You could suffer an accident and lose your memories, one bump of the head and it's all over."

Daichi curled his lip. "One slip of the lip and it's all over. I'm not going to write it down for someone to just steal it."

"Then how will it be produced without the makers knowing how to do it?" Mitsunari pondered.

"That's for me to work out." Daichi said smirking. "Your job is to help set up the network, I'll handle all the finery stuff. That's the end of that."

Saturday evening

Doctor Tenma's house

"Why am I not surprised?"

Astro shuddered when he heard Daichi's voice at his bedroom window. He dropped the tie as he turned around. "I thought you were going to call me."

"I changed my mind." Daichi said as he leaned on the window sill. "And as I expected...you're still trying to wear that dress suit? I told you it's way too much."

Astro frowned. "You were kind of abscent the last two days."

Daichi smiled. "Well I made a promise right? Just because I've been tied up in all this organizing doesn't mean I couldn't be here." Daichi climbed through the window and pulled Astro's dress jacket off..."Come on...out of the monkey suit. Cheese, looks like I have to dress you myself don't I?"

Daichi started rummaging through Astro's dresser. "Here's a nice shirt...a pair of blue jeans...then again maybe this SEAL shirt would be cool too..."

"I can dress myself." Astro snorted as Daichi stood swapping clothes over the boy bot's front.

"You're a coordination disaster." Daichi huffed. "Here...put these on."

"If she shows up in a nice dress, I'll look dumb." Astro said frowning.

"Trust me, she won't." Daichi replied.

Astro pursed his lips. "You've been spying on her."

"Like Musashi once said. "Know your opponant." " Daichi pulled out a small jar as Astro looked in a mirror. He felt the finger lightly stroke under his chin.

"Sniff...sniff..." "Why are you putting the jam there?" Astro asked.

"Call it an experament. I want to see how she reacts." Daichi replied smiling. "There may be more than a few uses for this."

Astro giggled. "She's gonna crave peanut butter."

"She might crave it on you." Daichi replied. Astro pushed him and snorted as Daichi climbed through the bedroom window. "You comming?"

Astro grabbed a jacket from his closet and hopped through the window. "We'll be late!"

"Just a few minutes." Daichi said as he started his hover bike. "You don't need to be there two hours early."

Yushino Garden Park

7pm

"Ok...can you hear me?" Daichi asked as he sat across the street from the front gate on his bike.

Astro stood tapping his head till Daichi's radio signal sounded clearly in his reciever. "Uh huh...are you sure this will work?"

"As long as you don't talk back with her standing there. Now you gotta be quick with what I tell you." Daichi said waving his finger. "This is like judo, she likes to tease and make you feel silly then you have to respond with a good block, a quick throw and a fast chop."

"There you are!" Came Nicky's voice. "You're five minutes late."

Astro turned. "Well..."

Daichi: I don't control the traffic around here.

"I don't control the traffic around here." Astro said as he started walking with Nicky beside him.

Daichi: Besides...I was still looking for a gift for you but what could I get that would fit someone so sweet? "And doe your eyes a little...

Astro doed his eyes. "I was still looking for a gift for you but what could I get that would fit someone so sweet?"

Nicky smirked. "You sound like someone who's stealing lines from the movies."

Daichi: And you still dress like a Tom Boy. I don't see a baseball diamond anywhere do you?

Astro almost dropped his jaw. "I can't say that!" he replied slently in panic.

Daichi: Do it. And smile at her.

Astro smiled. "And you still dress like a Tom Boy. I don't see a baseball diamond anywhere do you?"

Astro was afraid she'd explode and leave. Insted Nicky gave him a quizical frown and started to speed up.

Daichi: Grab her hand.

Astro reached out and snatched Nicky's hand gently.

Astro: She pulled it away!

Daichi: Grab it again and hold it!

Astro grabbed Nicky's hand again and felt her resisting it.

Daichi: Nicky...stop.

"Nicky...stop." Astro commanded. Nicky slowly stopped pulling and stood swinging Astro's arm back and forth.

Daichi: Why do you make me feel so foolish when you know I love you? Grab her other hand and hold that too.

Astro grabbed Nicky's other hand and sighed. "Why do you make me feel so foolish when you know I love you?"

Astro to Daichi: Gee...that was blunt!

Daichi: Show some guts.

Nicky looked at Astro. "Well...it's not like I haven't sent you any signals." She pulled him along as they started walking through the garden. "For being such an advanced robot? You sure can't take hints very well."

Daichi listened to the silence and shook his head. "Well say something?"

Astro: Any ideas?

Nicky pursed her lips. "See what I mean?"

Astro suddenly blurted..."Duh!"

"What?" Nicky replied with her eyes bugged. "Now what was that for?"

Astro rubed his head. "Nothing! I was...I was trying to think so I wouldn't come back sounding stupid...

Daichi slapped his head. "Oh man he is really boot camp."

Nicky frowned and tried to pull away. "You have no idea what love is..."

Astro pulled her back. "Nicky...stop and let me talk."

"You haven't been doing much of that." She replied.

"It's not like you give me a chance!" Astro replied. "Gnah...the only time we ever see each other is on the dumb baseball diamond and that really sucks!"

Daichi: Woe!

Astro: I don't need the bleacher section right now.

Daichi: Prove it.

Astro led Nicky to a bench. "You know...when you're programmed to take on crazy robots, bad guys and cats stuck in a tree and you walk around armed to the teeth it's a little difficult to go beyond boxed chocolates and a pretty smile?"

Nicky smiled a little. "But you never ask. I mean I knew you were a little inexperianced with the idea of love, it took me like a year to process the whole..."

Astro suddenly darted in and kissed Nicky on the lips!

Daichi: Woe! Back away tiger!"

Astro backed off and saw Nicky had a shocked look on her face. But it wasn't from the opportunistic smootch steal...

"Huh? What's that smell?" She said as she sniffed close to Astro's face.

"Uh...just...just something a friend said I should wear." Astro fidgited as Nicky snuggled up to him.

"That's...that's so..."sniff"...so interesting."

Astro: Uh...Daichi?

Daichi: Wow...that's a little unexpected.

Astro: What do I do? She's like trying to climb on me!

Daichi: Hug her silly!

Astro wrapped his arms around Nicky. "You know...there's a thousand different kinds of flowers in here..."

"Yeah...they can wait." Nicky said as she gave Astro a doeish smile and a light kiss on the cheek. "How's this processing?"

"Kinda good." He replied. "Uh?...Did I put too much of this stuff on or what?"

Nicky backed off a little. "What ever it is? If he's not doing anything with it, he's nuts. I mean...I just can't help but sniff some more. My processors are going batty."

Daichi: (Laughter)

Astro suddenly blurted..."Oh shut up!"

"What was that for?" Nicky replied frowning.

"No!...no...I...I wasn't...gnah...I was trying..." Astro rubbed his head furiously. "What a dumb idiot."

Nicky gave him a quizical look. "Are you ok?"

"Yes!..." Astro replied. "Yeah...just...well I'm all nervious nitty here..."

Nicky brushed a finger across Astro's chest. "Then...maybe we're in the wrong place? Wanna come to my house?"