Chapter 14
A/N: Oh my gosh, thanks to all of you who reviewed! It made my day(s)! It seems that most of you want me to keep adding chapters to this story, so I will do just that! :) Ask and you shall receive!
This chapter is a little longer than the usual, but I don't think you guys will mind. I couldn't go to sleep until I posted it, and now that I have I may just go ahead and start the next one, LOL. Hopefully where I'm headed isn't too cliche, but if it seems that way, I'll do my best to make it as un-cliche-like as possible, I pinkie promise!
It has some song lyrics again, but they'll make sense the further you read into that part of the chapter. I hope you all like it - I'd love to hear what you guys think!
Choco truffles to my reviewers!~
Zerousy: LOL you crack me up so much! Funny you mention that, cause I was the same (besides also being 9 in '99), and I always thought he was odd and too nice for an android, but when I started developing my idea for this story, I thought he'd be perfect as a brother. I'm so glad you like them as siblings! I think you'll like this chapter, and it'll get better as Sayah continues with her plan to rebuild him! Don't be surprised if you see him sooner than you think! :)
Interest (at least that's the name gives, lol): Hehe, all I can tell you is that you're on the right track. ;) Although that probably gives it away, huh? LOL. There's a sprinkle of hint towards the end of this chapter, and will grow (no pun intended) in the next one. BTW, your review made me totally LOL, and I don't think you sounded like an idiot at all! To be honest, that is probably EXACTLY how I would've put it if I'd been reviewing XD
Kara47: Hehe, patience is a virtue, right? So not true, I agree! Him being gone is making Sayah really, really sad, but she'll find ways to cheer up and occupy her time for now. But I think you'll definitely enjoy the chapters coming up!
Guest (#1): Thank you so much for reviewing and your input! Gave me a big smile! :D
Guest (#2): Like I mentioned above - ask and you shall receive! I'll be happy to keep adding chapters to this story - plus, it's just getting good all over again! :)
Sayah awoke to the rays of sun bathing her through the nearby living room window. She groaned and used both hands to push herself up to sit, sighing and feeling the aches on her body from sleeping on the floor. She reached up with one hand and rubbed the side of her neck, mentally cursing herself for being so dumb as to let herself fall asleep there, and finally opened her eyes to look around. She spotted the duffel bag next to her and smiled sadly, slowly lifting herself off the ground and unzipping the bag before putting the strap around her shoulder, walking towards the back of her home.
She hardly even felt herself moving as she placed the salvaged parts on the work table in her office, and she almost didn't register her Capsule Corp. nametag missing from its usual spot, although she currently didn't really care what had happened to it. She glanced over at her work laptop and pursed her lips to the side, making a mental note to check her email later when she felt like it, before turning back out of the room and toward the stairs.
She barely made it up the steps and into her room, sloughing the bag off her shoulder and letting it land wherever on the floor. She then stepped into her bathroom, noticing her reflection in the mirror and how pathetic and shitty she looked, causing her to grab a towel close by and drape it over said mirror, smiling triumphantly when she was done. She walked over to the shower, turning it on to her usual desired temperature and letting it run while she undressed, tossing her dirty clothes in the nearby hamper. She glanced over at the radio she kept in there and leaned over to turn it on, raising the volume up a bit but not paying too much attention to it, somewhat listening to the end of the song she'd tuned into. As she stepped into the misty warmth of the shower, she tried to shove the intimate memory of her and Cell in that very same bathroom, shaking her head furiously before she finally stopped just to notice a few small cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, some of them with dirt and dust embedded in the wound.
Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find
"What the hell? How'd I get these?" She muttered, shrugging dismissively before reaching a hand out to check the temperature of the water. Although it was her usual choice, she decided to turn it up a bit, causing a bit more steam to form inside the bathroom almost sauna-like, some of it escaping into her bedroom and the rest of the home.
I'm never going to dance again
These guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should have known better than to cheat a friend
A wasted chance that I've been given
So I'm never going to dance again...
The way I danced with you
She let out a quiet, gratified hum as she stepped under the falling water coming from her large, round showerhead. She waited a few more seconds before inclining her head towards the floor and letting all her hair get wet, closing her eyes and simply standing there, enjoying the way the warm water tenderly rolled down her tired, aching frame. Normally she would've been in and out in a few minutes, but this time she wanted to take as long as she felt her body, and truthfully even her mind, needed.
Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We've hurt each other with the things we want to say
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
Now who's going to dance with me?
Please stay…
As the music filled the bathroom with the last remaining words of that song, Sayah turned around and let out a content sigh, leaning her head back so the water would run down her long tresses, as well as ripple down her face and the rest of her figure. She reached over for the shampoo bottle and opened it, squeezing enough into her palm for her hair before replacing the bottle and scrubbing the shampoo into her scalp using her fingertips.
There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
Consuming confusing
This lack of self-control I fear is never ending
Controlling I can't seem
As she leaned back again to rinse the shampoo out of her hair, she'd come to notice that there were only snippets of the songs that she was actually listening to, and it appeared to her someone at the radio station was feeling particularly glum as well, because all of the songs she'd paid said slight attention to she seemed to connect with how she was currently feeling.
To find myself again
My walls are closing in
(without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)
I've felt this way before
So insecure
She bit her lip slightly and sighed, reaching over for the conditioner and squeezing some into her palm. Instead of her roots, she rubbed it into the ends of her hair, ignoring her scalp. She ran her hands under the water to remove the residue, and then quickly reached for a bottle containing a face scrub, taking some of it before rubbing it gently over her face.
Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real…
She reached over and grabbed a loofah, using a body wash to drench it in soap. She placed it under the water for an instant, just before squeezing it with her hands and making it foam. She began to tediously rub it over her body, wincing every so often when she hit a newly acquired cut or bruise.
I don't know who to trust no surprise
(Everyone feels so far away from me)
Heavy thoughts sift through dust and the lies
As she continued to almost intuitively clean her body with the loofah, her mind finally drifted to a thought not completely plagued by Cell. "Let's see…now how will I rebuild 16? Thankfully I can retain his memories with the motherboard I found, but I need his blueprints to perfectly repair – more like reconstruct – his entire body…"
Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit
Every time I try to make myself get back upon my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me
She moved from her arms to her torso, pursing her lips to the side as she pondered the idea. She knew she wanted to bring 16 back to how he'd been before, with the same memories and personality, as well as the same body and internal circuitry. "Maybe I can go back to Dr. Gero's lab and find his blueprints," She thought, moving down to scrub her legs. As much as she'd vowed never to return to that place willingly, she would easily do it in a heartbeat if it meant bringing back her brother. She knew she could get over her fear and aversion of that place just for him – he deserved, and she owed him, that much at the very least. Although her memories of him were short and scattered throughout her conscious, she knew that he was one of the main reasons she'd survived living in Dr. Gero's lab, instead of going criminally insane. The love and respect she had for him ran deep, and even if she regained all her memories someday, she knew that would never, ever change.
Take everything from the inside
And throw it all away
'Cause I swear for the last time
I won't trust myself with you…
She rinsed the bubbles of soap off her body when she was finally done, grabbing her razor just as her mind wandered to another option. She quickly recalled when the short bald guy, whose name she kind of remembered and thought might be Krillin, told her brother that Bulma – or as they called her at work, Ms. Dr. Briefs – had removed the bomb from inside him that Dr. Gero had planted, in fear that he would use it against them (well, more like Goku). She scoffed at the thought, mainly angry but definitely very bitter that someone would think so poorly of him, especially when he'd deemed them his friends. "Perhaps if he'd known he wouldn't have…sacrificed himself…" She thought, ignoring the tears mixing with water and taking a deep breath, just before she shook her head and returned her brain to her original thought, which caused a wide smile to spread across her previously dejected face. That's right! If Bulma had worked on him, she had to have copies of the paper and digital blueprints she'd made of him in order to do so successfully!
Whoa I'll never give in
Whoa I'll never give up
Whoa I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Just as she began to feel a gleam of happiness for her eureka moment, her ears were filled with an all-too-familiar beat, which turned into a song that she hoped she would never have to hear again, simply because of the painful, yet wonderful, memory associated with it.
Whoa I'll never give in
Whoa I'll never give up
Whoa I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
"Shit," She cursed lowly, her mind crashing back to reality when she felt the familiar stick of accidentally cutting herself. Her hand reflexively dropped the razor and let it clatter to the ground, her body now unmoving as she simply stared blankly at the cut on her leg, watching the beads of blood merging with the shower's water drops.
I want domination
I want your submission
I see you're not resisting
To this temptation
Hesitantly, after a minute she reached over to grab the razor she'd dropped, straightening up from the bent down position she'd been in, and placing it back on the shower caddy attached to the wall. Her figure stood as still as a statue under the running water, her eyes closed tight and fists clenched in both anger and despair, the large showerhead above her adamant to drizzle, which currently fell more like pummel, her with clear liquid beads. She couldn't tune out the music, and as her mind unwittingly raced to recall the memories she and Cell made merely a couple nights ago under the waterfall, her heart seemed to beat to the melody as if under a spell.
I've got one confession
A love deprivation
I've got a jet black heart
It's all fucked up and it's falling apart
Without realizing she was even moving, her body placed itself with her back against the wall, narrowly stepping out from under the warmth of the cascading water nearby. To her it seemed like an out of body experience, because next thing she knew she'd slid down the wall's entire length and was now in a sitting position on the shower's floor, legs curled up so her knees were close to her chest.
I've got another confession
I fell to temptation
And there is no question
There was some connection
She didn't realize she was crying until she felt something wet on her barely-damp cheek, and when she touched it with her fingertip, it was as if the last drop in the teeming bucket had fallen in. Her entire figure began to shiver vigorously, and her hands trembled whilst she slowly moved them to her head, sliding her fingers into her hair. She curled her fingers around her locks as if she was going to pull them out, but instead she just sat there, sobbing so hard she had barely any time to catch her breath.
I've got to follow my heart
No matter how far
I've gotta roll the dice
Never look back and never think twice…
After the song had ended, she'd sat there so long in the same position that the hot water had run out and turned bitterly cold. Her body was shaking even worse now, and she tried to ignore the once-pleasant, now bittersweet memories ghosting her psyche as she attempted to get up but failing miserably instead, landing forward on her hands and knees. She ignored the freezing cold liquid drumming at her back and curled her hands into fists, shutting her eyes so tight she thought she'd be seeing spots for months.
"I shouldn't be like this…this is all your fault, Cell," She muttered angrily, her temper suddenly flaring and giving her enough of a push to stand and turn the shower nozzle off, grabbing a nearby towel without a second thought. Her fingertips looked like raisins when she glanced at them, but she didn't think too much on it since she wanted to get out of the shower, ASAP. When she finally did, after wrapping a separate towel around her long hair, she stepped out and slammed the radio's OFF button hard, almost breaking the entire device. She didn't bother looking when it teetered on the edge of the counter and then fell to the floor, making a loud crashing sound against the smooth tile in her bathroom. "I'll fix it later," She told herself aloud, walking to find a comfortable set of pajamas to wear to bed, "If I don't smash it to pieces first."
It'd been over a week since the end of the tournament, and Sayah had spent most of it a) lying on her couch under a blanket, staring into space, b) trying to get into contact with Ms. Dr. Briefs, who was apparently 'very, very busy,' and c) eating instant ramen noodles or whatever other quick meal she could find, all in her pajamas. She had to be honest – she loved to cook, but the recent turn of events had made that hobby seem entirely unsatisfying and like too much work. Besides, who was she cooking for if not just herself? She just deemed it too much of a bother to deal with at the moment.
She'd spent most of that week trying to escape the painful memories that plagued her, and there had been various times that the ache deep in her heart had just felt like too much to bear. She didn't want to end her life, no, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought of drowning her sorrows away, and been eyeing the full bottle of Moscato wine happily cradled in her refrigerator door. She'd completely forgotten about it and the open bottle of Rosé that she'd started before all this shit happened, and it took but one horrifically flashing image of Cell crushing her brother's head under his foot to make her grab it out of the fridge lacking an instant's pause. She opened a cupboard nearby and grabbed a wine glass, telling herself she at least wanted to feel fancy while she imbibed, and held the glass between her fingers. She poured some of the wine in, watching the translucent, pink liquid fill the container and she smiled, filling it to about 3/4ths full. She placed the stopper back into the bottle and then put it back into the fridge, just before picking up the glass and standing next to the kitchen island inside her home. She lifted it to her nose, taking in the smell and closing her eyes, thoroughly knowing it wouldn't taste that great after being 'sort of' open in the fridge for a week, but shrugging it off. That wine bottle had been expensive, damnit.
Her body kept telling her 'No, don't do it,' but she didn't care. Although something deep within her told her that this was so, so wrong – albeit truthfully not knowing why, – when she imagined the cold, bubbly liquid trickling down her throat she absolutely decided otherwise. She licked her lips thirstily, and without waiting another second brought the cold glass up to her mouth.
What ultimately stopped her from taking that first sip was the somewhat familiar sound of something scraping at her door. She froze just as she'd begun to tilt the glass, and her eyes darted to the side, staring at the main door of her home suspiciously. Memories of the last person who'd rapped on her door began to plague her, and she set the wine glass down on the counter a little more forcefully than she meant to, thanking Kami that it hadn't shattered to pieces. When she heard the noise again her eyebrows quirked, and she conceded that this wasn't the sound of someone knocking on her door – it was more of someone scratching on her door.
In an instant she was in front of the entrance and opened it, blankly staring into the empty darkness in front of her. She heard a soft whine near her feet and immediately looked down at its originator, her eyes softening at once, and she fell to her knees, gasping when she got a good look at exactly what was at her door. In front of her stood a medium-sized dog, obviously famished, with a kitten in its mouth held by the scruff. The kitten looked like it was barely breathing, it being blatantly malnourished as well, and clearly very young, probably about 8 weeks old. She didn't think twice before carefully scooping both of them into her arms, bringing them inside and closing the door with her foot behind her. The dog had some bruises and scars on various parts of its body, even though it looked scarcely a year or two old.
"I bet you both have a crazy story, hmm?" She uttered softly, being extra careful not to move them too much as she set them down on one side of her comfortable couch. She reached for a blanket and fluffed it up on top of said couch, gently moving them over to it so they would be warmer and more comfortable, haphazardly noticing their gender when she did so. She kneeled next to the couch to be close to eye-level with them, and she tenderly ran her thumbs across each one's head before whispering. "Now you stay here, and I'll make you some food, okay? Bear with me, I'm going to bring you both some water first."
She did as she told them and went and grabbed some small bowls, filling them with filtered water. She returned and set the water on the ground next to the couch, walking over to one of her ottomans and pushing it up against the couch, near the two. She then placed the bowls on top of its flat yet cushioned surface, giving the two small animals a smile before walking back into the kitchen and digging through her pots and pans. "Now what was it that 16 told me to feed dogs and kittens…" She mumbled, grabbing a frying pan and a pot, filling the latter with water and putting it to boil. While it did so, she rummaged in her fridge for some fish and some rabbit, as well as some vegetables she could easily cut up and cook. She did so without much effort – she'd learned the basics on her own at home, and when she realized she liked it, she'd taken some classes after work in the city. Because of this, she seemed to waltz around the kitchen like a pro, adding a dash of salt there and a drop more of oil here, every so often peeking her head out from behind the wall separating the two rooms to check on her new guests. She had yet to realize that part of the reason why she was a good cook was from her 'previous' life, before Dr. Gero; although she'd also carried those traits over from then as well, since she did cook for him every day while at the lab. Little did she know, 16 had also tried her food, and even though he obviously needed no sustenance, especially of that kind, to stay alive, he'd wanted to try it simply because he'd said it looked good. 16 hadn't even realized he had a palate (much less that Dr. Gero had actually given him one) before she introduced it to him, and he hadn't missed a 'feast,' as he called it, since – at least not while he was out of his pod.
As she finished the meal, she used a fork and knife to fluff out the fish and cut it into smaller pieces, knowing that the kitten would probably not be able to eat large chunks in his condition. She grabbed some of the vegetables and mashed them a little with her fork, ensuring the consistency was soft enough for the little one. The dog she didn't have to worry too much about with food – she could tell she was big enough to eat normally, but she still cut the meat up into smaller pieces so she didn't have to exert much energy chewing, especially in her current state.
She left the plates on the island's counter and walked back into the living room, grabbing yet another blanket (she had a host of them folded over the back of her couch) and fluffing it up on the rug on top of the floor this time. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed a placemat, setting it under her arm, and the two saucers of food, humming pleasantly as she held them both with one hand and set the placemat down, just before landing the two small plates on top of it. She then grabbed the water off the ottoman and placed them next to the food plates, finally moving to the couch and picking up the dog gently. "It's okay honey, I know you're tired. Let me help you," She whispered lovingly before setting her down on one side of the blanket, and watching as the dog immediately became interested in the food. She grinned triumphantly before looking back to the small kitten, being even more careful to pick him up than his companion, and set him down on the other side of the blanket, near his food. The kitten struggled to even walk towards the food, and she immediately laid down on the floor next to him, using one of the forks she'd grabbed from the kitchen to pick up a piece of fish. "Here sweetie, try this."
She'd laid on the rug next to them the entire time they ate, helping the small kitten eat and happily watching as they devoured the food. As she'd done so, she'd been thinking of what to name them, especially because she knew she couldn't, nor wouldn't, let them go back out in this condition. When they finished, the animals both yawned and looked back at the couch, and although the dog could jump onto it since she was big enough, she wouldn't leave the kitten's side. Sayah grinned at this and rubbed the dog's forehead, scooping the kitten up into her arms again and placing him on the couch. She then looked at the dog and walked over, picking her up gently. "I know you can jump onto there but I want you to be careful right now, okay?" She spoke quietly, pretending the dog could understand her before setting her down. Both of the animals curled up on the blanket near each other, and as they watched her sleepily, she picked up the plates and headed to the kitchen. As she was placing the plates in the dishwasher, she spotted the still-full wine glass out of the corner of her eye, letting out a sigh when she moved to stand in front of it. She picked it up to her eye level, as if she was about to make a toast, and stared at the sparkly liquid inside, pursing her lips to the side. Without another moment's hesitation, she immediately spun around to face the sink, and turned the glass upside-down so the liquid would go down the drain.
When she finished she went to a closet in her living room and grabbed out a folding stool from it, as well as a comforter and thicker blanket. She placed the set of sheets next to the couch before opening the stool and setting it down in front of it, moving to the downstairs bathroom nearby. She grabbed a large first aid kit out of one of the cabinets, and set it on the ottoman next to her once she'd sat on the stool.
"I know you're sleepy, so just ignore me while I clean these wounds up. You'll get a nice bath tomorrow when you feel better, okay?" She smiled at them both, and as she began to take care of the dog's more serious wounds, she hummed softly to help them stay calm. "Now, I think I'm going to have to name you Saki," She uttered, looking at the currently brown-ish (although she guessed her true color was white), dirty female dog who was now laying sprawled-out on her side, "Because you really are a blossom of hope. You saved both of your lives, and have given me something real to help me move forward." As she continued, she moved her eyes to the small, almost black-colored (although she could tell he was dark brown, almost grey, and had tiger-looking stripes throughout his body) kitten, and watched his chest move up and down more strongly than before. "Now you I'm gonna name Kenta, because although you're small now, you're going to grow up and be strong and healthy in no time," she winked at the kitten who was now fast asleep, "Now that I've named you, you must live. I know someone you'll both love to meet…and 16 will be so excited to see you both when he's back."
"I'm pretty sure the directions she gave us said to take a left."
The man gave an exasperated sigh before slowing the car to a stop. "Everything looks the same around here, it's all trees. The road is more like a barely-seeable path covered in dirt and rocks," He paused, gripping the steering wheel tightly before pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, "I can't even tell if we're going the right way."
The woman looked at him with tired, fairly-baggy eyes before turning her head to look out the window. "I know," she paused, suddenly feeling his gaze on her but not moving a muscle before continuing, "But we're close, I just know it. We've been driving for over two hours…and although we took a few wrong turns, I can feel her nearby. I really can."
The man stared at her for a minute, taciturn as a few thoughts passed through his brain, just before turning to stare at the insignia on the steering wheel. Without saying another word, he returned his eyes to the road and moved his foot to the accelerator, mind wandering as the two continued in silence.
"Saki! Kenta! Breakfast!" Sayah almost sing-song like called out, grinning when she heard the heartwarming sound of a tiny bell and tags on a collar heading her way. It'd been three months since the tournament ended, and she felt much better emotionally since having the pair around in her home, both of whom had never really left her side, or at most, the area around their abode. She let them wander around the immediate vicinity of the house a few times a day, always keeping a close eye on Kenta to make sure he didn't cause any mischief or get himself into trouble by wandering too far, although if he happened to step outside her comfort zone, he tended to come back almost instantly – he was too attached to her and Saki as mother figures to meander very much.
As the three of them ate their breakfast, Sayah at the dinner table, Kenta nearby on top of a foldable table, and Saki under the fold-out table, she watched them with a smile and finished her meal. She rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher, glancing over at the pair and laughing when they sat obediently next to their own plates, waiting for their reward. "Oh okay, you're waiting for me," Sayah spoke up, giving them a wink before grabbing the two dishes that now looked almost spotless from having been licked clean. She set them in the washer before walking over to a set of ceramic jars, one that said 'Meow' and the other that stated 'Woof.' She grabbed some treats out of each of them and placed them on the soft mats that she normally placed the food bowls on, each respective one in front of either Saki or Kenta. When they were done, she walked towards her office, hearing the two exiting the home through the doggy door that she'd installed on the main entrance to her home.
When she walked into her office, a large TV immediately turned on and gave her a clear view of the outside, a small green dot appearing on top of each of the pets strolling around outside. She could hear the birds chirping through the TV's speakers, and she laughed when she watched Kenta sneaking up on Saki and pouncing on her. When the two began to chase each other around the perimeter of the house, the screen switched between cameras to ensure that there was an eye on them at all times, and as they split and took off in two separate directions, the screen also split into two views, each of which followed either of her companions and cycled through cameras again to always keep an eye on them.
She smiled and shook her head before walking over to her work table, staring at the almost-finished android leg resting on it inside a plexiglass box, which had holes big enough for her arms around the entire perimeter of the casing, all covered by removable pieces of the same material. She stretched her back and arms quickly before walking over to a sizeable standing toolbox nestled against a wall, picking up the set of instruments she'd need, just before walking back to the container and removing the material covering two of the holes she'd place her arms into, resuming her work. She already had both his arms and his other leg done – if she kept up this pace, 16 would be done in a couple to three more months, tops.
As she continued her diligent labor, she kept an ear open for any of the alert sounds she'd installed into her home security which would indicate danger for her two pets, that they'd started to wander too far, or anything of that sort. Another large touchscreen monitor was placed on the wall opposite the table she was working at, which had a zoomed-in view of 16's blueprints, the currently-open one being of his legs. She inwardly thanked Bulma for responding so quickly to her after she'd found out who she was and what she wanted, realizing that Sayah was the girl she'd seen on TV next to Android 16. Sayah didn't go into too much detail describing their relationship or her past, simply choosing to explain that she was 16's sister and wanted to bring him back online.
As she'd spoken with Bulma those months ago, she could tell she felt horrible about not trusting 16 and removing the bomb which would've spared her the meticulous work she'd done and still continued to do on his head. She'd explained (although she guessed she herself only knew this in the past and the knowledge had carried over) that when 16 used that bomb to self-destruct his head would immediately detach as the explosion began, and it would use the force of said explosion to propel it far away where it would be safe – Sayah had been entrusted with retrieving his head if this ever happened.
Bulma had instructed Sayah to take however long she needed to reconstruct 16, and had also told her that she'd pay her to do so as well as increase her salary. Bulma had also stopped by and dropped boxes of brand-new parts at Sayah's home (Sayah could only guess that she'd gotten her address from her file), telling her to inform her if she ever needed a new part or parts, or if she was running low on the ones she'd been given. And finally, Bulma had said, nay, ordered that she'd pay for any expenses related to reconstructing 16, and had offered for Sayah to come in to the office once she had everything ready for him to be put together. 16 had been so tall that Sayah knew she wouldn't have enough space on her work table to fully construct him, so she was glad when her boss told her this, since she'd been trying to figure something out herself.
Just as she was about to finish putting the last internal pieces into 16's leg, she heard Saki and Kenta come back inside to take a few drinks of water from their drinking fountain, shortly before trotting into her office. Both of them strolled towards the large, cuddly pet bed near the door that she'd bought, Saki curling up into a donut shape on top of it and Kenta taking a leap into the pet basket above the bed, curling up atop the soft and warm pillow inside of it. Sayah had learned that the two didn't like to be too far apart, so when she'd set the doggie bed next to the 'hovering' basket, Saki had grabbed the bed with her teeth and pulled it so it was directly under the basket, not caring that she'd laid it on top of the legs that connected to the wooden 'arm' that held the attached basket in place. The bed was so plush that Saki wasn't even able to feel the wooden legs under it, and if she did, she didn't seem to mind at all.
Sayah finished the entire leg, inside and out, some hours later, glancing at the clock on the wall and realizing that it was a couple of hours past noon. She stretched again after removing her arms from the enclosed case and placed the fiberglass coverings back over the holes, rubbing her neck. She looked at the sleeping duo in their beds and smiled, walking over to them and crouching next to them, rubbing their foreheads with her thumbs. As the pair looked up at her sleepily, her smile widened and she whispered, "It's time for lunch. I'll make us some and then it's back to work for me, and sleep for you, okay?" She winked at them and stood up, hearing their quiet footsteps behind her as she headed to the kitchen. The two headed to the couch and jumped onto it, curling up on the blanket she'd already laid out for them from that morning.
She'd begun to grab some cookware out from her cabinets when she heard the almost completely unfamiliar sound of her home's doorbell. She froze in place, trying to figure out who could be there, and slowly eased the cabinet door closed, hesitating before walking to the front entrance. "That better not be the media…" She thought, never so happy that her house was hard to find, especially after her face had been one of the few broadcast on the news, along with the ample set of fighters she'd been seen with. Her mind fleeted to thoughts of Cell and when he'd shown at her door months ago, but she quickly shook her head and got rid of the thought, reminding herself that he wasn't even alive anymore, although she doubted he'd ring the doorbell even if he was. "Maybe it's Mira," She thought, wrapping her warm, almost sweaty hand around the doorknob, "but…she would've called me first," she reminded herself, staring into space for a moment before nervously turning the handle, gradually pulling the door open to see a man and woman standing there, looking about as shocked as she was.
Her body felt like it had literally had a hundred pounds thrown on top it, her mind racing to remember who they were, especially since they looked so familiar. As if on cue, her brain reminded her of the memory she'd had when she saw a picture of herself with a man and a woman, but whose faces she hadn't been able to distinguish. That same picture was now present in her mind, except this time she could see their faces and they were the same as the pair who stood before her, this couple whom she felt a deep and unique connection she hadn't shared with anyone else. These two people…were her parents.
Her real parents.
Her eyes widened when she felt her body suddenly respond in a manner she hadn't expected it to, and as she realized what was happening, she could only think of one phrase. "Oh no, not again…"
She hadn't realized how fast she'd been running until she made it to the bathroom, and as she lifted the lid and seat to stoop over the porcelain throne, she shut her eyes tight as she felt what was left of her breakfast come back up and out of her mouth. Her body began to tremble, and she somewhat registered Saki rushing into the bathroom to sit next to her, followed by Kenta jumping onto her hunched back. She hadn't heard the soft footsteps enter the bathroom until she felt a warm hand rubbing the part of her back that Kenta wasn't sitting on, and she waited for her body to stop heaving before she slowly sat back on top of her legs since she'd been kneeling, ignoring the kitten that scampered up onto her head. She felt someone dapping some wrapped-up toilet paper on her mouth, and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw the woman from earlier kneeling next to her and handing her a glass of water with a smile.
"When did you—?" Sayah began, seeing as the woman pointed next to her to the man standing outside the door, pitcher of water in hand. She hadn't noticed how long she'd been in there, and although to her it felt like forever, it must've been at least a few minutes to give him time to look through her cupboards. She looked back at the woman and took the glass of water from her, slowly rising to stand and managing a feeble smile as she stepped over to the sink, in the near distance hearing the toilet flush and the seat and lid being put back down. She felt Kenta jump off her head then onto the sink and finally scurrying to Saki's side, allowing her to freely bend over the sink and rinse her mouth of that terrible taste. When she was done, she washed her hands and picked up the glass of water she'd been offered earlier, taking a few deep gulps and letting out a content sigh when she was done.
"I remembered, your mother always wanted fresh water first thing after she threw up when she was pregnant with you," The man spoke up, breaking the silence as he looked from Sayah to the woman, stepping away from the door frame to allow the two to pass. The three of them walked over to the living room and Sayah motioned towards the couch, which Saki and Kenta were now sitting on one side of, watching as they moved to stand in front of it and the empty spots, but still didn't sit.
"Yes, well…I'm not pregnant," Sayah replied with a nervous chuckle, a deep crimson blush now happily settled on her cheeks while her eyes stared at the floor, completely unaware of the woman's knowing gaze upon her. She didn't know what to say, or even where to begin to explain all that had happened to her, a pang of guilt hitting her when she realized they must think she'd been hiding from them the entire time she'd been gone. She was about to open her mouth to speak when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she looked up just in time to see it was the woman, while the man stood a few feet away, staring at the two with tears in his eyes.
"I've missed you so much." The woman cried into her shoulder, her voice muffled by Sayah's shirt as she held her tight, "I still can't believe you're alive."
Sayah felt a wave of emotions overcome her and she returned the firm, yet warm, embrace, tears spilling down her eyes as soon as she shut them. "I'm so sorry, mom and dad," She replied, her body beginning to shake when she felt her father's arms around her as well, "I promise, I can explain everything."