And here we are! We've finally reached the end. I hope you enjoyed. There will be a bonus chapter, namely a cast and song list, in case you want to know which songs specifically I had imagined in every chapter. I kept the descriptions vague in case the reader wanted to insert their own songs, but this list was mine. :) Plus, in a little while, there will be an omake of sorts, a short bonus story, published separately. Stay tuned for that!

Many thanks to Cant_Catch_Rabbit for beta-reading this chapter!

"We're finally here," Luka said with a deep sigh, leaning forward as the faded colors of Terranova grew ever brighter as they approached.

"I feel like it has been a lifetime since our last visit," Miku said.

"Same, and I've been back here in the meantime. Jeez. What time of year is it even?"

Ruko said, "It is mid-fall, locally. We will be landing in the early afternoon."

"Is it a school day?"

"It is not."

"Will Meiko be home?" Miku asked.

"If the kids are home, so is Meiko; she works when the kids are at school," Luka said. "If it's the weekend, then we can expect the whole cavalry to be there."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

Luka turned to eye the makeshift cast they had applied to Miku's arm. It was more to make sure it wouldn't fall open than it was to provide any kind of structural support; the limb was almost as sturdy as the others, but the mechanism that opened and closed it was far from fully repaired. Wrapping it in a few layers of cloth meant that Miku could use her arm and look mostly normal without having to worry about it suddenly popping open and spilling her internals everywhere.

Plus, according to the tealette, the constant pressure felt nice.

"It's a good thing I guess; it means we won't have to wait for them to get home. Just make sure the kids don't grab your arm too much."

"Of course."

"I am currently awaiting landing clearance from the local authorities," Ruko announced.

"Okay." Luka muttered. "Technically, I guess, I'm alone, with cargo in the shape of an android."

"Understood."

Miku placed a hand on Luka's shoulder. "Don't worry."

Luka nodded. "You know this means that you might get a nifty new sticker when we arrive? We might even be given some rules and restrictions, depending on the local rules for robots and androids."

"It's fine, Luka," Miku said with a reassuring smile. "One day, perhaps, I will pursue an ID of my own. In the meantime, as long as I can be with you, I will follow the rules without complaint."

"Even if they let us in, it might still be best to hide your seams. Unless they tell us that that's not allowed or something."

"Very well."

"And stick close to me. If anybody asks and you're allowed to be hidden, you're a… Hmm. A business partner. Let's go with that."

The android chuckled. "Are you nervous, Luka?"

The woman only nodded. "Yeah. I have no idea how they'll treat you."

"It'll be fine," Miku assured her. "They may be blunt, but I'm sure that things will work out. They can't do anything worse than what Dex has done."

"I guess you're right."

"They are requesting your visitor's ticket," Ruko announced. "Which alias shall I use?"

"My real one."

"Submitting the following ticket: Name: Luka Sakine. Local age: 27 local years, 4 months, 3 days. Occupation: Ancient artifacts collector. Reason for stay: Family visit. Duration of stay: Less than one month."

"Sounds good."

"Address of contact is still Meiko's address?"

"Yep."

"Understood."

Miku hummed. "None of the other planets we visited had this procedure."

"Sure they do," Luka said. "The Sapphire Shores want to give their visitors some privacy, while those tiny little space rest-stops only really log you if you stay the night or something, so they don't really bother asking, but most other locations request tickets like these."

"Why is this the first time I've heard of it?"

"I'm not sure, actually. It's been a while since we've been asked."

"As second in command, you have a say in the identity we assume upon arrival," Ruko informed her. "Luka knows what information is on her tickets; it is fair to make sure you are also informed."

Luka smiled at Miku. "Guess there's a procedure for this."

"I'm honored," the tealette whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Without my own ID, though, I cannot create my own visitor's tickets, can I?"

The scavenger's smile fell. "No."

"Right. I suppose I will have to be declared as cargo for all of those too, then."

"Yep."

After a short pause, Miku asked, "Is that your name? Sakine?"

Luka shrugged. "Technically. I had quite a few family names throughout my life. I'm not sure I ever knew which one I was born into."

"That is Meiko's name, then?"

"Yeah."

"Ah, interesting. I didn't think you had one," Miku admitted.

"You don't have one either."

"You never gave me one," the tealette teased, sticking out her tongue.

"Would you like one? In case they ever accept giving you an ID?"

Miku's teasing expression melted into one of deep thought. "That is a good question."

"Our ticket has been accepted," Ruko announced. "We are cleared to dock at Platform 8, Slot 1."

"Bring us in," Luka said, her eyes still on her companion. "We can think about that later."

"I suppose. But it is a wonderful question to ponder," Miku said.

"I guess it might be."

"Just imagine: if you could choose your own family name, what would you pick?" the tealette asked. "You had so many; is there one you wish you still had? Or another entirely?"

"I never gave it much thought," Luka muttered as they descended towards the planet at dizzying speed. The colors cleared and brightened as they approached, the light grays becoming vibrant reds and yellows. "Each name was always just a label for a new group of people I lived with, a new address, a new life but more of the same shit. They were like the names of the chapters of my book. I never really identified with any of them."

"If you could choose a name to identify with, then," Miku asked. "What would it be?"

"I'm... I'm not sure."

Miku dropped the conversation there, which was perfect timing as far as the scavenger was concerned. After a few minutes, the atmosphere cleared enough so that they could see the docks; they were open-air, suspended high above the ground to make space for the larger ships. Any space-faring vessel could be parked on a flat surface or made to float in place using an anchor, with a drawbridge extended to the floor.

Miku watched in wide-eyed amazement as they approached the huge, sprawling structure. Closer to the ground were the larger ships, space buses or cruise vessels, while Ruko approached the top of the dock, where dozens of little walkways reached towards the heavens like spindly little arms.

Miku continued to take in the new sights while Ruko parked close to one of the arms, a small anchor grasping the deceptively stable structure. Luka watched her in turn, wondering, hoping that the local authorities would even allow her off the ship.

"We have successfully docked. A representative will be here shortly to examine the goods that you have declared. They ask that you please wait for their arrival."

"Right, thanks Ruko."

"You're welcome."

While they waited, they got dressed for the weather; without the shelter of the nearby trees, the city center could get frightfully windy. Miku wouldn't mind too much, but being underdressed would attract unnecessary attention.

Luka just hoped that the representative would actually allow her to blend in.

"They are arriving," Ruko announced.

"Alright. Open the doors; let's head out."

The first thing they heard after the hiss of the doors opening was the busy clamor of an open dock. People yelled, birds sang and flew about, machinery and ships alike whirred and clanged and roared. Miku took it all in while Luka stepped forward to welcome the representative, a foxlike, redheaded woman, with eyes that saw too much. After introducing herself as Daina, she asked pointed questions about Miku. Luka replied, painfully aware how none of the questions would ever allow the other woman to comprehend how different of an AI she was. After giving Miku a once-over, snapping her fingers a few times to get the android's attention, Daina printed her a sticker from a device hanging from her belt.

"Please keep this sticker visible throughout your stay," she said to Luka. "Keep it away from weapons and places keeping weapons, which may include some museums. If it needs to get close to children, please make sure you get approval from their guardian. If it must enter a school or university, please have a local authority accompany you."

Luka exhaled heavily at that, peeling the backing from the sticker. "Yep, gotcha."

"Am I particularly dangerous?" Miku asked the agent as she held up her sleeve, allowing the scavenger to apply it to her left forearm.

Diana did a double take at the question.

"It is autonomous?"

"You could say that," Luka replied with a shrug, helping Miku roll up the sleeve nicely so it would stay there.

"Why didn't you say so?"

"You didn't ask. How is it?"

"It's much prettier than the other one," Miku commented, smoothing it over. "The color is lovely, I think I could almost grow to like it."

She was right: this one was a soft, warm red. The color matched the streak of blue on her new, black tank top.

Diana visibly hesitated. "If it...you are autonomous then..."

"Then?"

"I don't know. I have never seen this before. Is this new?"

Miku chuckled, clasping her hands in front of her. "Don't worry. I'll do as you say and keep out of trouble."

She nodded. "I guess that'll have to do. I'll let it slide for now. But for future reference, please signal this on arrival. There might be a protocol for this, but I wouldn't know what it is."

"Right, gotcha," Luka said. "We'll do our best to keep that in mind from now on."

"Yes, please," she mumbled, eyes on Miku as the android returned her attention to her surroundings, displaying obvious outward curiosity. "Uhm, have a nice day."

"Thanks," Luka mumbled, walking past her. "You, too."

"Farewell!" Miku said, waving as they left.

The agent waved back uncertainly.

As they descended the dock towards the ground floor, Luka heaved a deep sigh. "Okay, at least you can stay somewhat incognito."

"I'm glad. Having a sticker on for so long will take some getting used to however, even if it is pretty."

The woman frowned at how tightly it clung to Miku's skin. "I can imagine."

"I think that if we will be visiting civilizations like this often, having an ID might be a viable plan," Miku admitted. "If I need a new sticker every time, I might run out of space."

"They'll peel off once you leave the planet," Luka assured her. "So you won't end up like some kind sticker patchwork."

"Ah, like the one on the Sapphire Shores. Interesting."

"Even so, we'll have to repeat this every time we want to go someplace civilized."

The android hummed, deep in thought.

Soon enough, they left the bustling docks behind and entered the main building of the port. There, they found the local bus terminal without any effort. At the ticket booth they had to actively persuade the employee to take a really close look at Miku's sticker before they were convinced she wasn't posing as a robot. In the bus, the android couldn't find a single seat, since those were technically reserved for ticket holders, and she was technically little more than luggage. Luka stood next to her though, even if they had to wait patiently for almost an hour for the bus to bring them, slowly but surely, far away from the windy city center and into the quiet residential area.

This time, they didn't talk nearly as much; without having to hide behind their hoods, Miku was allowed to look around unrestrained, pressing her face against the glass. She sometimes noted things she wanted to visit, which Luka did her best to remember. They would be staying for a little while after all, and with nobody after them, they could visit anywhere, anytime.

While Miku absorbed the scenery, mesmerized, Luka watched her. The android really was made to be surrounded by people. Even if they would potentially debate if she ought to pay for a ticket or if she could vote, if she were even alive, she thrived where there was life. Her eyes were so different when she took in the sights of people and their buildings, vehicles, movement, colors and sounds. When she asked Luka if she thought they would have the time to visit all these places, see all the things that needed seeing, Luka spotted the worry hidden in those opal apertures.

It wasn't right to ask her to leave Terranova.

Miku clearly sensed Luka's concern, but the scavenger merely explained that she wasn't sure if Meiko would let them sleep in the living room for a solid month. That was also a legitimate worry, but Luka had other things on her mind.

"I hope everybody is doing well," Miku chirped as they approached the Sakine residence.

"Yeah."

"I hope being back in school isn't too hard on poor Aoki."

"Hm."

"And that Oliver can make some friends. He hasn't been in school here yet."

"Right."

Miku giggled. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can come to an agreement with Meiko."

Luka feigned a smile before forcing her expression into something a little more neutral, if optimistic, right as they started up the steps to Meiko's front door.

"Do you hear them?"

"They are outside, at least most of them are," Miku said.

The surrounding trees sheltered the streets from the autumn wind; the garden was surely a nice place to be right then, even in the cooler temperatures. "Fair enough."

Luka rang the doorbell.

She was surprised with how tense she felt.

"Is something else bothering you?" Miku whispered, stepping closer to the woman. Luka felt her hand gently rest at the small of her back, so light she almost didn't feel it through her jacket. "You've been so far away since we left the port."

"The question of where we'll stay is very much on my mind, as I said before," Luka said, unable to meet Miku's eyes. "Your arm still needs fixing."

"You have your tools?"

"The essentials, yeah. Then there's also that damn sticker..."

She trailed off, hearing the rattling of the locks on the other side of the door, the usually prudent pace now dizzying. Before she knew it, the door swung open.

There stood Meiko. She only needed half a second before a huge smile erupted on her face.

"Luka!" she exclaimed, stepping forward, encasing the woman in a huge bear hug. "You're all right!"

"Right as rain, Ma."

"And you're back, too!" the brunette cheered, pulling from the hug to gently cup the android's cheeks. "Are you all right?"

"I certainly will be," Miku admitted. "How have you been?"

"I've been worried sick," Meiko said. "But it's cold out. Come in, please."

"I'm sorry we didn't come by earlier," Luka muttered as they entered the home. The familiar smells assaulted her, her brain sending her back a decade, the old anxiety returning in tandem with newfound comfort and relief. She forced herself to breathe. "We made a little bit of a detour."

"But you two are safe?" Meiko asked, closing the door behind them. "No mafia, no bounties..."

"We are safe and sound," Miku said easily.

"Thank the stars," the brunette breathed. "Luka, let me get a look at you."

The scavenger stuffed her hands in her pockets, but let the woman brush her hair out of her face, gently cupping her cheeks to look at her from every which way. "I'm completely fine, ma."

Meiko wasn't so easily convinced, muttering under her breath, "You have some scarring on your lip, and your brow."

She decided not to point out the one on her cheek. "Yeah, well..."

"Your accent is gone now, though."

"Yes. Speaking on a regular basis has helped her a lot in that regard," Miku said.

After studying the scavenger for a little longer, she turned her attention to the android. "I can imagine. Have you two been reunited for very long?"

"Only three cycles or so," Luka admitted, but this elicited surprise from the older woman.

"Have you been looking for her for all this time?"

"It took a while."

"But she did it," Miku chirped. "And we're both safe."

Meiko heaved a deep sigh. "I can only imagine the story..."

"We'll tell you," Luka said. "If you want. It's not always pretty."

"I'm sure the children would at least like an abridged version," Meiko said with a small smile. "They have missed you dearly, Miku. Would you like to go say hi?"

"You wouldn't mind?" the tealette asked, before pointing at the sticker. "I was told by local authorities to get consent from guardians before—"

"They're in the back yard," the woman said with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure they're wondering what's keeping me. Go on."

When Miku looked at her for confirmation, Luka gave her a gentle smile and a nod; that was all the tealette needed, quickly bounding through the halls.

Once she was gone, Luka's carefully dosed smile fell. So did Meiko's. Both waited for a bit, though, their eyes only meeting once the faraway cheers reached their ears.

"What's worrying you, dear?" the brunette asked quietly.

"You know that whispering won't stop her from hearing you."

"I hope that the others might distract her," Meiko said with a slight grin, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"You trust her with them?"

A slight teasing smile pulled at the brunette's lips a little further. "More than I trust you."

Luka laughed, though the mirth was short-lived. "Fair."

"Would you like to sit?"

Luka nodded. Together they made their way to the dining room. She took a seat, placed her hands on the table, while Meiko made sure that the door to the living room was perfectly shut.

Meiko sat across from her, studied her for a long time. She waited for Luka to start, but the scavenger only stared at her own hands.

"You're home, you're healthy, and you found her. What's on your mind?"

Luka inhaled deeply, laid her hands flat on the table. "We were thinking of staying for a little bit," she started. "She was partially broken by the people who ended up owning her. I need some time to fix the damage done."

"Very well."

"She..." Luka's eyes darted to the door that led to the living room; the song had faded, but she could vaguely hear the delighted screaming of children. "She wants to stay for a month or so. I want to show her the sights and everything, now that we don't have to hide."

"A month?" Meiko muttered. "I could perhaps set up something a little more comfortable than a cot for such a long stay."

"I..." Luka trailed off. "The plan, currently, is that I fix her, and in a month we'll leave and get back to work."

"Of course."

"We visited my planet in the meantime. Decided to call it Aya. It's beautiful, but quite far away. And it needs a lot of infrastructure to turn it into a habitable place."

"That will cost money. And that means—"

"Yeah. In a month we'll fly off to resume my dastardly deeds," Luka grumbled, her eyes still on her hands. "We'll likely be at it for years, even if she's going to be helping me."

"She'll help?"

Luka nodded weakly. "She's both very strong and lethally armed. She can be really scary."

"Good."

The pinkette looked up at her mother. She opened her mouth to speak, but the silence stretched on for almost too long, growing slack and weak. Finally, she asked, "Is it?"

Meiko stared back for a while. "I suppose that's a question of perspective."

"I'm not even sure," Luka whispered. "It doesn't sound good at all."

A shrill laugh made its way through the door. Meiko was the first to avert her eyes, staring at the table. "It does not."

"Just look at her. Listen to her. She's made to work with people. Not to be used against them. It goes way beyond whether it sounds good or bad, Ma. It's just plain wrong."

"It is."

Luka gulped. "Ma..."

"Yes?"

"I... I love her."

"I know."

Luka chuckled, ran her hands through her hair, letting her forehead rest briefly on the table surface. "Of course."

Meiko smiled in return, though a hint of concern remained. "What is it that I don't know?"

"I had another plan. A better one. But..." Luka hesitated. "I'm not sure you..."

"Do you need my help?"

"More than I can say."

"Does it involve criminal activities?"

"Not a single crime," she whispered. "Not anymore."

At that, Meiko smiled in earnest. Outside, in the garden, the children cheered. "I'm listening."

"You and Meiko have something planned," Miku whispered.

Luka smiled, looked up from the tangle of struts and wires laid out on the dining room table. "You guessed?"

"It was easy," the tealette said, watching Luka fasten yet another strut to the barrel of the gun. "I'm given so many baby-sitting duties I can hardly keep up, but even with that I notice you two heading out at odd times of the day."

Luka chuckled. "Odd? How so?"

"Don't tease me," Miku playfully scolded. "Whenever we're not on our own and the children are home, you two disappear in thin air. The car is parked out front, so I know you two aren't far, but Rin needs to call Meiko to let you know that dinner is almost done. Even if you come back within minutes, you can't pretend that you're that discreet."

"Fine," the woman said, testing the mobility of a pair of struts. "We're planning something."

"What is it?"

"No spoiling it. How's this?"

Miku lifted her arm, and started collapsing it back into her hand. Most of the panels slid effortlessly into place, while a few stragglers were left hanging, limp. Her hand was back, though, and when she wiggled her digits, they moved smoothly, without any unexpected wobbling or wiggling.

"It feels almost optimal," Miku declared.

"Almost?"

The tealette exposed the gun again, then pointed at a few joints between struts, which had too much friction between them. As Luka started loosening the fasteners there, Miku rested her chin on her free hand, watching her.

"Do you think I will be fully functional when we depart?" she asked.

"For sure," Luka said, fully focused on her arm.

"We are supposed to leave in only a local week," Miku reminded her. "While I'm sure that you can close up the rest of the paneling or return functionality to my gun in that time, I doubt both are possible."

Luka waved that away. "By the time we leave, you'll be better than ever, don't worry."

"Are you playing word games with me?"

"Perhaps," Luka teased. "And how is this?"

Miku closed, then reopened the limb a few times. The movement was almost completely smooth and silent, if it weren't for the patch of remaining damage.

"Perfect."

"Great!"

"I suggest we stop here for the day," Miku said. "The children will be home from school soon."

Luka flinched, checking the time. "Already? Damn."

"And," the tealette said pointedly, putting her hand on Luka's so she wouldn't immediately start packing up to get away, "we're not done here."

"Sure we are," Luka said, though she was smiling.

"'By the time we leave, I'll be better than ever,'" Miku echoed. "Interesting way to say this."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I think I can guess, however: I think you mean that we will be staying longer than the intended month," the tealette stated. "Tell me I'm wrong."

She wasn't. Meiko had prepared a better foldable bed for Luka to sleep in, along with some screens that they could move into place to give her and Miku some privacy. It wasn't the height of luxury, and Luka still had to go upstairs if she wanted a shower, but it meant that the spacefaring duo could sleep in and snuggle after spending the night roaming around the city, seeing movies or just looking at the neon lights. The children being at school most of the day also ensured that they still had plenty of time together, and as long as they did the chores, Meiko didn't complain of their active hours. Luka even practiced cooking with the special Terranova hot plates, becoming fairly decent at preparing simple meals for ten people.

All this was indicative of their current stay being enjoyable. However, it didn't exactly point towards a prolonged visit. And Luka wasn't about to get drawn into addressing the elephant in the room. Not yet, anyway.".

"I can't," Luka conceded, packing up her tools with one hand. "But I'm still not spoiling it."

Miku rolled her eyes, but her grip on Luka's hand tightened. After a few seconds of silence, she whispered, "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all," Luka assured her, putting the tools down so she could sandwich Miku's hand between hers. "I just want it to be a surprise."

"A good one, I hope."

"A great one."

The tealette hummed again. "Won't we encounter any resistance if we stay for longer than announced?"

"That's taken care of."

"Oh, is it?"

Luka finished putting her tools away, carefully closing the box with one hand. "There will be no problems. For now, we can stay for much longer."

"How long?"

"A year."

At that, Miku's smile fell. "A year! Local or galactic?"

"Local. And I know what you're going to say!" Luka started. "Just wait and see."

"But Aya—"

"Can wait. It won't be destroyed by its moons for thousands of years."

"But—"

"And I have quite a few years in front of me, too."

Distracted as she was, Miku let Luka's hand slip away from under hers as the woman stood, picking up her toolbox.

"We can make so much progress in a year, though," the tealette insisted, following Luka out of the dining room and into the living room, where the parted screens showed their cramped, somewhat ramshackle improvised living quarters, isolated in the far corner.

Luka returned the box to its place before turning around. "That's true."

Miku stared at her, conflicted, while the taller woman smiled at her, completely at ease.

"Why are we staying?" the tealette asked.

"I can answer that one," Luka said, stepping closer.

"Good."

"Because I love you."

Miku blinked in surprise. "But—"

"And I can see that staying makes you happy," Luka said, resting her hands on the tealette's shoulders.

Miku stared at her for a moment, tears welling in her eyes. "But..."

"I don't mind if we don't make progress today, if we're having fun today," she whispered to the tealette. "And so far, every day we've been here, I've heard you laugh and sing. It doesn't really matter if I hear that here or on Aya. As far as I can tell, all our time spent here is time well spent. I promise."

"But..."

Luka kissed her, the gesture firm and insistent, without being too rough and demanding. She kept it brief, though, pulling away to whisper, "I know I can't give you much, but this is something I can do for you. So please accept this."

Miku nodded, fell forward into Luka's arms, letting the taller woman wrap her arms around her. "Thank you."

Luka kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. It'll all come together someday."

The tealette sighed, all noise; her torso didn't expand in Luka's embrace. "Even if you say that..."

"I mean it. Really, don't worry about it."

Miku withdrew from the hug. "I don't think I could ever—"

"There you are!"

Both women jumped at the sudden voice; it was Rin, all bundled up in her new bright red sweater, ready for the cold weather, standing in the door towards the cloak room. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder.

"Meiko's waiting for you!" the twin declared, and right then Len walked in, coat zipped up to his chin, bag hanging from his elbow, Aoki perched in his arms.

"Waiting?" Miku asked, already stepping out of the embrace.

"She can wait a bit longer—" Len started, pulling his sister out of the room.

"No, it's fine!" Luka said, approaching them, gently stringing the tealette along.

"You were expecting this?" Miku asked.

"Maybe," the scavenger replied.

"Great, she's right outside." Rin announced, leaving the room. "We'll hold the fort while you're gone."

"'Gone?'" Miku asked. "Where are we going?"

"Not far, don't worry," Luka assured her. In the cloakroom, the eight children were pulling off their coats and scarves, the twins assisting where needed. The scavenger, on the other hand, hurried to don her own coat. "Come on."

"Do you know what this is about?" Miku asked the twins, not bothering with the coat; her sticker had to stay visible. They only gave her a playful grin each. "Where..?"

"It's easier to just show you," Luka insisted. "Come on!"

While the taller of the duo locked the door behind them, Miku cautiously joined Meiko, who was waiting for them at the bottom of the steps. Despite the fact that her nose was red from the cold, she was smiling.

"About time," Meiko said with a grin. "How's your arm?"

"Oh, it's almost repaired," the tealette muttered, casting confused glances at the happy faces. "What's going on?"

"It's a surprise," Luka sang.

Miku looked at her, then at Meiko. "Oh, is the big surprise now?"

"Yep!"

"What is it?" When they failed to reply, she asked, "How did you keep this from me?"

"You're so easily distracted, thank goodness," Luka said, making sure to hold her left hand as they walked.

The tealette turned her attention to their surroundings, her eyes darting between the familiar buildings, her grip on the taller woman's hand steadily increasing. She kept her questions to herself though, even though she almost caved a few times, opening her mouth, only to close it again.

Within minutes, after rounding a corner and passing by the grocery store, the bus stop, and even the post office, Meiko finally pushed in the door to a seemingly ordinary building. Her turn inside was sharp though, catching the android off guard, not giving her the time to locate, much less read, the sign out front.

The inside was warm, mostly made out of massive planks of wood, surely all cut from the local forests. Each plank on the floor was meters wide and stretched the whole length of the room. The same could be said for the sides of the long counter that stretched along the back of the room, the walls, and even the support beams were clearly all once part of a single massive tree. The color of the material was that of dark honey, rich and comforting and warm. The frightfully dim light was neutral, the space far darker than it was outside, even on the chilly fall day.

Lights were brightest around the counter, reflecting off of shiny bottles, suspended glassware, nozzles and utensils and liquids of all colors. Further into the room, they illuminated handwritten chalk menus, old photos, and the beautiful natural hue of the wall. However, the light almost drowned in the heavy material of a huge, dark curtain that occupied a third of the adjacent wall to the bar, the bottom edge hanging mere millimeters above the raised platform there. More lamps hung from the ceiling, none of them lit, but the presence of spotlights was obvious among the typical chandeliers.

Meiko shed her jacket, turning to face the tealette.

"You haven't been here before?"

"I haven't," Miku admitted, still taking in the minute details of the space.

"Well then. Welcome to my bar."

"Your... That's right," Miku muttered. "Luka explained you work in a bar."

"I don't just work in a bar," the brunette corrected, making her way over to the counter. "You think that would cover the bills? No, I own this place."

"It's beautiful."

Meiko smiled, slinging her jacket over a barstool as she made her way behind the counter. "Thank you."

"The fact that you own it makes sense," Miku went on, progressing further into the space. Her hand didn't release Luka, who followed close behind. "It is a beautiful establishment. Thank you for showing me."

At that the brunette laughed. "We didn't bring you here just to show you the place," she said with a teasing smile.

"Why am I here, then?"

"'Cause I wanted to show you my newest place of employment," Luka declared.

"Your..."

She shrugged, a timid smile gracing her features. "Ta-daa. I asked nicely, and Meiko hired me."

"What?"

"I still need some basic training, but soon enough I'll know the rough ins and outs of this place. I should be ready to work here in no time at all."

Miku thought about it, a small frown pulling at her lips. "But—"

"Like this, I can get money to slowly but surely settle Aya, without either of us getting in harm's way. More importantly, without asking you to point your gun at people," Luka explained.

Miku shook her head. "I don't care about—"

"The last detail!" she hurried to add, holding up a finger to buy a little more silence. "You can sing here, too."

At that, Miku's expression went slack. "What?"

"You're really good at putting on a show," Meiko explained from behind the bar. "And hey, my patrons like a show every now and then. I'll admit, I usually keep the live shows to once a week, but I'm pretty sure you can breathe new life into this place. I'll pay you by the hour, and you'll get to keep the tips."

The tealette listened in silence as the others waited expectantly. Slowly, she turned toward Luka.

"You're leaving your life behind."

"I know," Luka said with a shrug. "Not forever. We still need Ruko to fly to Aya. And don't think I gave up on showing you the best corners of the universe; we get a whole bunch of vacation time."

"Your job—"

"Was dangerous, and depended entirely on luck. Alone, I was happy with that. But now that I'm also living with you? I'd prefer to even the odds. I could put myself in danger just fine, but I'd never forgive myself if I let something happen to you again."

Miku looked at the brunette behind the bar. "But you need your space."

"You really think I'm going to let you two freeload in my living room?" Meiko asked.

"We'll be renting one of the rooms above," Luka said. "It's a little small, to be honest."

"Cheapest rent this side of Terranova," the brunette added.

Luka rolled her eyes, yet said with a smile, "The space is barely bigger than Ruko. But it has a shower, kitchenette, and hot water. Hell, I'm sure we can even squeeze in a work table with some effort. And while Meiko and I already spent some time moving in basic furniture and essentials, I'm sure we can really make something nice out of it."

The more she spoke, the more perplexed Miku became. "This is... This is such a big step."

"I know. It will be really tough at first."

"Then why?"

Luka shrugged. "Once upon a time, I promised to find you an audience. And if that also means a secure income, fewer occupational hazards, real food and less expenses on fuel? I'm on board."

"But Ruko..."

"Will remain in long-term parking at the dock. They don't mind, really. If you do, you two can still chat online," Luka reminded her.

Miku huffed, though even the sound-only burst of emotion seemed halfhearted. "You'd really do this for me?"

"Of course. It serves me, too, remember?" she teased. "If I crunched the numbers right, with my salary alone, Aya will be full-on settled in only a decade. Plus, I get to watch you sing five nights per week all the while."

"Five nights!" Miku gasped, turning towards Meiko. "Five...?"

"You get the sixteen to twenty then the twenty-one to twenty-three shifts," Meiko said. "Since I pay you, I'm legally forced to give you a break."

This time, the tealette looked beside herself with joy. "You're... This is real?"

"It's real," Luka said with a smile.

"Though it's all subject to change!" Meiko reminded them from behind the bar.

Miku didn't seem to care, looking up at the other woman with tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak once, twice, shook her head, then chuckled. "I can't believe this."

"I know it's sudden," Luka whispered, reaching up to hold the tealette. "But... If it makes you happy..."

"It makes me happier than I can say," she whispered back, letting Luka gently brush her hair, slowly sinking into a loose embrace. "You're giving me an audience. And a safe life, with you."

"And I still get my paradise, sooner or later."

Miku smiled, wrapped her arms around her neck. "I love you..."

"Oh, don't give me that," Luka said, though she was beaming.

"I'll never forget this," the android insisted. "Never."

Luka's smile wavered. She knew now what that 'never' meant exactly, and hesitated for an instant. Her memories of time spent in this bar with Miku, along with her mother, her siblings, everyone together, would live on in Miku's mind until the very death of time.

And then she took a deep breath. She only had a finite number of moments to live with Miku after all: she could only waste so many of them petrified by the true meaning of infinity. So, smile renewed, she said with only a slight tremor in her voice, "Yeah."

"I do love you. Now and forever."

"I love you too."