Tiny clicked softly as he sat on the kitchen counter watching Chloe work. She'd decided to make a steak and mushroom pie, one of Gavin's favourites, to celebrate his first day back at work. She was currently rolling the puff pastry lid as she giggled at Tiny's disgruntled form. He was not sulking! He was a sophisticated machine. One of the most advanced androids ever created. He did not sulk. He was simply anticipating Gavin's return. Chloe hummed, unconvinced, as she gave Tiny a small ball of the pastry cuttings to play with. She suggested making Gavin a small jam pocket with it and showed Tiny as she made one for Elijah. She started with a square and put a small spoon of jam in the middle before egg washing the edges and folding it into a triangle. Tiny did his best to copy, and Chloe helped neaten the edges. She painted some egg on the top and pricked a small hole in the middle before putting them in the oven with the pie.

"We'll take those out in about ten minutes and put some caster sugar on top while they cool." Tiny chittered his agreement as he sat on the edge of the counter across from the oven so that he could watch as Chloe set a timer. He zoomed in with his small eyes, analysing the rising temperature and its effect on the pastry. The damp triangles began to shrink and harden, shrivelling slightly before they started to rise. He chittered softly, blinking as Chloe stroked his hair on the way by. She was taking the cup of beaten egg and brush to wash in the sink.

Tiny looked up curiously as she stiffened to a halt a foot from the sink. Her blue eyes shot wide as her LED span yellow. Tiny clicked in question as she remained frozen. A small gasp fled her stunned lips as the cup fell from her hand and shattered on the tiles. Tiny chittered in concern as he hopped down to examine the fragments surrounding her bare feet, skittering out of the way as she leapt into action. It seemed she didn't even have time to answer his clicks as she ran through the long hall to the entrance hall. Tiny skittered after her, screeching his concern all the way.

"Oh my God-oh-my-God…I have to get to go! I have to find Elijah! Tiny, stay here and take care of things!" Tiny had never seen her like this before. She was frantic. Terrified. Her LED was a burning ring of red, stress levels in the low nineties. Tiny screeched again, but she was already out the door. She hadn't even put on shoes. Tiny sat in the entryway and stared at the door questioningly. She'd said she had to find Elijah. Did that mean he was lost? Had something happened to him? Or had she meant that she needed to meet Elijah? Why? What happened? What was so important? Why hadn't she told him? It wasn't like Chloe to leave him uninformed. Had it been intentional or a by-product of her high stress level?

Tiny screeched in distress as he heard the beeping of the timer in the kitchen. Skittering his way back at top speed, he launched himself up at the door handle. He wasn't tall enough to reach the tray from the floor, but his weight was enough to lower the door until his feet touched the tiles. He was too small to reach the dials to turn the oven off. Hot air billowed out as he kept the door in a tight grip. Tiny closed his eyes and returned to his extraction model. It was the only way he'd be able to remove the tray.

The extraction model opened his eyes and unfurled himself from the pile of pillows and blankets. He was in the central vent just below the ground floor. It didn't take him long to traverse his way to the kitchen vent and open it, dropping right above the doorway and walking over on two legs. Since his black casing was such a durable material, he didn't need oven gloves to remove the tray and put it on the counter. He analysed the golden pastry. The two small tarts were done, but the pie itself required a little more time. He placed the two pastries on a small plate before returning the tray to the oven and closing the door, after he'd removed his reconnaissance model from the handle. He left the small body by the sink while he searched for the caster sugar in the higher cupboards. Chloe had told him to take care of things, so that's what he would do. He would take care of things and wait for Gavin to return.

He wasn't sure how much sugar to add, so he took a small spoonful and scattered it over both. Humans weren't supposed to eat too much sugar and he wouldn't want Gavin to get sick. He left the pastries to cool before turning his attention to the shattered cup and spilled egg. It was the first time he'd ever seen Chloe drop something. She was an android with superior reflexes. It was virtually impossible for accidents like this to happen. It seemed she'd dropped it due to shock, but what had unsettled her? He did his best to put that aside. Chloe would tell him when she returned. Until then, he was to take care of things.

He picked up the sharp fragments and put them in the bin beneath the sink before sinking to all fours and licking up the gooey remnants. He blinked away the analysis of the raw egg and tiny ceramic chips before setting his system to recycle the biological matter. With the cup dealt with, he turned his attention to the flour coated counter. He licked the surface clean and put the knife and brush in the sink with the dirty dishes from earlier before running a sink of bubbly water, as he'd seen Chloe do many times before, to clean the dirty items. He had to be careful. His large claws weren't exactly designed with delicacy in mind. It was very easy for him to forget his strength.

When he was done, he removed the pie from the oven and turned it off before running a quick security check of the estate by interfacing wirelessly with the security system. He didn't particularly need to check within the house. He would have noticed if anyone had come so close to the property, but he did check the perimeter. There were cameras circling the mountainside that surrounded the mansion in case someone tried to sneak up. He was unsurprised to find the area deserted. It was extremely rare for Elijah to receive guests. Even more so for people to turn up unannounced. With his work now done, the extraction model returned to the vents. Convenient as his larger body was, he had a lot more fun in his reconnaissance form.

Tiny opened his luminous eyes and stretched to his feet. He clicked quietly as he crouched on the edge of the counter. His work was done. The pie and pastries had been saved. They were perfectly crisp and golden-brown, ready for Gavin and Elijah to eat. The oven had been turned off to cool and the washing up was done. He'd even checked the perimeter and secured the estate. He now had nothing to do. That was one of the hardest things about Gavin leaving for the day. He had no one to play with. Chloe doted on his smaller form and allowed him to help her with the simpler tasks, but Elijah never played with him. He was usually busy, sequestered away in his lab. Not Tiny's favourite place to go, and not Elijah's favourite place for him to be.

It wasn't that Elijah was unkind. He always acknowledged his presence and greeted him kindly, and there were some topics that they agreed on wholeheartedly. He'd even looked the other way during the Davey incident. When it came to his more destructive antics, Elijah had shown a tremendous amount of tolerance. Despite his constant threats to return him to stasis or turn him into an ENIAC, he'd never made a move to go through with it. He even endured his presence on the rare occasions that he curled up on the sofa beside him while he read a pad or typed on his laptop. Sometimes he would go into stasis and wake up with Elijah's sweater or cardigan tucked over his small shoulders. Sometimes Elijah would still be there, busy at work. At others, he would have left quietly after turning off the lights, and on the table there would be a small cup of thirium waiting in a heated mug to keep it warm.

Tiny chittered as he hopped down to the floor, claws clicking on the kitchen tiles. The clicks seemed a lot louder now that he was alone, unsure what to do with himself. He'd gotten so used to having Gavin there over the past few weeks that the thought of doing anything without him seemed dull. He could run around the halls, but it would only expend energy. Swimming in the pool was an option, but Elijah didn't like it when he swam alone with no one in the house and it wouldn't be fun without Gavin. He could read, but turning the pages was a chore with his claws. Jump on the bed was usually fun, but that didn't seem as appealing without Gavin there to chide him. Sleeping was a viable option. He could curl up on a sofa, or Chloe's chaise longue, or Gavin's bed, and sleep until it was time for Gavin to return. It wasn't exactly productive, but it would at least pass the time.

The first thing to do was find the perfect spot. Gavin's bed still had his scent lingering on the pillows and covers. It was a large, soft space he could curl up in. He could even switch to his extraction model to enjoy the extra space. The carpet by the window in Chloe's music room was warmed by the sun and had a view out to Detroit. He would have a good view of people returning to the estate from there, so he'd know if it was Gavin's car. Her chaise longue had the same view, but with extra cushioned comfort. The sofa in the front room was closest to the door, so he wouldn't need to run as fast when he saw Gavin returning. The sofa was perfectly serviceable, though not as cosy as the bed or chaise longue. Tiny clicked his way into the hall and paused. All of them were acceptable options with their own merits.

In the end, the heightened view from the music room won out, and Tiny hopped his way up the spiral staircase to the second floor. He scurried down the hall on all fours and launched himself at the handle. His weight pulled it down while a push of his tail had the door swinging open. Dropping to the thick carpet, he padded his way over to the piano. He could choose the carpet or the chaise longue, both of which he'd used many times. Often with Gavin. He clicked and chittered as he looked across at the glass wall that spanned the length of the room. It was grey outside. The sun was mostly hidden behind the heavy clouds. Tiny's brow furrowed at the sight before he finally hopped onto the chaise longue, snuggled up in the corner, and wrapped himself around a small cushion.

Once settled, he breathed in and analysed the lingering scents that clung to the material. Chloe's perfume was the strongest scent. A light, almost sweet, floral scent that she carried everywhere she went. It had been a gift from Elijah many years ago, and she'd worn the same brand ever since. Along with that was the softer scent of Gavin's human body where he'd fallen asleep, leaning against the plump cushion while listening to Chloe's playing. Tiny chittered softly as he nuzzled into the rich material and closed his luminous eyes. He set his cycle to end either when Gavin was due to return or at the first sign of someone approaching the mansion.

His eyes blinked open sometime later to find the room dark. The time blinked up in his HUD. It was almost time for Gavin to arrive. Tiny chittered in anticipation and rose to his small feet. He stretched out like a cat and flicked his tail as he hopped down to the floor and padded his way down to the entrance hall. It was curious that Chloe and Elijah hadn't returned to the mansion yet. Perhaps Gavin would know what had happened when he returned. Chloe had certainly rushed off in a hurry. She hadn't even put her shoes on. Tiny clicked anxiously as he took up his usual position and waited. Gavin had said he'd return in six or seven hours. Eight o'clock was fast approaching. He promised. Gavin would not break his promise. Tiny was certain.

Despite his certainty, he couldn't help the creeping sense of unease as eight o'clock arrived and there was still no sign of Gavin's car. Eight o'clock wasn't so bad. It was only just eight. He didn't truly expect Gavin to arrive on the dot. There could be traffic, or he could have stayed an extra hour at work as he'd warned. Tiny remained in his spot. The same place he'd waited last time. Perhaps he should choose a different spot. Gavin hadn't returned the last time he'd waited there. Tiny shuffled a little to the right and settled down beside his previous spot. He stared at the door, unblinking. It was probably foolish to remain in the hall. Gavin had warned him he may be late. He could be waiting for another hour.

Tiny pattered through to the front lounge and settled on the sofa he sometimes shared with Elijah. He curled up in a spot that gave him a view of the front drive. The lights in the lounge remained off, and he adjusted his vision so that he could see through the darkness outside. Both Elijah and Chloe's regular day cars were gone. Elijah had driven his car to the office that morning, and Chloe had clearly taken hers earlier. The huge driveway was empty, and there was no sign of light in the distance. No one was coming. Tiny trilled sadly as he settled down, curling up like a cat with his tail coiled around his small body.

He tried not to watch his internal chronometer, but it was difficult. The timer was always ticking away in his head, and it was tempting to bring it up and watch the seconds tick by. With each five minutes that passed, he became more and more restless. It was fast approaching nine o'clock. Gavin hadn't expected to be later than that. Tiny felt truly miserable as nine o'clock finally arrived. He should give him longer. It was only just nine. He couldn't expect a human to keep to such a rigid schedule. Gavin had promised. He'd promised he would come back. He wouldn't break his promise. He wouldn't. Not after last time. Not when he knew he was waiting.

Had Gavin changed his mind? Had Tiny made him angry that morning when he didn't say goodbye? He'd waved to him. Gavin hadn't looked angry. He'd even signed that he would come back. Tiny had waited patiently all day. He'd helped Chloe and cleaned up, and he hadn't run around the house and wrecked Elijah's things. He'd been good. Tiny hopped down from the sofa and padded across to sit as close to the window as possible. He pressed his small face against the cool surface and stared down the drive. Gavin had promised he would come back. He was a little late, but Tiny was sure he'd keep his promise.

His thirium pump dropped miserably as nine thirty came and went. Gavin was very late. It was too late for traffic to have held him up. Surely he would have called if he knew he was going to be late. Perhaps he'd called Chloe. Since Chloe wasn't home, he didn't know. He could call her, but he didn't want to bother her if she was doing something important. It had certainly seemed important. By ten o'clock, Tiny could feel saline pricking his optical units. Gavin had promised. He'd promised! Tiny hadn't meant to upset him that morning. How could he apologise if Gavin didn't come back? Tiny clicked miserably as he sat slumped in front of the glass.

He stopped looking at his chromometer. Maybe if he didn't check, he wouldn't feel the passage of time. Gavin would come back, and he'd apologise for being so late. He'd let Tiny dive into his chest and wrap around his shoulders. Then, he'd carry him upstairs and let him swim in the bath of bubbles again, using his long fingers to tease his tiny scalp and scratch his spine. He'd take him to bed and let him cuddle against his chest, and hold him with his tail. Gavin would keep his promise. He'd come home. He wouldn't leave him alone again. He'd promised. Gavin…

Tiny shrieked excitedly as he saw lights further down the drive and rushed through to the entryway. He checked his chronometer. One fifty-three? It was the next morning! Gavin had said seven hours at most. What had kept him away all this time? Tiny skittered to a halt as he waited for the steps on the gravel to sound. He clicked in confusion as a much lighter step sounded. It wasn't Gavin. His chest fell as he watched the door open and Chloe meekly stepped inside. He chittered a quiet greeting, truly alarmed as he took in her state of dress. The pretty flowery dress she'd rushed out in the day before was creased where she'd been sitting in different positions. Her feet were no longer bare, at least. She was wearing a large pair of sneakers. Elijah's. He often kept spare shoes at the office. Her hair had fallen loose from its usual tail and was somewhat tangled from the breeze outside.

"Tiny…" Chloe greeted in a small voice, thick with emotion. She was sad. Tiny chittered in alarm as he scurried forward. Chloe rested her back against the closed door and slid down to the floor, apparently not expecting anyone else to come inside. She looked truly miserable as saline stained her porcelain cheeks. Her skin automatically flushed to mimic how a human would look if they cried. Her pink lips trembled, and her crystal eyes glimmered as she blinked out fresh tears. "Gavin's not coming." Tiny screeched a small objection, thirium pump thudding at the ominous news.

He rested his clawed hands on Chloe's quivering knees and bounced on his feet. He had to know. She had to tell him more. Why wasn't Gavin coming? What had happened? Was that why she'd left earlier? Was that what had been so important to tell Elijah? Why hadn't she taken Tiny with her? Had she not known he would worry? Why wasn't Gavin coming? He shrieked again as Chloe started sobbing and carefully climbed over her small knees to sit in her lap and huddle against her chest. Gasps and sobs wracked her small form as her small arms reached up to pull him closer, making him trill with worry. She was crying into his small shoulder as a child might a teddy bear. Tiny held her tightly in return, dread swirling in his small chest.

"Gavin got shot."