Adjusting

AN: This is a short sequel to "Brought Back: Alternate Universe". Just some thoughts about Kirby settling back in and the part donor memories he experiences in his dreams.

Not much time had passed since Kirby was revived. For nine years, he was gone after experiencing motor failure in 1989. A lot had happened in the world during that almost-decade, and the vacuum had a lot to catch up with. For that, he made a notepad list of things he wanted to see and do.

One of the first things on the list was learning about what went on in the world during the years he was gone. Radio was more than willing to inform him about all of the developments in politics and society and the major events that took place in the world, although it was with too much embellishment for Kirby's taste.

Another thing on his list was watching a few TV shows that came out during the years he was gone and that he or the others thought he might enjoy. Kirby didn't talk about it much, but he had a liking for a certain type of shows. It went back to the days when he and the others still lived in the cottage, including the old black-and-white TV.

And he spent time with Cantarella as often as they could. They had so much to catch up with in their relationship, too. And after nine years without him, the Rainbow lamp was with him whenever possible, to make up for the time they had lost.

But there was something else that made it hard for Kirby to adapt. The replacement motor that Rob got for him and built in wasn't new. It came from another vacuum of Kirby's model, and it seemed that, with it, came more than just the motor itself. Sometimes, mostly at night in his dreams, Kirby experienced flashbacks. Memories of a life that wasn't his own, but the donor vacuum's. It was… disturbing, as in those dreams and memories, Kirby felt like he was that other vacuum. Sometimes so much that he began to doubt if he was even still himself.

Early in the morning, Kirby awoke with a jolt, from another one of those dreams. Beside him, Cantarella began to twitch, awoken in turn by his sudden flinching. These days, she spent the nights with him in his closet as often as she could – when she could be sure the Master and Mistress wouldn't get up early and miss her on the bedside table – to be there and ground him whenever the dreams happened. And he was grateful for her presence, although he would never admit it aloud.

"It happened again." Another one of those strange dreams in which he was someone else. In which he cleaned a house he had never entered in reality, yet he knew it was his home – always the same house. In which he interacted with appliances he never met, yet in the dreams, they were his housemates.

Cantarella knew what he meant. It wasn't the first time, after all. "One of those dreams?"

Kirby sighed and nodded. "Yes." He shuddered. "It feels so real, every time. I'm not myself in those dreams, I'm that other vacuum the… the motor came from. It's his memories I see." He averted his gaze. "Sometimes I wonder… how much of me is still me? Did I… merge with him? Am I slowly turning into him?"

It was all she could do, to comfortingly lay her plug on him and reassure him. "Don't worry about that, love. You are still the same I always knew. You are Kirby, not who that other vacuum is or was, no matter what happens."

"It carries his memories," Kirby worried. "And now they are part of me…"

"I've read that, when a human has a heart transplant, they sometimes seem to… take over things from the heart's donor. Favorite foods, taste in music, things like that. Maybe it's similar for machines." Cantarella explained. "Especially if it's such an important part."

"You're right," Kirby hesitated, feeling grounded by his partner's reassurance. The feeling of dissociation that was always strong when he woke from one of those dreams naturally faded after a while, but with Cantarella's help, it did so faster than it would have on its own. And so, also faded his doubts. "It's just an echo. I'm still me, no matter what happens."

He took her plug into his, and they didn't need any more words, just their silent company as they sat beside each other until morning.