Rocky Horror does not belong to me; it belongs to the eternally awesome Richard O' Brien.

This story is rated T (at least for now; I may change it to M later on down the road. Maybe.)

Welcome back, dear readers! Enjoy!

Warning: sometimes, the connections to the theme of the chapter will be kind of shaky (see Rocky's segment for proof of that).

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2. Seeking Solace

Since Frank was done with the lab, at least for now, she claimed it for herself. With its smooth floors and wide space, it made the perfect dance studio. She could tap to her heart's content; the rooms downstairs were okay, but there were always furniture and people to avoid. Here, everything was back against the wall. She'd hesitated the first time – wouldn't you, after you saw your boyfriend brutally murdered in front of everyone in this very room?

Frank didn't really care if she used it – all the important chemicals were locked away and the machines were bolted down. She'd bring her little radio, tuned to the rock station, and let the music take her away. Although the songs weren't written with tap dancing in mind, she'd work herself into a frenzy, even coming up with silly little moves for the commercial jingles (when the station played a commercial that was all talk, she'd take a quick breather).

Here, she didn't have to talk to anyone. She usually preferred having someone around, but all she found herself wanting to talk about was Eddie. Who could she talk to about him? Frank would just brush her off; Riff Raff would just give her that creepy look; Magenta would listen but wouldn't really offer anything helpful; and Rocky… well, she really didn't want to think about him. For now, she was just fine with being alone. Who needed company when you had the echoes of your tap shoes drowning out your thoughts?

She'd dance laps around the lab, past the platform on which Rocky had emerged and Eddie had been slaughtered; past the freezer that held both those freaky popsicles (Frank claimed they helped his creative juices flow, but she didn't buy it) and Eddie's remains until that fateful day. At any other time, she couldn't stand being in the lab anymore, having to face all those painful memories. Thankfully, dancing helped, and she wouldn't stop until her legs felt ready to fall off.

Except when Buddy Holly played. Some stations played him more than others, and some DJs were smart enough to announce when they were playing his songs, which gave her enough warning to switch the station.

Today was not one of those days.

No matter how fired up she was, she'd always stop cold. Hearing that voice knocked the wind out of her sails, that grim reminder of the last time she and Eddie were together. Even when she was doing the one thing she loved most of all, she couldn't avoid her pain for long.

That was enough dancing for today.

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He'd taken to spending his free time – which he had plenty of – in the gym. He couldn't hide in here all day, he knew that. It certainly wasn't the lab, but it wasn't bad. He found when he wasn't exercising, he could just sit and think. He felt comfortable here, safe. That first night, he'd gone back to the lab to find safety; instead, he found Janet.

He could go back again whenever he wanted…except when Columbia was there. He quickly learned that when she had the lab, it was hers alone (shrieking "Get out!" and throwing her shoe at him helped it sink in).

He sat on a bench, catching his breath after a round of pushups. His workouts took his mind off how long the days felt. It had only been a few days since his creation, but he already had a routine worked out: wake up, do a few lifts, have breakfast, get back on the machines, cool down, try to avoid Frank and the servants when possible, figure out what to say to Columbia, eat, go to sleep. From there, he let his mind wander.

Despite what he'd seen that first night, his creator wasn't completely terrible. He was surprisingly gentle. At night, as they lie in bed, he would stroke Rocky's hair and whisper of all the things they were going to do. He'd patiently answer every question. Occasionally, during a workout, he'd watch Rocky in action, fawning over him. He'd loosened his grip and let Rocky roam the castle, since it was only the five of them (well, and the phantoms who always hung around).

The servants made themselves scarce, which was fine with him.

That left Columbia. He could hear the thumping and tapping of her shoes upstairs, and the music she danced to. He thought about what he would say. Mentioning Eddie probably wasn't the best idea.

You think?

One of the lab's vents led down into the gym, which made it easier to hear the music. It was nice to have something in the background. A new song had just started; he could make out something about loving someone named Peggy Sue.

His head snapped up. He'd heard that song before. Hadn't he? It shouldn't have mattered, since it stopped as soon as it started.

He stood and headed into the hall. As much as he didn't want to leave, he needed a shower.

In the few days he'd been alive, he'd heard plenty of songs on the radio, the jukebox, and from Frank's record collection. Then there were the songs he just knew – the floorshow numbers, his own song about feeling down, the Time Warp.

He didn't even see her coming. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that they knocked into each other. It didn't hurt; at least, he didn't feel anything. He gave himself a quick look over before turning to her.

Her head was down, her eyes squeezed shut as she sniffled. She was crying. Had he hurt her worse than he thought?

"I'm sorry."

She only stared back at him for a moment before brushing right past him. He opened his mouth to say something else, but what?

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What indeed, Rocky.

The song mentioned above is "Peggy Sue" by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Because this website doesn't allow song lyrics, I have to stick with describing the song instead.

Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!

I apologize now - I can't write endings, so some chapters will end kind of abruptly.