After the party was over and the guests had left Red and Emmy were helping to clean things up before retiring for the night.
"Well, that was a rousing success." Emmy said…then sighed. "Red, stop sneaking a nibble."
"But its sooooooo gooood!" Red whined with cake in his mouth, getting a shush.
"You know what sugar does to Madeline; it took me and Angela half an hour to calm her down!"
"Sorry." Red mumbled after he gulped his treat down.
Emmy rubbed her forehead in exasperation, she hadn't meant to be that harsh…Heck, the fact that it was her Carrot Cake that Red seemed to enjopy the most warmed her metaphorical heart.
"Okay, new plan." She declared. "I handle the food, you handle the cleaning. And if you do a good enough job? I'll let you take something with you for lunch tomorrow."
"Deal." Red gave a jaunty salute as he morphed his hands into a mini-vacum and or spray with an accompanying rag. Emmy meanwhile rounded up the l;eftovers and put them away in proper containers; while the Declairs did get to keep the leftovers, they were thinking of dropping some off at the local shelter and or foodbank.
"You have no idea how relieved I am that this went so well." Emmy said. "Not only did everyone have a good time, but the kids behaved themselves, my carrot cake was a hit…"
"It may just be the best damn carrot cake I've ever had in my life." Red smiled. "And this is from a guy who only ever had the mini Weightwatcher ones when they tossed them out."
Emmy chuckled, some in sadness for Red's pre-cyborg life, but also delighted he fancied her baking so much.
"…But best of all? Angela told me we met triple of fundraising goal." The Nanoid beamed.
She missed that Red's smile had vanished, replaced with a look of annoyance and concern.
"Well, all the same; I think I'll keep an eye on all that money when the transfer happens." Red mused. "I got far too many memories of us Oldsville folks being promised cash that never came…And those orphans need the money more than all those factories and businesses."
Emmy frowned at hearing those words.
"You…really don't people, or robots." She grimaced.
And immediately. Red felt shame.
"Wait, what?! N-no, I mean…!"
Emmy moved to go into the next room to give Red space, the cyborg's hand's returning gto normal as he raced to her.
"Emmy, please! Please just…let me…let me explain myself." Red begged. "There are a lot of ways my thoughts are going and lots of things I gotta say and I need to say them all."
After nodding, Emmy escorted Red to a couch so that they could sit as he spoke.
"…When I was growing up, every decent job in Oldsville was replaced bny robits. On one hand, it was safer and made sure everyone got home, yeah. But then it also put generations of workers out of a job and with nothing or very little better to do. Now, mom and dad, both did their best and I like to think they did well; we always had food at least, even if we slept outside and a bed was once in a lifetime. But there were hard times…and let me be clear, neither of them ever laid a hand on me that wasn't a pat or hug, though lord knows I probably could've used a smack or two every now and then. So, when you see nogthing but bots and so few people working and even getting the chance? Yeah it…It really…"
Red then caught his breath
"But then all…THIS…happened. And I'm on the edge. I'm happy to be alive and get a room and glad I'm, not totally a robot but I'm not really human either. And for that, I get to live with wonderful people and do what I did before., only now I can actually fight back…"
He then smiled.
"And then you came along"
Emmy listened intently
"You may have been a robot, but…you were so much more.You're sweeter than anyone...well, besides maybe Amy and Franny…" Red smiled bashfully, delighting when Emmy chuckled at that. "You care about Maddie and the others, you keep me in check…and you let me be me. You're amazing, Emmy. Way more than me."
"I beg your pardon?" Emmy asked, her tone increduoslu, almost as if she was insulted to hear Red thinking of himself like that. "You risked your life for years to look out for people and still do now. And when you did it before the upgrade? All you needed was your mind and grit. Whoever calls you anything less than amazing is a spoiled idiot!"
Those words took Red for a loop. And for some reason, hearing them from Emmy warms whatever he had for a heart….before a familiar sense of failure returned and he recalled…
"Skilled and yet I couldn't save…"
Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Emmy cupping his face in her hands.
"They'd be just as proud of you as I am." Emmy said with total sincerity, looking directly into Red's eyes when he said that. And as the two pairs of eyes stered into and at each other, all their other concerns and worries vanished. All they f3elt was contentment, Happiness. Relaxation….
Suddenly, classical music began playing as Red looked to see that a music compartment in his chassis had somehow turned on by itself.
"Oh, geez, I am so sorry! I don't know how that happened, I-" Angela started, faking the realism in her tone, as her husband suddenly wrapped his arm around her and took her to the dance floor.
"Awful lonely here…. I mean, I get this goddess all to myself, but dancefloors were made for lots of people…" Ted called out, smiling as Angela, embrassed, alternated between enjoying their dance and admonishing him while clearly loving this spontaneous action.
Despite it all, Red and Emmy, blushing aside, found themselves envisioning a scene similar to the Declair couple. Maybe it was the music, maybe their conversation opened them up, maybe it was all of the above
Taking each other's hands as the music began playing in full swing, Red and Emmy began to slowly waltz as Angela dimmed the lights to set the scene for them.
(AN: Play The Moon Is a Silver Dollar by Lawrence Welk)
The moon is the silver dollar shining up in the sky
There's the dream we can buy
Sweetheart you and I
The moon is the silver dollar made for lovers to share
And with you in my arms
I am a millionaire
Our cares and troubles will all be small change
Someday they'll all change into a dream come true
The moon is the silver dollar
What a glorious sight
Let's invest it in love
Tonight
And even after the song ended and a comfortable silence overtook the two of them, they kept dancing, enjoying the other in their arms.
And everyone missed Madeline who'd snuck out of bed for some water, watching the whole scene in awe.
'My story is coming true!'
EMMY
A few days later, Red and the Nandroids were with Madeline and her friends on a school trip to the zoo. The kids were amazing by all the animals and Red kept an eye on them all, keeping them close as the Nanoids watched from afar.
"You know Emmy? I may steal him away if he can keep up with the kids so well." Molly joked, the other Nanoids laughing and agreeing..
"Do it and they'll never find your bits." Emmy said through her teeth.
Currently, the group were at the Gazelle habitat, where they caught two of them currently busy with mating.
"My dads wrestle like that!" Michelle pointed out as Polly gasped. "You should coach for them sometime, Polly!"
The other Nandroids looked at their friend in shock and disbelief, Amy covering Ajay's ears, Emmy covering Madeline's eyes, and Molly covering Corbin's mouth. As for Polly herself, she was trying to avoid her friends' judgemental stares.
Red just whisteled as he excused himself to get the kids some snacks…and then he began to imagine 'wrestling' with Emmy..
'No!' The cyborg told himself. 'No! Nope! No oh oh oooooh! No, no, no! Red, no, no! That is a big no no!...Nice as it would be…'
The daydreams then took on a more innocent tone, mcleaning together, nuzzling noses, reading together…maybe even building a baby Nanoid and teaching them to play catch and or how to fight.
All in all? Red didn't think he'd mind any of that….But first! He had to ask Emmy out.
Knightmare Lord A/N: Just something to set up the foundations for Red and Emmy's relationship. Also, don't worry, we'll get into the situation in Olburg soon enough.
Mrotrax A/N: Hope this was worth the wait!
Sorry for not much more on the zoo.