A/N: Hello again, world! I'm so so so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I've been in the process of getting a new roommate, so that's where most of my time was spend. Unfortunately this chapter was neglected in the process. I just wanted to say thank you all so much for the fantastic feedback you've been giving me. I never expected anyone to actually read, let alone enjoy this story, so thank you so much again!
I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. ;)
Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Meet the Robinsons
Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Wilbur
Late-October 2024
"He looks just like you," Cornelius murmured in his wife's ear, his breath blowing a stand of hair around.
Franny half smiled. "It's amazing, isn't it? I never thought I'd be able to watch a baby develop right before my eyes. And he's so perfect," she said, marveling at the little wonder that was her baby boy.
The corners of Cornelius' mouth turned up in a proud grin, unbeknownst to his wife; he had never told her that the incubation pod was his own doing.
Suddenly a soft voice broke the silence. "He's ready," a young nurse said, coming up to the couple. They looked at each other, excitement and apprehension crossing their features. "We need to get him out as soon as possible," she said smiling.
The couple nodded at the young woman and stepped out of the room. Franny gripped her husband's hand as she sat next to him in a warm pink and blue room, choosing a small yellow sofa by the door, which they glanced at every few seconds. Cornelius could feel his heart thudding hard against his chest, his emotions a bundle of nerves. Franny was excited more than anything, just wanting to finally hold her little boy to her chest and never let him go.
The room went silent as the door opened slowly. Cornelius' breath hitched as a nurse walked into the room with a small green blanket bundled in her arms. Franny teared up when she heard her baby cooing in another woman's arms, a new feeling rising up in her throat.
"Here's your mommy and daddy," the young woman said, handing Franny the little bundle. Brown eyes widened in wonder as she took in deep baby blues. She couldn't even find the right words to say as she finally let the overwhelming joy course through her veins. Little did she know the man sitting next to her was going through the same thought process.
Franny teared up as she finally whispered, "Welcome to the world, my little tadpole."
...
"Alright, Carl. How do you feel?" Cornelius asked, as he flipped the robot back on.
The machine blinked, visual receptors focusing on the blond in front of him. "I feel..." he trailed off.
Cornelius held up a picture so Carl could see. Blue optics zoomed in on the infant in the picture. "Do you feel anything?" he asked, brows creased.
"I have the sudden urge to change a dirty diaper."
Cornelius chuckled. "Good. It worked."
...
The young inventor placed his hand on Franny's lower back as he led her up the path leading to their front door. He glanced over at her; she had her eyes glued on the baby in her arms. "Are you ready?" he whispered.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said, not looking up.
"Ring my-"
"No." Cornelius reached out to open the front door, startled when it opened for him.
"Oh, my gosh! He's so cute!" Tallulah greeted them, obviously having been waiting by the door all day for them to return.
As soon as they walked into the living room they were surrounded by family members trying to get a better look.
"He's precious."
"Look at that!"
"Look at his hair!"
Franny smiled, amused by the comments about how much her baby looked like her. She smiled down at Wilbur, who she noticed looked quite uncomfortable with all the ruckus.
"Don't worry, you'll learn to love'em," she murmured affectionately.
"Franny?" the now second youngest Robinson spoke up. The brunette looked down into her cousin's inquisitive eyes.
"Yes, Tallulah?"
"I made Wilbur something."
Franny raised her eyebrows. "You did?"
Tallulah nodded and shyly handed the brunette a box. Cornelius gladly took Wilbur into his arms as she opened it, her eyes widening with realization.
"Oh, Tallulah, it's perfect!" she said, taking in the green onesie with little frog eyes on the hood and a big smiling frog face on the belly. She hugged the young girl who was beaming proudly. "You made this?"
Tallulah nodded. "The hood comes off, so he can sleep in it."
"It's perfect. Thank you," she said, hugging her again. The family was interrupted by a loud, high-pitched cry. Franny immediately turned and took Wilbur back into her arms. "Oh, sweetie, it's okay." She rocked the baby slightly, looking up at Cornelius with worried eyes.
Carl stepped into the room, walking right up to the infant. "He's just hungry," he said, giving Wilbur a quick scan. Franny turned and narrowed her eyes at her husband, who thought he might burst into flames from the look she was giving him.
...
Cornelius rolled over in his shared king size bed to look at the baby monitor on his nightstand. He breathed a sigh of relief; Wilbur lay on his side playing with his little hands. The blond smiled fondly at the infant; just a week ago he'd been in an incubation pod, now here he was, out in the world and perfectly healthy. Cornelius gave a quick glance back at his wife and chuckled; she was sound asleep, snoring very softly.
He stood up as quietly as he could and made his way to the nursery across the hall. As soon as he entered the small room, he was greeted with a small cry.
"What is it, Wilbur?" he asked gently as he made his way over to the crib. He shook his head; like he was really going to answer. Big baby blue eyes looked up at him, and he felt his heart melt to a helpless puddle-the way it did when Franny did literally anything. He smiled down at the infant, reaching his hand down and rubbing his little belly. He couldn't help but feel a fondness as he looked at the green onesie Tallulah had made for him after he came home from the hospital.
While he was musing over the little details of his offspring he noticed it; his brows furrowed a bit as he looked at the little boy's head. Cornelius felt his grin widen as he studied his son's head of hair. "I guess you do take after me, don't you," he laughed as he took in the tiny tufts of black hair sticking up all over his head. He could've sworn that Wilbur gave him an indignant look at that comment. "Don't worry, little guy. It'll look better in the future, I promise."
...
Franny sat in the rocking chair under a large window with her baby in her arms. She smiled down at him as he drank from his bottle. She was quite distraught when she realized she couldn't breastfeed him; after a while she grew to accept this because it meant she could spend more time memorizing his every little feature. She hummed happily and looked around the room; the pink and green was replaced by light shades of blue, purple, and yellow. Of course the little frogs on the walls had stayed, which always made Franny smile.
He eyes wandered for a bit until they fell upon the other wall. Her face fell slightly as she took in the enlarged ultrasound photo on the left, elegantly placed in a beautiful frame. A rainbow was placed in the middle of the wall, connecting the photo with that of a framed picture of Wilbur. Under the baby's photograph was another frame with the embroidered words "Even Miracles Take a Little Time" in gold thread. Franny smiled softly and looked down at the little miracle in her arms. "You certainly were worth the wait," she said, rubbing his nose lightly.
...
July 2028
"Now remember, Tallulah and Lazlo are in charge, so you listen to them like the good boy I know you are, okay?" Franny said softly.
Wilbur blinked up at her with wide brown eyes and nodded. "Okay, mommy."
Franny smiled at her little boy. "That's my boy." She pulled him in for a quick hug, pecking him on the cheek before pulling away. "I love you, Wilbur. We'll be back later tonight."
"Bye, Wilbur," Cornelius said, kissing the top of his head before opening the door for Franny. She glanced at Tallulah before walking out.
"Have him in bed by eight, no scary movies, no climbing on the furniture-"
"Franny, he'll be fine," Cornelius interrupted. He chuckled. This was the first time in four years they had gotten to leave the house without their son, and of course Franny was already having second thoughts.
She frowned at her husband. "And no sugar before bed! See you tonight!"
With that, Cornelius closed the door behind his wife and led her to the car.
Tallulah smiled down at her little cousin. "Oh, Wilbur, we are going have so much fun!" she said, clapping her hands. "We're going to play dress up!"
"What? No way!" Lazlo exclaimed, crossing his arms. "Franny put us both in charge, and since I'm the oldest, that clearly means I'm the boss, so you have to do what I say."
"Lazlo, why do you always have to be so bossy?" Tallulah asked, crossing her arms in an identical fashion as her brother's.
Wilbur looked between his cousins fighting; he didn't know if he should try to stop their bickering or run away, so he did what any three-and-a-half-year-old would do: turn the attention back to him. He let out a loud whimper and covered his ears.
The siblings immediately stopped fighting and looked at each other. "Oh, no. What are we supposed to do when he cries?" Tallulah asked.
Lazlo made a face. "He better not need a diaper change."
The young girl rolled her eyes and knelt down. "Wilbur, what's the matter?"
Wilbur sniffled and peeked up at her. When he confirmed all attention was on him, he grinned widely. "I want to play tag!" He slapped Tallulah's leg and took off. "You're it!"
Tallulah sighed.
...
"I am so sorry, Wilbur," Tallulah said as she toweled the little boy off. He simply huffed. "I can't believe he did that."
"He gotted paint in my hair," Wilbur said grumpily as he stepped into the pajama pants Tallulah held out.
"Don't worry, little guy. I got it out," she said as she picked him up and carried him to his bedroom. She laid him down, lifting the blankets over his tiny body. Wilbur yawned as Tallulah took a seat on the bed next to him.
"Lulu?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, Wilbur?"
"Why you and La-lo always yelling at each other?"
Tallulah frowned. "Because we're brother and sister. That's what we do." She paused, a small grin gracing her young features. "But we love each other, so it's not so bad." She ruffled his hair, making him huff. "I wish I had a little brother or sister I could boss around."
"Why?"
"Because it'd be fun. Don't you think?"
Wilbur thought for a moment before his face lit up. "Yeah! I could make them play tag and hide and seek with me all the time! I want a little brother!"
Tallulah chuckled. "Well, you'll have to ask your parents about that. Your birthdays are coming up, maybe you'll get a brother for one of them." She stood and went to turn out the light in the large room. "Night, Wilbur."
"Night, Lulu," he said sleepily, already drifting off.
...
"Don't ask."
"Wasn't going to," Cornelius said as he eyeballed the neon green and orange paint in his cousin's hair. As soon as Tallulah saw him and Franny walk through the front door she had tried to duck out of sight but wasn't quick enough. Cornelius chuckled as she rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath as she sulked away.
"I'll go check on Wilbur," Franny said, pecking her husband on his cheek. He smiled softly at her. "I'll be along soon." He nodded, watching as she slowly entered Wilbur's room.
She quietly closed the door, hoping not to wake the sleeping child across the room. The space was dimly lit, making it hard to make out the small figure. She stared into the shadows for a long moment, letting her eyes adjust to the change in brightness. When she could finally make out her surroundings she tiptoed slowly to the child's bed, her heels clicking quietly with each step.
When she reached his bed, she smiled softly to herself; the little boy in the bed had grown so much. Here he was, about to turn four years old, and was one of the most loving, energetic people she had ever laid eyes on. Franny's heart swelled in her chest thinking about Wilbur; he had had those big beautiful baby blue eyes when he was born, which was replaced by a deep russet color around his first birthday. She felt bad for thinking it, but she sometimes wished he had kept those beautiful blue eyes-the ones that had looked so much like his father's.
And then there was his hair. She giggled at the image of a two-year-old after a bath, hair sticking in every direction you could think of. Franny had worried her little boy wouldn't look anything like Cornelius-mainly because of his recessive traits (she knew her genetics too well to get her hopes up)-and was extremely surprised and over-the-moon when she had discovered he was basically a little mini Franny with a sprinkling of Cornelius.
She chuckled quietly, a hand going to her mouth. Wilbur stirred, making Franny's heart skip a beat, then let out a sigh of relief when he grunted in his sleep. Carefully she sat at the edge of his bed, looking fondly down at her baby boy.
Just looking at him now, you would never have guessed he was a preemie; he was just the right size and had a personality too big for his little body. Granted, he was a little small for his age, but his pediatrician had said he was growing perfectly and would have several growth spurts throughout his life. She had sighed in relief when the doctor had predicted he would grow up to be as tall as-if not taller than-Cornelius, as he had been pretty small for his age, too. She had shrugged. Maybe it was hereditary.
After what seemed like a lifetime of gazing down at her beautiful creation, she knew it was time to go back to her husband who was waiting patiently for her return. She leaned down and placed a loving kiss on Wilbur's forehead, and she couldn't help but grin when he gave a small smile of his own in his sleep.
Reluctantly she left the little boy in dreamland and headed across the hall to her own room. When she closed the door and turned around she found her husband sitting up in bed smiling at her. Franny made her way over to him, letting him gently pull her down onto the bed. She squeaked as her head hit her pillow.
...
Wilbur opened his eyes to find the sun invading his bedroom. He blinked a few times, trying to remember where he was. He remembered dreaming about being a big kid, running around and playing tag and Let's Find Carl (his favorite game) for hours on end, the sun never setting. His big brown eyes opened wide. Oh, yeah! He was going to ask his mommy and daddy for a little brother for one of his birthdays! And since his daddy was usually awake by now, he would ask him first.
...
Cornelius's eyes fluttered open to find a beautiful brunette woman laying next to him, skin bare, eyes closed and snoring ever so slightly. He smiled warmly at her; he adored his wife and loved watching her sleep. On the rare occasions he could take a day off he had taken to waking up early and just gazing at her slumbering form. She lay on her stomach, an arm tucked casually under her pillow, her other outstretched as if reaching for something. He tilted his head and intertwined their fingers. What a sight she was to look at first thing in the morning.
...
"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Wilbur yelled, running around the house like a madman. He couldn't help the giant smile on his face as he raced to find his father; his father he knew who could never say no to his every request. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" He began clumsily climbing the stairs to the lab, disgruntled when his plot was suddenly foiled by a pair of golden arms.
"Where do you think you're going?" Carl asked, pulling the kid to his metal chest.
Wilbur squirmed in the robot's arms for a moment, giving up when he realized he wasn't escaping this once. He started bouncing, looking up at his friend with the most innocent gaze. "Where's daddy?" he asked excitedly.
"Ooooh, no. It's way too early, young man. Your dad's probably still asleep, and I'm not gonna be the one yelled at for letting you wake him up."
"But Caaaaarl," the little boy tried to reason. "I want to ask him something."
"Ask him something, or ask his for something?" Carl said, lifting an artificial eyebrow.
"Yeah!" he replied, beginning to squirm again. Carl rolled his eyes, accidentally loosening his grip for a split second too long.
Wilbur jumped out of Carl's arms and bolted. The robot rolled its optics, already preparing for a chase.
...
Cornelius rested his head on his hand, his eyes not wanting to leave Franny's sleeping figure just yet. Something about the way her hair cascaded down her back as it gently moved up and down with each breath, the way her lips twitched with her dreams, the way her eyes seemed to dance even behind closed eyelids, made Cornelius' heart flutter every time his eyes fell upon her uniquely classic beauty.
He hummed lightly, bending down to place a kiss on her temple. She smiled in her sleep.
"God, I love you," Cornelius whispered.
The moment seemed to stand still, going on for an eternity, when the young inventor's musings were suddenly-and very loudly-interrupted.
"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Wilbur yelled, shoving his parents' bedroom door wide open.
"Wilbur!" Cornelius yelled, sitting up and yanking the blanket up over his hips.
The little boy ran to his parent's bed, jumping into his father's arms, all the while yelling "Daddy!" Cornelius grunted at the sudden weight.
Franny stirred, a frightened look immediately shadowing her eyes. "Wilbur?!" She sat up, about to reach for her son when she suddenly remembered she was unclothed. She quickly pulled the blanket up over her chest and reached over to put a hand on Wilbur's back. "What is it, sweetie? Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.
Wilbur grinned so wide it made his cheeks hurt. "Mommy, guess what!"
"What is it, Wilbur?" she asked, putting a hand to her chest in relief that her baby wasn't hurt.
"I know what I want for my birfday!"
"Oh?" Cornelius asked, looking down at his son. "And what would that be?"
"I want a lil brover!" he said, excitedly clapping his hands together.
Cornelius looked at Franny, his stomach twisting in an uncomfortable knot.
"O-oh?" Franny said hesitantly. As soon as the words escaped the three-year-old's mouth she felt her heart sink. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, mommy!"
There was a pregnant pause, no one knowing how to break the news to Wilbur. Finally, Cornelius broke the silence.
"Uh, Wilbur, buddy…even if you did get a little brother, there's no way he'd be here for your birthday next month."
"What about my over birfday?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Sweetie, you know your second birthday isn't about present," Franny said softly, rubbing up and down Wilbur's back. "I'm sorry, honey."
Wilbur's face fell as his parents told him the last thing he wanted to hear right now.
The door swung open again as Carl ran into the room. Cornelius and Franny sighed in relief, the woman fighting tears.
"I am so sorry, you guys. I tried to stop him but he jumped out of my arms-"
"It's okay, Carl," Cornelius interjected. He looked down at Wilbur and smiled. "What do you say, son. Ice cream for breakfast?"
Wilbur's face lit up. "Yeah!"
"Great. Go get dressed and we'll go get some. And who knows? You might even get something special while we're out."
...
"Sweetheart?" Franny said as she softly shut the bedroom door.
Cornelius looked up from the tablet in his hands and half smiled. He patted the bed beside him. "Hey." He gently kissing her lips as she sat next to him. His smile faded a bit. She didn't say anything, just sat there biting her lip and playing with a button on the blond's shirt. He exhaled. "I know," he said softly, setting the tablet down to take the hand playing with his dress shirt in his.
Franny closed her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder. "How am I supposed to tell him?" He squeezed her hand. "I'd give him the world if I could. Why did he have to ask for the one thing I can't give him?" She inhaled shakily, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Cornelius smiled sadly, rubbing her arm up and down. "Tell me about it."
A moment of silence filled the room as the couple tried to think of a solution to all their problems. Finally, Cornelius pulled back to look Franny in the eye. "I know what you mean. My whole life I've wanted a family. Now I have it and I just want to give you all the life I know you deserve." He paused again, trying to think of the best way to say the next sentence. "You know, if you want…we could always adopt."
Franny blinked, her brows creasing slightly. She didn't mind the idea of adopting, considering her husband was a prime example of why people should adopt. The thought had just never occurred to her before. But now that she was thinking about it, she wasn't sure how to respond.
Cornelius bit the inside of his cheek, thinking back to his childhood; all the heartache and rejection-feeling like no one ever wanted him…he hated it. He didn't want to have to interview children, didn't want to become the source of the heartbreak. But at the same time, he wanted to be some lucky child's savior, letting him have a better life. He honestly didn't know if he wanted to pursue that option, but he figured why not throw it out into the open.
"I know you want to have another baby, but…Franny face it. We may never have another one," Cornelius said quietly, rubbing Franny's cheek with his thumb.
She looked down, her small hand clenching into a fist. "I know," she said a bit harshly. "I hadn't even thought about adopting." Franny met his eyes once more. "I just wanted to give Wilbur a blood sibling, as selfish as that sounds, but I can't."
"Well, there are other options," the blond said, trying to help Franny understand their situation wasn't completely hopeless.
"I know, but nothing's going to be set in stone. You have to think about everything else. When? How? Will the family be okay with it? I mean, you work constantly-don't get me wrong, I know you love your work, but I see you struggle to make time for me and Wilbur, and I know it's because you're making this world a better place, but…is it the best for us to have another?"
Cornelius blinked, taken aback by his wife's words. Had she been having second thoughts about having another baby, or was this the stress talking? "I know I've been working a lot lately, but that's only because I want to provide my family with the best I can give. I don't mean to be gone so much-believe me, if I could I would stay here most of the time. I'm working on that, I promise. And as for when, well, I know I have a hectic schedule, but-" he cut himself off, not knowing how to finish. His furrowed his brow. "Would it be better if he waited? Maybe until he's older?"
Franny tilted her head, a sad smile adorning her face. "Maybe it's for the best."
...
August 2028
Wilbur lay patiently waiting, his eyes closed and his mouth in the slightest grin. He loved this tradition; ever since he could remember, whenever it was someone's birthday the entire family would wake them up to cake and singing. He loved waking up to his mommy's face smiling at him as she handed him a slice of his favorite sweet treat-double decker chocolate cake, just like his daddy. Speaking of his father, he knew Cornelius always gave the greatest gifts-always a high tech something-or-other that Wilbur never tired of playing with. Last year his father had even make him his own tiny flying car. His mother had rolled her eyes as he zipped around the house, carefully dodging each new family member he came across.
He had woken up about twenty minutes ago, waiting with the patience of a saint, not wanting to open his eyes and ruin his own surprise. Just when he thought they were never going to come in, his smile faltering a bit, he heard a click and soft footsteps.
Cornelius tiptoed lightly across the room, trailed by family members trying their hardest not to giggle loud enough to wake the sleeping child ahead of them. Tallulah let out an accidental snicker, the older blond turning quickly to shush her, himself trying not to laugh. He turned back, realizing they were already at the hovering crib. He opened his mouth to yell "Happy Birthday!" but was suddenly cut off by very loud giggles.
"Happy birfday to meeeeee!" Wilbur shouted, throwing his blanket off his bed and jumping into his father's arms. "Guess what daddy!"
Cornelius chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "What, son?"
"It's my birfday!" he exclaimed, bouncing in Cornelius' arms.
"You don't say?" he said, turning his body so Wilbur could see the giant cake being toted in by the rest of the family, who all had disappointed yet amused looks on their faces.
Wilbur clapped and smiled so much his cheeks hurt as his family sang to him.
As the day went on, Wilbur received so many gifts he lost track of them all within five minutes. Grandpa Bud had gotten him his very own holographic checkerboard (that he was sure he'd appreciate in a few years' time), Grandma Lucille had gotten him a very much souped-up tricycle, Tallulah had made him his own Captain Time Travel onesie he could wear to bed or outside. The best gift of all, though, Wilbur knew was going to be the one Cornelius gave him.
He smiled as he received each new gift, thanking the respective family member like the polite little boy he was. Finally, when the line of gifts seemed to reach its end, Wilbur looked up expectantly at Cornelius, who cocked his head at his son, his brow creased.
"Can I help you?" Cornelius asked teasingly.
Wilbur opened his mouth slightly. "No present from daddy?"
Cornelius raised an eyebrow as Franny said, "Now, Wilbur…"
"Were you expecting something from me?" the blond asked.
The little boy looked up at his father with wide eyes, which looked rather glossy at the moment. His lip quivered slightly as he said, "Oh. Never mind." He looked down and sniffled, and Franny gave her husband "the look." He held up his hands in surrender and knelt down in front of Wilbur.
"Follow me," he whispered. Wilbur immediately perked up.
"Okay, daddy!"
Cornelius led Wilbur across the house, the whole family trailing behind again. "Where are we going, daddy?" he asked, hands outstretched trying to feel his way around. Cornelius kept his hand over Wilbur's eyes, not bothering answering the question. Wilbur was getting very annoyed with his father, and was even about to demand an answer, when the hand finally left his face and revealed his present.
Wilbur's mouth dropped, his eyes wandering around the huge room; it was filled with the coolest stuff a four-year-old could imagine, like a ping pong table in one corner, a huge TV on the far side of the room with every gaming system you could possibly imagine, including a brand new Chargeball station.
The little boy rushed into the room, taking in his surroundings and trying to get his hands on everything his eyes touched. "This is the best present ever!" he concluded, running into Cornelius' outstretched arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he chanted.
The blond looked down fondly at his son. "You're welcome, Wilbur. Do you know what this means?"
Wilbur shook his head, eyes innocently looking at his father in wonder.
"This means you can finally sleep in your very own big kid bed in your very own wing. This is your new bedroom."
Wilbur's eyes widened to impossibly large saucers. "Really?"
"Yep," Cornelius said, walking over to the platform that lifted to Wilbur's bed. The little boy's jaw was slack as they slowly ascended to the loft, Cornelius walking them over to the large bed and laying him down. "Look up," he said softly.
Wilbur did as his daddy said and was amazed at the sight before him. Floating-literally floating-above him was a huge room-sized scale model of the solar system, the planets rotating and orbiting around each other in a perfected pattern. He was far too preoccupied by the beautiful ceiling to remember to say thank you again.
Franny crossed her arms, a tear welling in her eye. She quickly wiped it away before anyone saw. Her baby was growing up, and she didn't know if she liked it.
Billie turned her head to look at Franny. "Don't cry, Francesca. We've still got plenty of time with him."
"I know, Billie." She forced a smile. "Hopefully this will keep him occupied for a while."
...
February 2032
Cornelius tossed and turned in his sleep. Memories that had started fading over the course of time were suddenly, blindingly burned onto the insides of his eyelids. Blue eyes twitched in every direction, forehead starting to glisten. A dark cloud shaded his dream, a sudden scream-he couldn't tell if it was the dream or himself-broke the silence. He ground his teeth, trying desperately to wake himself up, but the dream forced him to watch until the very end where a vortex of emptiness awaited-
"Agh!" he shouted, jolting himself out of the night terror. He panted, looking around the dark bedroom, finally remembering where he was. He turned to look down at the spot he knew his wife would be in. He frowned when he saw her deep brown eyes level with his, staring at him with alarm.
"Sweetheart?" she forced out, a hand touching his bare arm.
He sighed in relief that it indeed had just been a dream, then reached out his own arms and pulled Franny into his embrace, all but crushing her with his grip. "I'm sorry I woke you," he whispered shakily into her ear. They stayed like that for a few moments, Franny's face in a deep frown. He pulled away and looked her in the eye. "I'm fine. Everything is fine." He rubbed his face with his hand. "I need to do something," he said certainly as he scrambled out of bed. He leaned down and pecked Franny's lips before grabbing a shirt and shoes and bolting out the door before she could get a word in edgewise.
He ran down the hall and across the house, ignoring the worried expression of a certain robot, until he finally reached Wilbur's room. Opening the door, only barely trying to be quiet, he peeked his head in the room. There, on a platform across the large space, lay Wilbur. He was sprawled out, one leg dangling off the edge of the bed, the other entangled in the sheets that Franny had fixed just the day before. He breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to his son breathe. The dream had been painfully realistic; he wasn't even sure anymore if it had really happened or not, but he was going to make sure either way that things worked out the way they were supposed to.
Cornelius quickly clicked the door shut and rushed up to his lab, telling Carl on his way up that "I'm going to be working on something very important, so don't let anyone up here, please. I don't know when I'll be finished, but I have a feeling this will be my most important invention yet" before slamming the doors shut.
...
June 2033
"Daaaaad," Wilbur bellowed, knocking obnoxiously on the large double doors that led to the laboratory. No response. Again. He sighed. "DAAAAAD!" he said louder. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door cracked open to reveal a very disheveled-looking Cornelius Robinson, hair even more untidy that usual, with tufts sticking out in every direction. Black grease was streaked across his face that was red with frustration. He looked patiently down at Wilbur, wiping his hands on a dirty rag.
"Yes, Wilbur?"
"Wanna play?" the little boy asked, eyes glinting with mischief.
Cornelius frowned. "I'm sorry, buddy. I'm kind of in the middle of trying to finish this invention…have you asked Carl?" He sounded genuinely distressed that he couldn't hang out with his only son, who was starting to look the slightest bit frustrated. Before Wilbur could say a word of protest, Cornelius jumped back in, crouching down to meet his son's gaze. "Listen, buddy, I know you want to play with your old man, but I have to finish this. I think I'm close to a breakthrough, so I have to do as I do and keep moving forward." He gave his son a weak smile, who mirrored the expression. "You know I'd play if I could." He paused, trying to think of a solution. "Tell you what, once I finish this, I promise I'll make it up to you. We'll have a whole day just for the two of us to do anything you want. I might even let you take it for a test run. How does that sound?"
Wilbur grinned toothily at his dad. "Really? Promise?"
"Promise," he parroted, smiling.
"Okay, dad! You got yourself a deal. Put'er there," he said, extending his hand. Cornelius chuckled at his son's antics, grasping Wilbur's hand and shaking it.
"Deal." He stood, still looking down at his son. "Now go find Carl, okay?"
"Okay," Wilbur said, bounding down the stairs. "Caaaarl!"
Cornelius watched his son go, his chest tight. "I'll make it up to you," he said to Wilbur's retreating form, his hands twisting the rag within them. "I promise."