Okay! I've changed into my pink summer dress and Lan seems to be dressing up in the clothes we were going to go to dinner in tonight.

"Lan, why did you put that on? We aren't going to the restaurant until later." He does look good though.

He was wearing black jeans and black vest with a grey button-up shirt underneath it that he had rolled up to his elbows.

"Just didn't want to get changed later." I like it.

"Hmm… I guess so. Won't you be uncomfortable though?"

"I can deal with it, no big deal." He's usually so reluctant to put on anything too complicated.

It makes it hard not to look at him. Oh, that's what it is.

"Are you perhaps trying to keep my attention away from Uni?" I'm sure I'm overthinking.

However, he just looks at me and I can see his eyes narrow a little bit before he starts putting his shoes on.

"Really?! Like really really!?" Is he jealous? Lan? Even after all he said!?

"I'm not jealous, but…" He trailed off trying to find the right word.

"I kind of just feel like I should do my best?" He looks a little disgruntled saying it. So cute!

"You're doing great! Keep it up!" I honestly want to skip everything planned today and just jump on him.

"Thanks…" He scratches his cheek and goes back to his shoes.

Hnngh, stay focused Lily! Plenty of time for that later!

I collect myself and get my shoes on as well.

"Okay! I think I got this!" I pump both of my fists in front of my chest to give me power.

"Ready?" Lan puts his hand on the handle.

"Ready!" He twists it open and with a push we go out into the hall.

"Oh, I guess they went back to the lobby." That kind of ruined the mood.

We head down to the lobby, and sure enough both my sister and what we think is Uni are both there.

She looks at me for a few seconds as we approach before turning her back to us. A few seconds later she turns to face us again with a much different look on her face.

"Heya guys!" My sister is the first to trot over to us with Uni following slowly behind her.

"Heya, Miss Neptune!" Lan copies her demeanor and reaches for a high-five. Neptune hesitates for a second before completing the ancient ritual.

"Good to see you again, Neptune." She comes on over to me for a hug and…I slap her on the arm.

"Owwwww! What the heck man!?"

"That's for breaking and entering."

"Oof, my bad! I, uh, kind of wasn't thinking there." She gives me a little 'tee-hee!' and a cutesy pose.

"Haah, just don't do anything like that again or I'll rearrange your DNA."

"That's a terrifying thought!" Her face turned white as a sheet.

Does she always react so strongly? …Do I act like that?

"Nevermind that right now, who's the young lady?" Lan tries to move us along.

"We're not minding that I might be rearranged into a slug!?"

With a small sigh and a shake of the head the girl steps forward to introduce herself instead.

"I'm Uni, I am the little sister of Noire. The CPU of Lastation." Guess we were right. Here we go!

"Nice to meet you, um, again! I'm Lily! But, you can just call me Nepgear if you'd like!"

"...So, it is true then huh? That you lost your memories."

"Uh, Yes! I have no memories from before 5 years ago."

She looked me in the eyes and took a step closer to me.

"Did my sister, um, tell you about us?" We are seriously doing this now!?

I can feel my heart start to race as I look at her face. She…she's cute! Like…like a doll!

"Y-yeah, she sure did!" Oh god, I'm becoming a mess.

I can feel my eyes searching for an escape before I catch a glance of Lan and my sister.

Lan is currently showing Neptune some pictures of us. I can tell by her face that she's glad to see them but is reluctant to accept them.

Geez, I'm sure she didn't want all of those you clown.

I look back to Uni who seems about ready to say something. She's really close! But, after looking at my husband and sister, I'm not so nervous anymore.

"Um, Nepgear, this might be inconvenient for you right now. But, I need to get it out there!"

"Yes? What is it?" I want to cut her off and just tell her the situation, but it might be best to let her get it out.

"Do you mind if we go outside?" She keeps looking over to our two companions who are now excitedly looking at Lan's rock collection. Rocks are cool.

"Sure, that might be best." I follow her outside and we go to the park just down the street.

"This should be good." I'd think so, there's nobody here really.

She takes a breath and starts again.

"After you disappeared, everything changed. Not just for me, for everyone. Neptune was obviously devastated, I heard she was always looking for you. Even after the search team was called off." I'm so sorry, Neptune.

"My sister, Noire, became a lot more protective of me as well. She wouldn't let me leave the Basilicom for anything without her. Not that I really wanted to." I kind of got that impression, she was very worried about Uni the other day.

"The twins and Blanc are much the same. Things have calmed down a little recently, but everyone is still on edge." I nod and urge her to continue.

"I…have never moved on from then. It isn't like I'm depressed about it or anything anymore but…" I understand the feeling.

"Things can never go back to normal. I realize that. After you left, I didn't stop thinking about you for one day." Her voice started to falter and her face flushing red.

"I-uh, don't r-really have any fancy words or anything. I just wanted to let you know that I still love you. Even if you don't remember me! We can um, be friends again and maybe someday…" I stop her there.

"I would be glad to be your friend." I can see relief calm her face.

"Thank goodness…"

"However, that's all we can be."

She looks shocked for a second before she regains her composure.

She swallows a bit and asks what I'm sure she knows the answer to. "It's that guy in the lobby, isn't it?"

"Yes. His name is Lan, we have been married for 3 years and I don't plan on leaving him until the day I die."

"Married…" She looks down before clenching her fists and looking back up into my eyes.

"I wasn't expecting a husband, ahaha." Oof, I want to run!

"Yeah, he's, um, pretty great!"

"Good."

It gets pretty quiet for a minute while Uni searches for what to say.

"What's he like?" Her gaze suddenly turned strong and determined almost. It kind of made me flinch.

"I guess…hmmm…" What's the best way to describe him in a few words?

"He's an awkward goofball who always puts me first and is always there to support me." That's pretty good I think.

"I see." She spins around and takes a few steps before coming to a stop.

"Right now, I might not be able to compete with him…" Compete? Oh no.

"I'm not giving up…Lily." With that she leaves in the opposite way we came.

…Well that didn't work how I hoped it would. If anything she seems more determined than when she started.

It's not like people can't use my name either but. It certainly seems like she realized that Lan is the only one who calls me that.

"Awww man, I just want to go hooomeee." I'm glad I met everyone again, truly. However, this is too much!

I wait a few minutes and then head back to the hotel lobby where Lan and Neptune are now looking at something and giggling.

"Hey, I'm back." they get up from the little sofa they were on walk over to me.

"So, how did it go?" Lan quickly and anxiously asks me.

"...Great! Except she doesn't want to give up."

He sighs and shrugs "I wouldn't either to be honest. You're a pretty great catch."

"Says the guy who almost let her slip away." Neptune chimed in as well.

"Yeah, exac-...wait, how do you know?" I think I only told her I confessed first?

"Lan and I have been swapping stories while you were gone! Man! I missed some good stuff huh?" She closes her eyes and nods.

…I miscalculated. I didn't think they would get so close so quickly.

"What exactly have you told her, Lan?" I can feel the dread building within me.

"Nothing too bad. Just little things about us. Like how many problems we had preparing for the wedding, as well as our first date." Okay, that's fine.

"Alright, well that's not as bad as it could be." I sigh and feel the relief fill my body.

"Where'd Uni head off to?" My sister just noticed she was missing.

"I think she went to the Basilicom already." I can only assume so.

"Works for me!" She puts her arms up behind her head and starts walking toward the door.

"It would be waayyyy too awkward after something like that." It's going to be awkward even when we get there, Neptune.

"Nah, I think Lily handled it well enough. I'm sure she won't try anything immediately anyway."

"Lan, Uni is pretty stubborn! Once she sets her sights on something, she doesn't quit!" Great.

"Then I'll just show her a thing or three. Just overpower her with how totally cool I am." He strikes a pose and flips his hair.

"I don't know if I'd call that cool, but I get your point. I won't let her come between us, Lan. …I'm a Lanny fanny all the way!"

They both stop dead in their tracks and I can see the confusion all over their faces.

"W-what is it?"

"Lily, I love you." Lan hugs me and pats my head.

"I love you too?" Still confused, I hug him back.

"Lanny fanny?"

"What about it?" Neptune sighs.

"Nothing, nothing! Just a little, cringey…" Her face kind of scrunches up.

"I just thought about it right then okay!?" Now I feel embarrassed about it!

"You're so cute, I want to squeeze you!"

"Lan! Stop! It's getting embarrassing!" He is squeezing even tighter and laughing.

"Ahahaha, is this what it's like everyday with you guys?"

"Lan! Neptune is watching us nowww! Let gooooo!" I can't get out of his squeeze!

"Neverrrrrrrrr!"

"Ughhh, you're doing this on purpose!"

Haaah, whatever. It feels comfy I guess.

So Uni finally gets her say. Doesn't look like she wants to give up. That's fine. She was waiting all this time for 'Nepgear' to come back after all. I wonder if the differences between 'Nepgear' and Lily will sway her? Anyway, this one was hard. Uni is definitely a go-getter kind of girl, so she just went all in I feel like. So she didn't even really know what to say. I wanted her to express that without it being a 'so i like you' short thing. Next time is a probably what Lan and Neptune were talking about. Unless i decide that it's better for Nepgear to tell all the CPU's at once. not sure yet. Also, thanks for the positive comments! They really inspire me to keep going! I'm glad you guys like my delusions as much as I do!