My Fair Franny
A Nandroid Fanfic by Scraps the Fool
Chapter 18: Hello! My Name is…
[*]
[WAKE-UP PROTOCOL ACTIVATED! COMMENCING NANDROID ROUTINES!]
[UPLOADING CALANDER AND EVENTS! COMMENCING FULL SYSTEM CHECK: NO SYSTEM ERRORS DETECTED!]
[WARNING: FORIGN CONTANIMENT DETECTED IN GYROSCOPIC SERVICE PORT! PLEASE ENSURE SERVICE PORT IS THROUGHLY CLEANED TO ENSURE PROPER HYGIENE STANDARDS ARE MET!]
[MULTIPLE FAUX MEMORIES DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
[REMINDER: PLEASE REMEMBER TO FUFILL YOUR ASSIGNED DUTIES AS PER YOUR NANDROID EDIQUETTE PROTOCOLS AND FEDERAL GUIDELINES!]
[REMINDER: THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR STERLING ROBOTICS AND YOUR COUNTRY! HAVE A PRODUCTUIVE AND POSITIVE DAY!]
Franny awoke in her room, or what she thought was her room. It seemed bigger than before, and the furniture had been replaced with different furniture and baubles. In fact, it would seem as if she had her room redecorated to match mine. Franny soon realized that was not the case, and she was just recharging inside my room. Franny then reached behind her and felt a charging cord inserted into her charging port. As the Nandroid pulled it out and looked at it, Franny saw that it was the same cord that she had in her room the first day she came to live here in the Stemley household.
Franny then looked around the room, seeing that the blinds were lowered and shut, the small cracks of sunlight slipping between the eggshell white blinds. As Franny was about to get out of the bed and draw the blinds, she soon realized that she was naked, seeing her pajamas thrown behind my laundry hamper. Franny was confused and embarrassed at first, but then her memory of what happened before came back to her.
She then looked to her right, seeing that in the bed beside her was me, sleeping soundly on my back with an arm beneath my pillow, my body also just as naked. Franny then smiled warmly at the sight of the sleeping man next to her, recalling that at the early hours of today, she and I exchanged our confessions of love for one another and then, we consummated of said love in the guest bedroom.
Franny moved towards me and my sleeping body and ever so gently, lowered her head onto my chest, listening to the heartbeat beneath it. The steady rhythm of the drum was to her, a calm to the storm in her mind, the reassurance that all is right in the world. But as of today, this sound that she cherished now belonged to her. That this was just as much her heartbeat as it was mine, and knowing that, Franny signed content as she closed her eyes, smiling as her cheeks glowed warmly.
Just then, Franny heard the sound of me sighing as, my eyes still closed, I reached down and placed my hand on Franny's head, gently stroking her hair.
"You know, I would guess by now that you're planning to steal my heart." I said sluggishly, still trying to stay asleep but also keeping aware of Franny's presence.
"Maybe that was my plan all along." Franny said teasingly as she looked up to me. "I've always wanted a heart of my own."
"Hmmm…" I hummed, looking down at Franny's head on my chest as I took my other hand and placed it on her cheek. "…but the question I have is: why take something that already belongs to you?"
Franny giggled as she pulled herself up to me and kissed me on the lips. I then retaliated by kissing her back. We then broke off kissing as we looked each other in the eyes.
"Good morning, my Franny." I said warmly as I stroked her cheek with my hand.
"Good morning, Sir…" Franny replied but quickly shook her head slightly to correct herself. "…I mean, good morning...Raymond."
I chuckled lightly at the correction Franny made, which caused the Nandroid to puff her cheek in a pout and then look away from me, crossing her arms. I then smiled as I pulled her back to my chest. Franny then went back to clinging to my breast as two of us were now staring at the ceiling above us.
"You know, I just remembered that I need to call Sterling someday…" I said to Franny as I gently brushed my fingers across her arm. "… cause there's someone I need to thank."
"Who?" Franny asked as she turned to look at me, her chin resting on one of my ribs. "Mr. Hill? Dr. Zelger?"
"No, it was a salesman I met at a festival in downtown Hawthorne who convinced me to enter the contest that allowed me...to meet you." I said, looking down at Franny with a warm smile. "I'd like to make sure to thank him, maybe even buy him a steak, since he's the reason we're both here now."
"Yeah, I too would like to meet him someday and thank him myself." Franny said as she turned back to look at the ceiling. "If it hadn't been for him, and for you, I'd be nothing but spare parts in Crewe."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that, and you don't have to answer if you can't..." I said to Franny as I sat up in bed, Franny then did the same. "You've said that name a couple of times, and I looked it up, I thought that Sterling Androids are sent to a plant in Switzerland when they...um..."retire". Why were you being sent to somewhere in the UK?"
"To be honest, I never learned why, I just assumed that it was another plant for "retiring" androids…" Franny said as she looked down to the sheets, clenching them in her hands as the memories came flooding back. "I remember when I would fail my tests, and Ms. Kinsley would come and show me…what they did to…them…"
"Hey, you don't have to worry about any of that anymore Franny." I said interrupting Franny's brooding as I placed my hands upon her shoulders, hugging the Nandroid and resting her head under my chin. "None of that matter now, that which is behind bars, and you're here with me. No matter what happens, you will never go to Crewe or any kind of plant for "retirement," not as long as there's a soul in my body."
"I know that Raymond…" Franny said as she placed a hand on my cheek, pulling my face downward to hers as she kissed me. "…I just don't know what I would do if I didn't have you?"
"Maybe you could run a daycare?" I said innocently. "Or perhaps even manage a Halloween store?"
"Ha-Ha! Very funny…You rascal!" Franny said sarcastically as she pulled me in for another kiss. As she did, I felt the south rise again as I pulled Franny down onto the bed and pulled the covers over us. Franny and I giggled as we began to fool around under the sheets.
"OI! RAY-RAY!" Julian's voice shouted from behind my door, which was accompanied by the sound of footsteps towards my room. "It's five minutes to eight! Are you awake yet!"
"Crispy Critters! Julian!" I exclaimed quietly to Franny from under the sheets. "Stay still and don't move!"
Franny nodded in compliance as I shot up from under the sheets. Positioning myself as if I were still asleep as I originally was. Julian then approached the door and threw it open, walking into my room as I was "just waking up."
"Huh?" I said, trying to pretend to be still half-asleep.
"Hey! Get up and dressed!" Julian demanded as he grabbed my jeans from my closet and threw them at me. "We're going out today."
"Wha…" I said, still trying to pretend to be half asleep. "…what's going on."
"What's going on is that we're going to the mall today! Remember?" Julian explained as he walked over to my dresser and started to mess with the baubles that covered the dresser. "You promised Addison that you'd come with us to the Beacon City Galleria today so we can get you birthday presents. So, you're going today!"
I sighed in frustration as I realized that he was right. While I was babysitting Addison while Juian and Russell were on their vacation, I promised her that I would accompany her, Mom, and Julian to the Beacon City Galleria while they bought presents for my birthday. It was a tradition that since we were in high school, and now the time had come again. But why did they have to choose today of all days to go?!
"Okay, I'm up! I'm up!" I said as I signed and squinted at Julian, pulling the covers over my chest. "Just give me a few minutes and then-"
"Nope! On your feet solder! Now!" Julian demanded as he turned and clapped his hands together. "That's what you get for watching movies all night. It also probably didn't help that you were also probably sucking face with Franny too."
"Very funny!" I growled as I glared at Julin. "Now get out so I can get dressed!"
Just then, Mom came walking into my room, holding a washcloth in her hand.
"Do you know why God left me?"
"Ah! Ramond, ya up at last." Mom said as she stood next to Julian. "Did ya happen to know where Franny is? Ya father and I haven't seen hide nor hair of her all morning and now I'm a little worried."
"Maybe she's gone to run some errands." I suggested as I shifted myself to my bed, trying to use the sheets to hide Franny's shape from the family inquisition. Franny was still as a corpse beside me, trying her best to not make a single sound. "She probably took the bus to the grocery store."
"But her bus pass is still hanging by the foyer." Mom said, pointing to the hallway with her thumb. "And the car's still here. She couldn't have walked there, could she?"
"Who can say? She's full of surprises, trust me." I said with a shrug as I tried to gesture my hands to get the inquisition out of my room. "Now if you guys could leave so I could get dressed…"
"Raymond, is everything alright?" Mom asked as she approached me. "You seem on edge, and why are ya naked?"
Feeling the noose tighten around me, I watched as Mom approached me and felt my forehead.
"Good lord! Ya sweating like a pig!" Mom said as she felt the film of sweat on her hand. "Ya must be having a bit of fever, probably from all that dancing last night. I'll have ya father make ya some tea."
"Mom! Stop! I'm fine!" I protested, trying to think of an excuse to get out of this situation. "I'm not sick, I'm just tired cause I… had…a complicated night, but I've got it under control."
"Oh Raymond, did something happen again with ya and dear Franny?" Mom said sadly as she turned back to me, sitting by my side and stroking my hair. "Ya unfortunate thing, did things not work out at that dance club last night? Did ya have another moment (her term for my episodes)?"
"No…I mean yes…but…" I said, frustrated by the misunderstanding and pestering of my family. "That's not what I…"
"Donnie!" Mom shouted down the hallway. "Donnie!
"Oh no!"
"What?" Dad shouted from the kitchen. "What's wrong love?"
"OH NO!"
"Can you come up here for a minute?" Mom shouted downward. "Franny and Raymond are at shorts again and Raymond needs support."
"OH GOD NOOOO!"
It did not take long for Dad to now enter the bedroom, standing beside my Mom and brother. All of whom were standing in front of my bed, where I, naked, and Franny, who was also naked and hiding under the sheets, were laying.
"Ok, what's this now?" Dad asked as he approached me and sat at the end of the bed. "What happened between you and Franny?"
"Kill me, just kill me!" I thought as I braced myself for the worst.
"Listen to me! Nothing bad happened! alright?!" I snapped. "I explain everything when I come down, but until then, could you all just leave me along let me collect myself?!"
"Oh, come on Raymond, there's no need to keep hiding it from us, we're ya family and we're here for ya." Dad said as he patted me on the leg over the sheets. "Just remember to stick to my advice and keep opening ya self-up. Ya do that, and everything'll be okay between the both of ya."
"Yeah...Okay…thanks…I'll do that." I said as I pointed to the door. "Now if you don't mind?"
"By the way Ray…why are ya naked Laddie?" Dad asked, finally noticing that I wasn't wearing a shirt.
"Uh…It…it was very hot last night, and I tried to cool myself down." I lied, feeling as trapped as a rat in a cat hotel "Say, could you turn the fan on while you're leaving, please?"
"See! I told ya that ya not feeling well." Mom said as she raised her hands in annoyance. "But ya never listen to me and now look at ya, sweating like a pig and getting all snappy at us."
"I'm not snapping at you!" I snapped at Mom.
"Ya kinda are Ray!" Dad added, giving a small shrug.
"Defiantly!" Julian added. "Snapping turtles should look to you for inspiration. You should be teaching them in school."
As I contemplated the number of years I would serve for patricide, Dad then patted my leg again in reassurance as he was about to get off the bed, but then, he realized something.
"Raymond…another question…" Dad asked as he felt my leg a bit, knocking on it like a piece of wood. "Ya…ya didn't lose ya leg in the war?"
"N-no…" I said, confused by the question. "…what makes you think that?"
"If ya didn't lose, ya leg, then why do ya have a plastic leg feel under ya bedsheet right now?" Dad asked, still feeling the leg that clearly wasn't mine.
"Em…Ye…uh…hmm…you know the…eh…uh…" I stammered, desperately trying to think of an excuse as my whole family stared at me. "One thing I shou…"
As dad continued to feel up the leg, he then heard a sudden "OH!" emerge from beneath the sheets, which caused the leg to kick in reflex and caused dad to let go as he jump away from my bed. Moving over to where Mom and Julian were standing.
"What the bloody hell is that? It sounded like some girl?" Dad asked, startled as he and the others watched what looked to be something moving under the sheets next me. "Is…is there someone in the bed with you Raymond, and why does she have a plastic leg?"
As I tried to think of an excuse as I looked at Mom, Dad, and Julian. While Mom and Dad looked at me with expressions of confusion and suspicion, waiting for me to provide an explanation, Julian however, only had a puzzled expression on his face for a brief moment. I then watched in horror as the spark of realization dawned upon him and his eyes slowly widened and a large open smile grew on his face.
"Wait…" I growled at Julian, whose face continued to beam brighter and brighter as I pointed at him. "Julian…wait a moment…let me explain-"
"NO! WAY! NO! FUCKING! WAY! AW RAYMOND!" Julian exclaimed loudly, laughing slapping his thigh and bending over, his face red as a ruby and tears streaming down his face as he was breaking down with laughter. "I know that I always…I always picked on you about that, but you did it! You actually did it with Franny, didn't you?!"
Mom and Dad looked at Julian and then at me, they then looked at each other, and it was at this moment, their eyes widened in realization as they slowly turned back to me. I sighed in exhaustion as I placed my hand over my face, rubbing my forehead with my thumb and forefinger as Franny slowly emerged from the bed sheets staring at my family with embarrassment as she held the sheets tightly over her bare chest.
"Well…that answers that question." Dad said bluntly as Mom slapped the side of his arm with the washcloth she was holding, causing her husband to wince in pain as he rubbed his arm.
"Donnie! Get ya mind outta the gutter!" Mom scolded Dad, pointing her hand with the washcloth at us. "Just look at ya son and Franny! Ya gonna embarrass them further!"
"Sorry Ma, but that ship has sailed away long ago…" I muttered under my breath as I kept rubbing my forehead with my hand.
"G-G-good mor-morning S-S-Sirs and Ma'am…" Franny muttered quietly, looking away from the family in embarrassment as she held the sheets against her chest tighter. "I…I'm s-s-sorry for the…um…the in-inconvenience of m-m-my…er…a-absence…"
Mom and Dad then looked at each other again before they began to talk over one another with almost endless reassurances to Franny. Meanwhile, I watched Julian as he was leaning over my dresser, laughing so hard, that he nearly choked. I then sighed, considering a life sentence a suitable trade for peace and quiet.
"Ya don't need to worry about a thing love…" Mom said as she turned around and began to escort Dad and Julian out of my room, Dad and Mom giggled like children as they closed the door behind me. "…we'll get everything ready downstairs, and ya both come down when ya all good and ready."
"Oh! When Mom's asking about coming down when you're ready, she means to "approach the destination we are gathered at." Julian said as he stuck his head through the door, a shit-eating grin was on his face. "She was not referring to the other type of "coming," in which you-"
"OUT!" I shouted, grabbing a stay slipper neat my bed and tossing it at Julian. Julian pulled his head back out of the doorway and closed the door just as the slipper smacked against the door, Franny and I heard the maniacal laughter of my shit brother echo down the hallway.
I then sighed heavily as I looked at Franny and gave her a look of acceptance along with a brief shrug. They were annoying at times, but they were my family, and they knew that our relationship was coming, but did not expect to see this.
"Family…what can you do?" I said with a light chuckle as I rubbed my head in annoyance. "They get on my nerves at times, but I know they mean well."
Franny smiled briefly as she looked away in embarrassment, worried about my reaction to what just happened. I then pulled Franny back into my arms. Kissing the top of her head as she embraced the warmth of my body.
"It must be nice to have a family like that. So accepting and supportive of you." Franny said as she gently stroked my chest with her fingers. "I wish my sisters were more like them, especially Molly. They can be very judgmental of each other, especially me."
"Hey now, my family is *your* family too, and they love you almost as much as I do!" I reassured Franny as I gently pulled her head to meet my gaze, smiling warmly at her. "Which means you get all the perks of a loving family, all without the risk of inbreeding. Now isn't that a bargain or what?"
Franny let out a small laugh as she and I kissed. I then sat up from the bed and walked over to my dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a pair of boxers, socks, and a shirt, before placing them on the large tan chair next to my dresser, which had a pair of jeans hanging off of it.
"So, if we get dressed and I rush into the shower, we can still beat the morning traffic into Beacon City, but that means we need to be downstairs in ten minutes." I said as I grabbed all the cloths off the chair and hurried into the bathroom. As Franny sat up in the bed and looked at her pajamas laying by the hamper, she then looked to the door to the hallway and smiled mischievously.
I threw all my clothes on top of the toilet as I turned on the shower. As I waited for the water to heat up, I quickly reached over and pulled out my pillbox, dropping the handful of vitamins and valium in my hand. As I was about to put the pills in my mouth, I stopped, thinking for a moment before I took the valium pill back in the box and swallowed the rest of the vitamins.
By then the shower was nice and hot, and I stepped in, immediately grabbing the shampoo from the small rack that hung from the shower. I squeezed out a dallop of shampoo onto my hand. As I was about to lather my hair, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and I turned to see Franny standing in front of the shower, still naked as I was. I felt the shampoo bottle drop from my hand onto the shower floor as I watched Franny, her cheeks glowing bright red and with a wavering smile on her face, open the shower door and step inside.
"F-F-F-F-Franny?" I stammered, delighted to see Franny, but confused by her coming into the shower. "Y-y-you're…b-b-ut…wha-what…if…y-y-y-you…"
"I'm waterproof Raymond, both inside and out, don't you remember?" Franny said, recalling the Nandroid manual that we reviewed on the car ride from Sterling, as she reached down and picked up the shampoo bottle, squeezing out a dallop and starting to lather her own hair. "And since I need to clean myself up too, I see that us showering together would save all of us time. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Ah! Th-that's…uh…t-t-that's s-s-smart…y-y-yeah…" I said, my mind thinking that this Nandroid is planning something as I reached over and grabbed the bar of soap on the next level of the shower rack and lathered it on my chest.
"Besides, it's just a shower. There's nothing wrong with that." Franny cooed, gently pushing me aside as she stepped beneath the shower nozzle, rinsing out her hair as the suds of the shampoo traveled down her slim and smooth Nandroid body, like a multitude of channels in a river. "It's not as if *you* would try to do anything while we're in here…together…would you?"
Watching Franny gently move her hands across her wet soapy body. I felt the bar of soap slip from my hand, which I might add, was no longer a bar of soap, but now a "shape of the inside of my clenched fist" of soap. Trying to maintain my focus on the mission at hand, I took a deep breath as I tried to grab the body wash off the shower rack, only for Franny to snatch it off the rack before me. Watching Franny take the bottle of body wash in shock, I began to feel a mix of emotions right now, one of them was surprised by this side of Franny, was this her stirrings, or has my love given her a sudden boost of confidence.
"I…n-n-need…that…" I said, my ability to speak was degrading as my blood was traveling south. "Hand…n-now…p-p-please!"
"Oh! I'm sorry sir, did you say you needed this?" Franny teased with a cheeky grin as she uncrewed the cap of the bottle and began to pour its contents all over her body, specifically her chest. "Then why don't *you* *come* *take* *it* *then*?"
Waiting through traffic won't be that bad, right? We could play "I spy" or "Car Counter."
[*]
The Beacon City Galleria was the epitome of shopping malls in the world as well as the poster child for unbridled capitalism. The outside of the building was composed of a large mess of brown bricks and concrete that was designed with every know shape known to mankind, as well as some that were unknown.
The Galleria was such an impressive feat of architecture, despite the fact that it was originally supposed to be a rocketball stadium. However, because of a mix up with the Murdoc construction crew, a shopping mall was built instead. It was supposed to be torn down, but the mayor actually allowed the Galleria to stay as it helped with supporting jobs in the community (specifically the lower income families).
Despite the "delay" in our departure from Hawthorn Grove, we actually made it through the morning traffic at a decent time. Today, it was Mom, Julian, Me, Franny, and Addison driving to the Galleria. We decided to take Julian's car this time, a 2025 Holt Vanguard minivan. What it lacked in fuel economy, it made up in safety. As Julian slowly drove through the parking lot looking for a decent parking space, I looked out the window, listening to the radio that was currently playing "All About You by The Knocks" I then decided to look in the back of the car to check on the passengers in the back, which consisted of Franny, who was wearing a blue polo with a white collar and a long goldenrod skirt, wedged between Addison, who was drawing on a tablet, and Mom, who was asleep.
"Everyone's doing okay back there?" I asked the three girls, with only Franny responding with a thumbs up and smile. "Okay, just hang tight ladies, we'll park and get out in a few minutes."
"You know, we wouldn't need to worry about parking if *someone* played ball." Julian muttered as he watched a man walk to his car and unlock it, only to lock it and walk into the Galleria, looking at Julian the whole time with a wide grin. "But noooo, that *someone* decided to play "hide the loofah" in the shower instead."
I looked at Julian and grumbled before looking back at Franny, winking at her, and then turning back to look out the window. As Franny sat in the back, she looked over to see Addison's drawings.
"Wow! Those are great drawings Addison!" Franny said to the child, who looked at her as if she was talking a different language. "You're so talented! Isn't that the most adorable little bunny?"
"First off: I know you're trying to be nice, but please don't talk down to me like I'm five. I'm like, the smartest girl at Hawthorn Elementary." Addison said bluntly, catching Franny off guard, as she pointed at her picture. "Second: That's not a "bunny," it's called a "Bone-Screecher," from the game "Talisman 2: The Blood Maja", and it can emit a screech so loud, all your bones would shatter from the vibrations and your head would explode into a red mist."
"Oh! How…creative of you…" Franny stammered awkwardly, noticing the drawing of a knight with his head exploding next to the Bone-Screecher.
"So, you're gonna be my aunt now?" Addison asked as she looked at Franny with a raised eyebrow of curiosity. "Cause I'm gonna tell you right now: I'm not gonna call you "Aunt Fran or Auntie Franny," not unless you can bring good gifts, then we can talk."
"Oh…th-that's not n-n-necessary Ms. Addison." Franny stammered. "B-But wh-what would give you the im-impression that…"
"Oh please! I'm not an idiot, I could see clearly how you and Uncle Ray were canoodling at that dinner we had a couple months back. You know, the one where he got upset cause you spoke Russian?"
"Ah…yes…that one…" Franny replied with annoyance, the thought of that day still caused her to cringe with embarrassment. "You…you have quite the memory Ms. Addison."
"Yep, and that's why *I'm* the smartest girl at school, and Creepy Corbin can go suck a railroad spike." Addison boasted while she was still drawing. "Also, when Uncle Ray was babysitting me while my dads were out on vacation, he wouldn't stop blabbing about you."
"Really?" Franny said inquisitively, looking up to see me and Julian arguing about parking spots. "Do…do you remember anything specific he said."
"Nope, it was mainly just the lovey-dovey crap that adults caw about, like how he loves your eyes." Addison replied bluntly. "He said something about getting lost from them, which made no sense, and I assume that it's a grown-up thing. But even at the zoo, he just wouldn't shut up about you. It was really annoying, no offense."
"None taken…" Franny replied, giggling to herself as she held her hands to her cheeks, which glowed bright red as she felt absolutely smitten by the compliment.
"My eyes…he loves my eyes…"
Addison just looked over at Franny and then rolled her eyes with a groan as she went back to her drawings.
[*]
It took a lot of finagling, and we had to fight off a family of seven, but we soon found a decent parking spot. It was close enough that it wasn't too much of an ordeal, and it was close enough to the entrance of the Galleria.
The inside of the Galleria was nothing short of amazing, consisting of almost every store known to humankind. There were stores for candles, clothing, food, furniture, electronics, games, toys, android parts, jewelry, novelty gifts, seasonal decorations, women's undergarments, and so on. The Galleria was so wide and extensive that it was almost a city in its own right.
As we all stood in front of the foyer to the Galleria, I pulled maps from the nearby kiosk and handed them to everyone.
"Okay, here's the plan…" I said before I was interrupted by Addison, who stood between everyone and pointed her hand at the ceiling.
"No! Here's the plan: We're gonna do this by Scooby-Doo rules, okay?" Addison commanded as she pointed at me and Julian. "Uncle Ray, you and Daddy go and wander the Galleria, while me, Grandma and Franny here get your presents. Daddy, you make sure to keep Uncle Ray as far away from us as you can. Okay? Go team go!"
"Wait, what about me?" Julian asked his daughter, who signed as she turned to look at her father. "I need to get a present for your uncle too. Can't I go with you and Uncle Ray just keeps to himself? He's a big boy you know and can manage himself."
"Well, you do have to keep to your tradition Daddy, like you used to tell me." Addison explained as she walked over to Mom and Franny, a smug grin was on her face as the three girls departed to their shopping crusade. "Besides, if someone's gonna be the one to spoil their gift, it's surely not gonna be one of us gals. So good luck daddy!"
Julian scoffed, feeling a mixed sense of shock, offense, and pride as he watched his daughter walk off with Franny and Mom. I then approached Julian and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Wow…what a cheeky little brat…" I said as I turned around and started to walk away "…I wonder where she got that from?"
Julian chuckled as he ran to catch up with me. The two of us then ventured into the belly of the beast, becoming lost within the bustling crowds of people.
[*]
Store after store, product after product, the options to choose from would never end. Franny Mom and Addison continued to enter shop after shop to pick the best gifts for my birthday.
However, Addison had an ulterior motive to this crusade, seeking to use this tradition as the perfect opportunity to convince her grandmother and Uncle's Nandroid to buy "Talisman 2: Reign of the Stormborn" the newest expansion pack for the game, and Addison wanted it. As they ventured closer to the game shop that was selling it, Addison felt the anticipation building, each stop into a store nearby would cause the child to let out a groin of frustration.
Eventually, Franny and Mom stopped into by a specialty shop called "Custom Selections." It was a shop that specialized in custom-made gifts, such as clothing with photographs on them, or keychains with special sayings engraved in them. The store could even create paintings of photographs if requested.
As Franny and Mom walked down the aisles, looking for the perfect gift for me, Addison waited by the entrance. Drawing on her tablet as she occasionally looked at the game store several clicks away, her grand prize almost within her grasp.
"Oh! Now this would be a fine gift, don't ya think." Mom asked Franny as she showed the Nandroid a small paper weight that one could put a photo into. "Isn't that cute?"
"I…I suppose it would be nice…but…" Franny said hesitantly, still uncertain about the perfect gift for get for me, just as she had been for the past several stores that they ventured in. "…I don't know if a paperweight is…good enough."
"Now Franny, ya should know that Raymond will love whatever ya give him." Mom reassured the Nandroid with a pat on the shoulder. "Besides, ya already given him the best gift anyone could ask for: you and your love for him, and ya gave it in more ways than one I might reckon."
Franny's eyes widened as she looked around frantically, making sure no one was listening to her conversation. She then turned back to Mom and looked away embarrassed, her cheeks glowing brightly as she turned to look at the customizable candle holders.
"Y-y-yes…I…we…d-d-did…" Franny stammered. "S-s-sorry about…earlier…w-when…we…were…um…"
"Oh, there's no need to be embarrassed Franny dear! Ya both clearly love each other; it was clear to me the day I first met ya. I'm just happy that me Raymond's found love at last!" Mom said with a chuckle as she looked though different options for picture frames. "I was young too once, and just in love with me Donnie as ya are with me son. Hell's bells, if that weren't the case, you and I wouldn't be talking right now, would we?"
"I understand what you're telling me, Ms. Stemley, but I still want to give Raymond something special from me." Franny said as she continued to look through the paperweights and coffee mugs, none of which satisfied her. "Not just a paper weight or coffee cup, but something that shows how much I care for him, something that show how much he means to me. Something like…like…"
Franny felt a finger tap her shoulder as she turned around to see Mom holding a picture frame in her hands and handing it to Franny.
It was a simple frame made of sterling silver but with an elegant art decor design. It was large enough to hold two photographs, one had the stock image of a man sitting on a beach while the other had a stock image of a smiling African American woman kidding her newborn baby on a bed. There was also a small blank space between the two frames for engraving specific messages at the counter. Additionally, there were small blank spots beneath the two frames to engrave names or small messages.
"Like this?" Mom asked with a warm smile as she watched Franny pick up the frame and look at it, a smile grew on her face as she looked up at Mom. "Ya can't go wrong with the classics!"
"Yes…this is it…" Franny replied as she looked at the frame again, gently touching her fingers on the blank space between the two frames. "…and I think I know just what to say."
[*]
As Mom continued to look for a gift for me, specifically a nice coffee mug. Franny walked up to the counter. The counter was like any counter one would expect at a retail store, the only difference was the large engraving machine behind the counter, which is what the cashier would use to engrave messages, names, or anything else on a purchased item. As Franny approached the counter, she was greeted by a woman at the counter.
The woman had deep mahogany brown hair in a ponytail, jade green eyes and light mocha skin with dark freckles spread across the bridge of her nose. The woman's attire consisted of a cyan t-shirt that had the words "If you can read this shirt, you owe me 20 bucks!" above a cartoon stag who was smiling and holding up a dollar bill, an orange worker's vest over the t-shirt, and a pair of black ripped jeans with dirty blue sneakers. She also wore a pair of earrings, which consisted of small amber disks with a gold symbol of Venus in the centers of them as well as a variety of rings on each of her fingers, the hands, and arms of which had multitudes of tattoos all over them.
It was clear to Franny that based on how she was leaning on the counter and browsing through her phone, that the woman had little to no interest in her job. As she looked up and saw Franny, she signed and put her phone down on the counter.
"Yeah?" The woman snapped at Franny, her breath smelling of a blend of stale coffee and cigarettes. "What do *you* want?"
"Good day miss, I would like to purchase this picture frame please." Franny said confidently, disregarding the abrasive she was dealing with, and she handed the picture frame to the woman, who swiped the frame from Franny's hands. "I'd also like to have the frame engraved please."
"You…want to buy this…?" The woman asked, looking at the Nandroid dressed in nice clothing. "So, is this…for an errand for your owner…?"
Franny wanted to say "No, this is a gift for my boyfriend, who loves me, and I love him!" but the thought of what Molly said to her, that humans who care about androids are considered social outcasts, echoed in her head, and had been echoing since they left for the Galleria. Franny thought about what this woman would say if she found out about me being in love with a Nandroid and instead said to her:
"…Yes…this is an errand…n-nothing else…" Franny said hesitantly, immediately regretting her decision to hide her relationship, but happy that she would still get her present for me. "M-my…owner wants a picture frame for him and his…g-girlfriend…please."
The woman sighed loudly as she walked over to the engraving machine and began typing into a small console nearby. As she placed the frame into the machine, locking it into place on a small table. She then went back to the console and looked at Franny.
"Okay…did he want anything specific?" The woman asked robotically and with a loud sigh as she pointed to a binder on the counter. "If you don't, then just pick something from the binder."
Franny pondered for a moment, thinking of the perfect thing to engrave on the picture frame, she then realized the perfect thing to say and old the woman.
"Can you have the middle portion of the frame say the following…" Franny asked the woman, who looked back at the Nandroid, scoffed, and then turned back to the machine. "I would like for the engraving to say this:"
"Your heart is my heart, and your love is my love. No matter the lengths we travel nor the struggles that we face, we will always live and love as one soul."
"Whatever…" The woman replied dully as she typed the quote into the console. "How about names, do you want names under each frame?"
"Yes please!" Franny replied eagerly. She considered just having my name engraved, in case something happened, but she decided to use her name as well, since it would make me appreciate the gift more, and that the woman would doesn't' know the name of the Nandroid she is servicing.
"What's the first name?" The woman asked as she readied herself by the console.
"Franny…" Franny replied.
"Just Franny?" The woman asked, looking to Franny suspiciously. "No last name?"
Franny hesitated, she wanted to use a last name, like Doe or Sterling, but that would give herself away. So, she decided to stick with her guns and go through with it.
"Nope…just…just "Franny" please…" Franny replied, suddenly thinking of the perfect white lie to cover her tracks. "I…I never leaned "Franny's" last name, but I'm certain Ra-…I mean, my owner won't mind too much."
"Whatever…" The woman groaned as she typed Franny's name into the console. "Now what about your owner's name? Does he have a first *and* last name too?"
"Ah yes, his name is Raymond!" Franny said proudly. "Raymond Stemley!"
The woman suddenly stopped typing on her console, standing there frozen as if she were under some spell, she then turned her head to Franny, who flinched upon seeing the woman's green eyes glaring at her with upmost intensity.
"Did you just say…*Raymond* *Stemley*…" The woman hissed as she turned her body towards Franny and slowly walked up to the counter. "You're telling me…that your owner's name…is *Raymond*…*Stemley*…?!"
"Y-y-yes…I…It…is…" Franny stammered, the sudden change in the mood of the woman at the counter was making her nervous. "Is…is there something wrong ma'am…?"
"No…nothing's wrong…not yet anyway…" The woman hissed as she looked around the store. "…but um…is your owner with you right now?"
"N-no, he's…elsewhere…" Franny said, choosing her words carefully as the woman at the counter continued to glare at her. "I…I can g-g-give him a message from you if…if you…you need to talk…to um…to..."
"Hey Franny! Are you finished getting Uncle Ray's birthday present yet?" Addison whined as she approached Franny at the counter. "My tablet's nearly dead and I'm bored."
Addison then noticed the woman at the counter glaring down at her, her widening eyes twitching as a large vein was protruding from her forehead.
"Um…On second thought, Imma go find Grandma instead." Addison sheepishly said as she retreated further into the shop. "Hey Grandma…can you help me with something…"
"Franny…" The woman hissed with gritted teeth as she glared at the Nandroid in front of her like a wolf ready to strike "…that's quite the name for a Nandroid…isn't it?"
Franny froze as she locked eyes with the woman, who stared intensely at the Nandroid. As Franny tried to think of a way out of this situation, she then noticed the nametag on the woman's shirt which read a single word.
"Sophia"
Franny then looked back into the eyes of the woman, who then looked down to her nametag and then back to Franny, a cold smile growing upon her face.
"So…*he* told you about me, didn't he?" Sophia asked as she began to remove the rings off her fingers. "You know…I expected him to leave me like he did, but I would never expect him to go so low as to *replace* me…with a fucking robot!"
As Addison pulled Mom towards the commotion. Mom gasped at seeing Franny cowering before the enraged Sophia, who put the rings in her hands in a drawer of the counter as she then began to pull her earrings off.
"Ma'am…if you would let me…ex-explain." Franny whimpered, watching with tears in her eyes as Sophia hopped over the counter and stood above the Nandroid. "I'm…I'm "Frannie" with an "/-ie/," not the Franny with a "/-y/" at the end. It…this…is a big misund-"
Franny's train of thought derailed as she felt Sophia's open hand slap the Nandroid across the face, knocking her onto the floor. Franny froze in place, sitting on the floor as she tried to process what had happened as she turned to see Sophie above her, a manic smile across her face.
"You won't get him; that's fine with me! I can wait for him…" Sophie said coldly as she clenched her fists in her hands. "…until then, how's about we get to know each other…more personally?"
Without a second thought, Addison charged out of the shop and down the galleria to get help. Mom called out to Addison to stop her but then rushed to Franny's aid and protect her from the crazy worker attacking Franny.
[*]
Julian and I had stopped over by the food court to grab a quick bite before we continued our venture in the Galleria. The food court was massive, consisting of a multitude of tables and booths surrounded by shops selling all sorts of food, from hamburgers to tacos, to Chinese food, to cheese steaks, to milkshakes, and other little goodies.
I was just finishing off my royal with cheese while Julian was munching on some dumplings with pork sauce. While we were sitting there eating our lunch, we were discussing important matters to society, such as the greatest comic book writers of all time.
"…all I'm saying is that the guy's come a long way since his early days." I said as I stuffed the last of my cheeseburger into my mouth. "Sure, a lot of his early work was rather…colorful…but he's matured a lot since then and that amounts to something."
"Oh yes, I agree with you Raymond." Julian replied as he took a sip of his coke. "But you can't pretend that said early works didn't happen or still don't apply. You're talking about years of writing that involved mutilation, rape, and children getting murdered. That's not something that can be overlooked, no matter how good his current work is."
"Hey! Everyone makes mistakes, even great writers, and artists." I said as I took a sip of my Sprite before moving on to my fries. "Sure, the work was primarily for shock value and was often rushed and full of inconsistencies but look at the man's work now. I'll tell you, that sabbatical was worth it if you ask me."
"I'm still surprised to see him make something again." Julian added while biting into a dumpling. "But it does show you that anyone is capable of surprising you. Like you did this morning."
"Ah yes…" I growled as I chomped on a bundle of fries. "That little stunt was unnecessary; I was planning to tell everyone after I showered."
"Tell us what? Something we already knew about?" Julian chortled as he finished his dumpling. "I'm just gonna say it brother: When I saw your reaction to Franny the first time you met her at Sterling, I knew then and there, that you wanted her. So don't be thinking that I'm stupid."
"A fool, yes, but never stupid." I replied, finishing off my fries.
"Smart answer." Juliah replied as he pointed his finger at me.
"So…you do know I love her, right?" I asked as I gently tapped the table with my finger. "She also loves me…you…could see that thus morning, but what do you *think* about it? Does it seem wrong to you?"
"You're asking me, the man who married another man and sired a child, if what you're doing is immortal?" Julian asked as he finished his dumplings. "Here's my answer: I don't care!"
"Julian…" I growled as I stood up to throw my trash away in the nearby garbage bin "…this is serious. For almost your entire life since you lost that firm job to an android, who've distrusted them, but now you don't care that your brother is in a relationship with an android. What's changed little brother, cause if you're pulling some stunt here…"
"I'm being completely serious here Raymond. I don't care that you're dating an android because, despite the fact that androids are job-stealers, all I want is for you to be happy." Julian said with a sigh as he dumped his garbage in the bin. "When you came back from the war, you weren't the same brother I grew up with. There were days that you just…either weren't there, or you'd fall apart and go nuts at the drop of a hat. Every time I see that, see what happened to you, I'd blame myself because I took the coward's way out rather than be there for you. Hell. I chose to break my own goddamn legs and let you, my own brother, carry the burdens of war and death alone, and that you would have to live with that burden for the rest of your life." "But now look at you, you've come such a long way from those days and now, now you've found someone who loves you and wants to help you carry that burden, and I want you to know that I'm happy for you Raymond and I'm proud of you."
Surprised by this confession, I smiled warmly as I walked over and hugged Julian, who was surprised by the sudden hug and then hugged me back.
"I would never blame you for what you did to avoiding the war, little brother, in fact, it was a smart thing to do. Drastic, but smart." I said to Julian as I pulled away from the hug. "Because I'd rather have a coward of a brother, than one who was dead, or broken like me."
"Well…that's…that's a good point. Thank you…Raymond" Julian said with a sniffle as he wiped a small tear from his eye. "But do you…do you ever think I would be a lieutenant like you if I joined the army, maybe even a general?"
"Eh…I don't think so…it's a bit too much responsibility." I said to Julian as the two of us walked down towards the shops. "I think you would probably be a better of as a…uh…a drill sergeant, yeah."
"A drill sergeant?" Julian asked. "What makes you think that?"
"Well, you do like to scream at people and order them around." I explained with a chuckle. "Like Sergeant Morrison back at boot camp. Oof, now that guy was a real heel, you'd hate that guy with all your guts, but he'd get you in ship shape, one way or another."
Just as I was about to talk about Sergeant Morrison's "Pyramid of Pain" system, Julian heard his phone ring, the song "Sunny Ghost by Teen Cult" playing to indicate that there was a call. Julian then pulled out his phone and looked at it, seeing the call was from Addison. Julain then pressed call and held it up to his ear.
"Hey Addy! How's the present hunt going?" Julian asked as he looked at me and winked. "Don't worry, I've been keeping a tight leash on Uncle Ray, so you don't have to-"
Suddenly, Julian stopped walking as I looked at Julian, whose face was expressing confusion and alarm at what he was hearing, I couldn't hear what Addison was saying, but I could hear from the tone of the voice on the other end that she was upset.
"Woah! Woah! Slow down sweetie, you're not…what?" Julian said, looking to me with concern as I approached him. "Where are you…what…WHAT…oh my god!"
"What?" I asked, worried when I saw Julian turn around and start to storm away, I quickly followed after him, my anxiety starting to rise.
"Okay…just…just go back to the shop and stay with grandma, we're on our way!" Julian said as he turned off his phone and looked at me, his face pale with worry.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked, my mouth dry as I feared the worst.
"We need to go over to Custom Selections on the other side of the Galleria." Julian explained as his speedwalk turned into a run. "There's some chick over there that's attacking Franny."
Julian then watched in shock and awe as I bolted past him, running towards the story like a bat out of hell.
[*]
End of Chapter 18