A/N: Welcome to my new story! I know several of you have been waiting for it, and some of you are dreading it. Give it a shot, please? I promise that I ONLY do happy endings. It's not too terribly sci-fi-y, but I do have a tendency to let my nerd flag fly, so forgive me for that in advance. I promise not to get too technical. It is a romance story, first and foremost.

It will be more... adulty than Concerto. That means lemony goodness for you!

My Edward already has a nickname, thanks to BelleBiter: Roboward.

This will be entirely in Bella's POV.

I hope you enjoy it!

June 20th, 2115

Forks, Washington

Men suck.

And not in the hot, vampire-sexy way. No, they suck in the cheating, no-good, lying way.

And Jacob Black was the king of them all.

We had dated since high school, so I had every reason to trust him. We were friends before that, and friends don't do to each other what Jake did to me.

He could have just ended it with me, said that it wasn't working out, that we could still be friends, instead of what he allowed to play out. I'd be willing to bet that he regretted giving me a key to his house.

And I hope the marinara sauce stained his carpet. Forever.

Jake had called me one morning last month, voice gravelly and rough, to tell me how sick he was, and that he couldn't make it over for lunch, as planned. So, feeling sorry for him, and being the good girlfriend that I thought I was, I went ahead and made up the lasagna for him. I didn't use the AutoChef, either; I made that beauty the old fashioned way, with actual pans on the stove. As soon as it was cool enough to carry, I wrapped it up and headed over to his house on the res.

See, Jake is a Quileute, and he lives in La Push, the local Native American reservation. He lives with his dad, Billy, who is my dad's best friend. The two of them are thick as thieves, even more so since Jake and I "declared" ourselves during junior year. We had spent the last year talking about college, and we both decided on U-Dub. Our dads spent it talking about grand kids. Ha! They had a while to wait. Jake and I hadn't even...

Oh, we came close, and we did everything but. I just wasn't ready to pull the trigger. I mean, I loved him and all, but... I'm quite sure that was his excuse for screwing around; he wasn't getting it from me.

Jerk.

Now I was glad I waited, because when I walked into Jake's bedroom and saw that he didn't appear sick, and he wasn't alone in bed, I went numb. The lasagna slipped out of my hands and sauce and cheese and noodles flew everywhere when the pan hit the floor.

My loving boyfriend was in bed with my friend Leah.

I got out of there fast, both of them scrambling for clothes and shouting my name after me. Screw that! I didn't want to hear explanations or excuses. There could be no excuse.

But that was a month ago, and I had managed to avoid his calls and visits. After the first time he showed up with an armload of flowers, and met a furious Charlie at the door, he tried to show up when he knew I would be alone. Luckily, Charlie had installed a vid-screen at the door, so I didn't even have to open it. Thank god for over-protective fathers.

Jake did try to call me once from a number I didn't recognize, trying to trick me into talking to him, but the second I heard his voice I hung up.

The really upsetting part was... I didn't feel like my heart was broken. Not like that, anyway. I loved Jake, don't get me wrong. I just don't think I was ever... in love with him. It was more a feeling of betrayal. Oh, yeah, and humiliation. I wondered how many of the people on the res that I thought were my friends knew, and were laughing behind my back.

Fuck them all. It would be a cold day in hell before I set foot in La Push again.

I thought about Nicky Brooks, the guy I had a crush on in high school. Tall, gorgeous green eyes and messy bronze hair... but a total hoodlum. I admired him from afar, watching him charm the girls, but I avoided a sure case of heartbreak by staying away from him. He spent all of his time behind the school, smoking and most likely plotting his next heist. Charlie was the Chief of Police here in Forks, and had nothing good to say about him, so it was just as well that he scared me to death. Charlie was extremely happy the day he moved away with his family.

Then in high school, when Jake had admitted that he liked me as more than a friend, I saw him as the "safe" option. Jake would never break my heart. Jake would never hurt me.

Ha.

So, for the past month, I have been playing hermit, hiding from Jake, and fighting off Alice and Rosalie's attempts to "fix me up".

No thanks!

Being a hermit was no problem for me. In high school, I had written a novel, just for my friends and my own enjoyment. I had actually modeled the hero after Nicky. It was pure, romantic, girl-meets-vampire drivel, and I never expected it to go out into the world, but Alice had gone behind my back and sent it to a literary agent that was an acquaintance of her family, J. Jenks. Astonishingly, it hit the best seller list, and I had a happy little nest egg that paid for college and my new independence. No worries about scholarships or student loans, and no burden on Charlie, which is the way I like things. My agent, Mr. Jenks had structured my contract to allow me to get through college before my next novel was due, but I anticipated lots of free time to fool with it, as I didn't need a job for extra cash. It was a sequel to my first novel, and I already had it outlined. I expected to breeze through it.

But the sum of all that was, I was going out on my own!

Today was the day I was moving to my apartment in Seattle, my first taste of independence! I had the whole summer to get settled before I started with the fall semester, majoring in literature with a minor in creative writing. I was all packed, the new apartment was clean and ready for me, and I was just waiting for my girls to come help me load up my old pickup. Not that I had much. Just two boxes of clothes, and a lot of books. The old, paper kind. They were hard to find these days, so I clung to the ones I owned with a passion. There is just nothing like the smell of them, feeling the pages as you turn them. You can't get that from an e-reader.

Any way, yes, I would miss Charlie, my good, old dad. But I can't say I would miss having to take care of anyone but myself. Don't get me wrong, I loved cooking for Charlie, and I didn't mind cleaning up after him, and doing his laundry, but I was really looking forward to having no one rely on me. His anger at Jake didn't harm his friendship with Billy, I'm happy to say. He would need his friend after I left. I didn't plan on coming back to Forks very often.

It had been just me and my dad after my mom walked out. I was only six when she decided she had to "find herself" and took off. She sent post cards, but in the twelve years since she left, she had not visited once, nor offered for me to visit her. Yeah, it hurt, but I got used to it. It's not like she was a real mom before she left. As soon as I was able, I had taken over the cleaning, and thank goodness for the AutoChef, or we would have starved or survived off of take out and TV dinners until I taught myself to cook.

I sank down on the end of the sofa, closest to Charlie's recliner, "Hey Dad."

"Hey Bells." He kept his eyes on the screen. I'm pretty sure the sports news on ESPN wasn't that enthralling.

"I'm going to miss you," I said softly.

"Me too." Still not looking at me.

"Dad, you can come up and see me any time you-"

"It's not the same. I understand you want to get away from that asshole, but you could have stayed the summer. You know I wouldn't let him near you," he said gruffly.

"Aw, Dad."

He finally looked at me, and his eyes were a bit red. I felt terrible, but wasn't it my turn? Didn't I have the right to grow up and spread my wings? As if he read my mind, he said, "I know you're grown now. I'm just... it's always been you and me, kid. It's just not going to be the same."

"No," I agreed, "it won't be the same. But this could be just as good. The times we do see each other will be quality time. And I've set up the computer so we can vid-chat any time you want."

"Yeah." He turned back to the television.

Poor Charlie. But Billy would keep him out on the lake, fishing, and Sue Clearwater promised him that she'd bring him meals on a regular basis. He would be okay.

Besides, I think Sue was sweet on him, and with me out of the way, who knows...?

A flurry of knocks at the door signaled the arrival of my girls. I checked out the vid-screen, just to be sure, and there they were; Rosalie and Alice, my best friends in the whole world.

I let them in, and they immediately flew to kiss and fuss over Charlie. I think he would miss them as much as me. He called the three of us "his girls", and they loved him to bits. He always pretended to hate the attention, but I could see the way his mustache twitched when he was pushing them off, fighting a smile.

There was no twitch today. Poor Charlie.

Yeah, I was sad for him, but not sad enough to put off my move. I was so ready to leave Forks and Jake and all of the humiliation behind.

Charlie helped load my boxes, and soon it was time to go. I turned to my dad, giving him a tight hug, "I'll call you when we get there."

"Don't forget-"

"Yes, I'll keep my doors locked. Yes, I have the pepper spray. Yes, I'll call you if I need you," I grinned up into his worried eyes. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and reluctantly let me go.

Alice rode with me in my truck, while Rosalie followed in her red convertible. I set the AutoDrive to my new address so I could turn my attention to Alice, who always, always has a lot to say. I knew she had something brewing in her head, because she hated my truck with a passion. Given a choice, she would always ride in Rose's shiny new car. The computer took over, as I said, "All right, Alice. Spill."

She bounced in her seat. "I can't tell you!" she sang.

"Alice, you can't do that to me. You know how I feel about surprises."

"Rose would kill me if I blabbed, honey. This is a surprise from both of us, and I refuse to say another word!" She made a zipping motion over her clamped lips.

Damned Pixie.

"Fine. But how long do I have to wait for this surprise?" I huffed.

She smirked annoyingly, "Just 'til you get home. It's waiting for you there."

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully, with Alice chattering incessantly about stores and restaurants in Seattle, and how she was so excited to explore them all with Rosalie and I, and the boys.

Alice and Rose had boyfriends, which firmly ensconced me in the role of "fifth wheel". Literally. Jasper and Emmett were great guys, and I was sure that marriage was on the horizon for my friends. I dreaded that, but couldn't begrudge my girls their happiness.

The AutoDrive pulled us into the underground garage of my apartment building, and I took over, allowing the computer to "learn" where my personal parking space was. In the future, the car would steer itself into my spot.

Rosalie parked in a guest space, and we all grabbed an arm load and headed for the elevator. Jasper and Emmett would be over later, to bring up the rest. When we got to my door, I pressed my palm against the scanner that had been programmed with my hand-print when I first signed the lease. I had added Alice and Rosalie to the database as well. I hoped that my "surprise" didn't make me regret that!

The door swung open, and I looked warily around for my "surprise". Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so I dumped my load on the dining table and looked at Alice with a raised eyebrow.

Alice giggled and took my hands, leading me to the center of the entry hall. Rose hovered nearby, obviously nervous. A knot formed in my stomach; they both knew how I felt about these things.

Rosalie spoke up as Alice went to the entry closet, placing her hand on the knob, "Okay, we know how you feel about men right now, and we completely don't blame you. I still owe Jake a kick in the nuts, you know. Anyway, we hate that you're living alone here, and we..." she trailed off.

Alice took up the reins, "We got you a companion!" She pulled open the closet door abruptly, and there inside...

Was Nicky Brooks.

He was smiling pleasantly at me.

Nicholas Brooks. Was standing in my closet. Smiling. Like any of this was normal in any way.

I wasn't sure if I should scream, faint, or run away in terror.

"Alice," I said shakily, "Why is Nicky Brooks in my closet?"

Rosalie grinned, "That is not Nicholas Brooks. That, my lovely, is Edward."

"Hello," he said sweetly. His voice was soft and velvety, like a caress.

I looked at my former friend uncomprehendingly.

Alice took my hands again, "We remembered that you had a crush on Nick in high school, so we took his HoloPic to the shop when we ordered Edward. Bella, Edward is a Real Man™. He's an android." She pulled a glossy owner's manual out of her bag and thrust it at me. I didn't take it, too stunned to move, and she threw it on the entry table.

"You bought me a sex robot?" I shrieked. My mind flashed to the afternoon we had spent looking at the Real Man™ website on my computer, using the "Build Your Own" feature and giggling, adding and removing options. "That was a joke! Why would you do this?"

I was having trouble breathing.

"Wait," Rose held up her hand. "He's not just for sex. Although if you pass that part up, you're an idiot. He can play chess, cards and video games. He will clean and do your laundry. Think of him as a maid slash companion, with a dick. And a tongue. They're programmed to be perfect lovers," She finished dreamily.

"Rosalie!" I groaned, yanking my hands from Alice's and dropping my head into them.

"What?" She was trying for nonchalance, but only succeed in looking smug.

I couldn't take any more. I looked up once again, and there stood Edward, gorgeous, looking just like Nick. Green eyes, messy bronze hair, tall...

I slammed the closet door. "You need to take him back. Now."

Alice led me into the living room, "Bella, Bella, Bella. Don't be hasty. Let him stay for a trial period, at least. Give him six months-"

"Six months?" I shouted.

"Fine, three months. If you haven't warmed up to him by then, we'll put him on Craigslist."

"Warmed up..." I think I was in shock, just a bit. There was a sex android in my coat closet, and my best friends in the world had put him there. As a gift. God help me.

My so-called friends sat me down on the sofa, flanking me and each taking a hand. Rosalie smiled like she was addressing a mental patient, "Now, Bella. Just give him a chance. You don't have to use him for sex. But he's quite intelligent, and can converse on any topic. You could use him for a study aid, if nothing else."

Alice piped up, "And we're not taking him back for the full three months. I must say, you're being quite ungracious. He is a gift, after all."

I glared at her, "Not helping, Alice."

The doorbell buzzed, and the vid-screen showed Jasper and Emmett, grinning. I looked at the girls, panicked, "Do the guys know about this?"

"No." Rose shook her head.

"Then leave the closet door closed, and keep your traps shut. I'll keep him for the three months if you don't tell them!" I bargained desperately. I grabbed the manual that Alice had given me and shoved it in the drawer. I could just imagine what Emmett would say... I shuddered at the thought.

Alice looked unsure, but Rosalie immediately took the deal.

The guys schlepped all of my stuff up the elevator, and we spent the rest of the evening unpacking and eating pizza provided by the AutoChef. It wasn't bad at all. I did have to once head off Jasper as he was reaching for the knob of the hall closet with an armload of coats. I don't even remember what I said in my panic, but he desisted. I must have sounded insane.

The evening wound down, and all too soon, everyone was saying goodnight and heading out the door.

And I was left alone in my new home.

With Edward, my sex android.

In my closet.

E/N: Oh my. I have to tell you, this was born of a norty fantasy I have. Can you imagine having a sex android, and have him (or her, for my unicorn! I hope you followed me to this story, Bobbie!) look like anyone you wanted? *dreamy sigh*

I imagine a future quite like our today, with added technology. We all imagined 2000 would give us flying cars, but the reality is that it is just like the past... with more technology. Back To The Future ruined us all. LOL

Anywho, the AutoDrive is a feature on cars that is essentially an intelligent auto pilot. It lets you relax and safely travel in your car, hands free!

The AutoChef is a food production unit. You only need to keep it stocked with food items (it's also a refrigerator) and it will prepare your meals. Some folks still like to cook the old fashioned way sometimes, like our Bella.

Vid-screens and cameras on doors are very common items in my future. Safety first! Charlie approves. ;-)

Please review and let me know if I should continue, criticisms, ideas for future stuff that can be added, errors I have made, or just to tell me you can't wait for the hot robot love!