Author's Note: This fic is set shortly after the conclusion of "Guardian Blues". My timeline diverges from ReBoot canon at the close of Season Three, and Season Four has never taken place.

ACT NATURALLY

"A what?"

"A camping trip. Just you and me. Don't you think it'd be fun?"

Matrix scratched his head thoughtfully. He was surprised, and Matrix as a rule did not like surprises. "Why would you want to go camping with me?"

Enzo looked hurt. "Why not? You're my brother, right?"

"Well – sure. But-"

"You don't want to, huh?"

"I didn't say that. It just… I wasn't expecting it. What about Bob?"

Enzo smiled a little and shrugged. "I dunno. I spend a lot of time with Bob and it's great, I love it. He was at the Academy, and I've been home all summer. But we've never really done anything just you and me – y'know?"

"We're here now."

"This is just Al's!"

"We go to movies, and you come over for dinner and stuff."

"But that's not like really doing something – that's just for a couple micros. And Andri is always there, too."

Matrix sipped his energy shake thoughtfully. "We were in that game – the Zaytan one."

"I was ten!"

"Yeah, well-"

"Listen, I… Just never mind." Enzo shook his head and stood. "It's no big deal. I'm gonna head back to the Diner-"

"Wait!"

The boy turned, one eyebrow raised defiantly. The expression seemed oddly familiar to his brother. "What?"

Matrix sighed deeply. "Let me think about it, OK? You just caught me out a little, that's all. There's a lot of stuff to think about – AndrAIa, work…"

"OK. But I go back to the Academy in three minutes, so don't think too long."

"I rarely do."

Enzo snorted. "Cool. But you really don't have to go if you don't want to – it was just an idea."

The big sprite smiled and shook his head. "I know. Now sit down and finish your energy shake, will you? You're not leaving half my credit bar sitting on the table…"

"He wants you to do what?"

"Go on a camping trip." Matrix tossed his shirt aside and crawled into bed. "Pretty basic, huh?"

AndrAIa yawned and lowered her head to the big sprite's chest. "Actually, I think it sounds pretty pixelacious. You should go."

"What?"

"Sure." The game sprite grinned. "Why not? I think it's sweet that Enzo wants to spend time with you – he worships you, practically. And it'd be good for you – you work too deleted much."

"But Andri, it… I mean – just me and Enzo? It'd be weird."

"Why? Why would it be weird, Sparky? I thought you put all that nonsense behind you hours ago!"

"I did!" Matrix replied defensively. "It's not like that…"

"Don't you miss Enzo when he goes to the Academy?"

"Sure I do. He's my brother, isn't he? I told him it doesn't seem right around here without him."

"So?" The game sprite kissed him tenderly. "Enzo needs you, Sparky – you're his big brother. You understand him better than anybody else, and he's going through all kinds of stuff right now. He's a teenager, you know? He just wants to connect with you – that's how he is. He wants you two to be close."

"We are. He understands me better than anyone too, sometimes."

"Is that the problem?"

"Don't start." Matrix growled. "Don't make it out like I'm scared of him or something. It's just a little, you know. Uncomfortable, sometimes." He sighed and kissed the game sprite's aquamarine hair. "You know it's still not that easy for me. With anyone besides you. And especially him."

"It's not his fault, Lover."

"I know that! I never said it was."

"Poor little Sparky." AndrAIa sighed. "He doesn't understand why everyone isn't like he is."

"Yeah, well…" Matrix kissed the game sprite's neck. "Sometimes I wonder if you don't like the little null better than me."

"Now don't you start! It's just that I understand him, that's all. Better even than you do, once in a while." She smiled up at the bearded sprite. "He's still got so much of you in him, Lover. That's the sprite I fell in love with. He's part of my family – of course I love him. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So? Go camping with him – it'll make him happy. It doesn't take much to make him happy – just be his brother. Who knows, you might even enjoy yourself!"

"Me?" Matrix replied tartly. "Well – if I go, what about you? Won't you miss me?"

"You know I will, Sparky." The game sprite punctuated her answer with a kiss. "But let's be honest – we've barely been apart for a cycle since we were ten hours old. I think I can survive a break of a few cycles."

"A break? Oh, that's nice!"

"You know what I mean! Don't worry, Enzo – I'll still be waiting for you when you get back. We've been together pretty much every cycle for fifteen hours – one minute-end won't split us up."

"I guess. I still don't know, though – there's system security to think about, and games-"

"I think between Bob, Dot, Phong and I we can handle all that." The game sprite groaned. She rolled over on top of Matrix, straddling him, and rose to her knees. "If you don't want to do this, Sparky, then don't do it – but be honest about why you don't want to. Don't look for excuses. I'll understand."

"Will he?"

"He'll get over it." AndrAIa smiled wanly. "I understand, Matrix – I really do, as well as someone without a code twin could. But when push comes to shove, he's just a thirteen hour-old kid." She kissed him again, tenderly. "Just a little boy – like you were. There's nothing he can say or do that'll change who you are. And he doesn't even want to – he's fine with you as is. He just wants a little more of you in his life."

"All right, Andri. I'll think about it, OK?"

"OK, Lover." With considerably more mischief in her smile, the game sprite deleted the light.

"That was awesome, Dot – totally alphanumeric. As usual."

"Thank you, Matrix." Dot smiled. "It's good to know after two viral wars and a baby, I still have the touch with garlic chicken. Between the kids and running the system, I don't usually have the time to cook it anymore."

"Beats Academy grub by a kilobyte, Sis." Enzo grinned. "Even Mac liked it – and he usually doesn't eat anything that isn't completely gross!"

"I'm not sure how to take that…" Dot wrapped her arm around him and looked around the table wistfully. "It's so nice to have everyone together – we hardly ever seem to, any more. You're going back to the Academy soon, and everyone is so busy – they might even liberate the Supercomputer soon, and who knows how often Bob will be away then..."

"We should be so lucky!" Bob grunted. "That's one problem I'd love to have."

" I know, I know."

"And I only have another hour, Dot – then I'll be back full-time."

"And I'll be counting the milliseconds, Little Man. But you've got another few seconds of vacation right now, don't you? So let's enjoy it. Got any special plans?"

Enzo shrugged and stared at the scattered grains of rice on his plate. "Not much – just hang out, I guess."

"About that…" Matrix tapped his fork against his plate absently a few times. "Remember what we talked about the other cycle?"

"Yeah…" Enzo answered warily.

"Well – do you still want to?"

"Want to what?" Dot asked.

"Sure I do! I mean… Do you?"

"I've been thinking about it. Maybe it's not a bad idea. I could use a break, I guess-"

"What? What in the net are you two talking about?"

"Sorry Dot." Matrix smiled. "Enzo asked me the other cycle if I wanted to go camping with him. So, Kid?"

"Yeah!" the boy giggled. "Definitely! I can't believe you really want to go!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Dot threw her hands up. "Process a little slower, Boys – where did all this come from?"

"I asked Matrix to go camping with me – just the two of us 'cause, you know, we don't really do stuff together very much."

"And why didn't you tell me? Camping – with Matrix? Enzo-"

"I didn't think he'd say yes."

"You didn't?" Matrix arched an eyebrow.

"Dude – this is so cool! We're gonna have a great time, you'll see. Man, we can hike all cycle, maybe even go off-trail! And-"

"Pause button!" Dot scowled. "I don't know about this. Where would you even go?"

"There's a system – Muir, it's called. Mouse and Ray told me about it – they went there during the last school break. It's totally secure, and it sounds pixelacious – they have mountains and datafalls and-"

"You little null. You really had this all planned out, didn't you?" Matrix scowled.

"A little, I guess." Enzo smiled. "I was just really hoping you'd say yes."

Matrix couldn't help but return the smile a little, in spite of himself. As always, the boy's enthusiasm was an irresistible force of nature. "Well, I thought about it and it didn't sound so bad, I suppose. But only if it's OK with Dot."

"I don't know…"

"Please?" Enzo grasped his sister's hand plaintively. It was a familiar posture for the both of them. "It'll be the first time I ever did anything like this with Matrix!"

Dot sighed. "I'll need to know more about this system – make sure it's safe. And there's transport, other things to worry about-"

"If Mouse says it's OK, I'm sure it is." Bob looked amused. "I'll contact her at the Academy and check the security arrangements and all that. If it checks out, I can portal the guys over there – not a problem."

"Alphanumeric! So howsabout it, Sis?"

"I'm outvoted. As usual! What about you, AndrAIa – are you OK with this?"

"Ecstatic!" the game sprite chuckled.

"Hey!"

"All right, all right – you can go."

"Pixelacious!"

"But you're responsible, Enzo." Dot turned to her oldest brother. "Enzo might be almost fourteen, but he's still a handful – I'm trusting you to make sure he stays safe."

"I got it, Dot – don't worry."

"A handful? Thanks a lot!" Enzo howled indignantly. "I'm about to be a second-hour Guardian Cadet!"

"You're not acting like one right now."

"I'm at the Academy most of the hour, and you're worried about a little camping trip?" the boy asked incredulously.

"They're trained professionals there." Dot smiled wryly. "And who's to say I don't worry about that, too? Just be careful, both of you – none of that testosterone-induced daredevil nonsense! Have some nice hikes and tell ghost stories and then come home."

"Thanks for your confidence, Sis." Matrix muttered. Not for the first time, he wondered just what he was getting into…

"What else?"

"I don't know – you've got your boots, your tent, compass, docking bag… What are you muttering about?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong now, Sparky?" AndrAIa sighed. "You should be looking forward to this!"

"Yeah. Forward." Matrix tossed his pack onto their bed, wondering – not for the first time – if there was some bug inside him that made it too easy to see the negative aspect of things. "I just didn't like Dot's attitude, that's all."

"What attitude?" AndrAIa pulled him over to the bed and sat beside him. "She's just worried about Enzo, that's all – what's wrong with that?"

"Well – she's overprotective, for one thing. But that's not what's bugging me."

"So what is? She's worried about him going off into the woods, hurting himself or something-"

"No she's not." Matrix scowled. "If he was going with Bob, Dot would put on a little show but she wouldn't really worry. She's worried because the kid's going with me."

"What? That's silly!"

"Is it?" Matrix absently began rearranging the items in his pack. "When push comes to shove, she doesn't really trust me. Especially with him."

"Sparky…" AndrAIa squeezed his huge hand and was silent for a moment. Matrix knew from experience that she was searching for a delicate way to say something she didn't think he wanted to hear. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Please."

"She trusts you." The game sprite kissed his cheek and smiled. "She just remembers that things were a little… rough between you and Enzo at first. And like you said, she's overprotective when it comes to Little Sparky."

Matrix met her glance head on, his face momentarily taking on the defenseless innocence of his youth. "Have I ever given Dot any reason to think I'd hurt Enzo? Have I?"

AndrAIa looked away, for just a nano – but it might as well have been an hour. "Of course not-"

"Spam! That was one time – and she knows I didn't mean to grab him so hard! He just… He got me so upset with all those spammed questions-"

"I know. I know."

"Doesn't she know I'm sorry about that? I told the kid I was… If he can forgive me, why can't she?"

"There's nothing to forgive you for, Sparky." AndrAIa whispered. "It was a long time ago and nobody meant for anything to happen. Dot's forgotten all about it."

"I don't think so." The bearded sprite mumbled. "I… I'm different now than I was then… But she doesn't believe that."

"So – you got everything, Tiger?"

"I think so." Enzo had meticulously checked off every item in his pack two or three times, not wanting to give Matrix any reason to chide him once they were on Muir, where supplies and equipment would be few and far between.

Bob sat on the bed, investigating the contents of the boy's backpack. "Got your toothbrush? Clean underwear?"

"Who are you – Dot?"

"Sorry!" the Guardian chuckled. "I am officially a father, you know – I'm allowed to act like one once in a while."

"I know." The boy grinned shyly. "It's OK – I like it. Whoa – software bug repellant!" He dashed for the bathroom at breakneck speed, and was back in a few nanos. "I knew I forget something."

"You look pretty prepared to me. You bringing that buck knife I got you for your last birthday?"

"Course." Enzo patted his back pocket and sat next to the Guardian. He wondered - not for the first time - if there wasn't some flaw in his programming that made him look for things to worry about, even if they weren't there. "Bob… You're sure you don't mind not coming with us?"

"Kiddo – I told you a dozen times, I understand. No big file."

"It's not that I don't wanna go camping with you-"

"I know." Bob smiled and wrapped an arm around the boy. "I know how it is with you and Matrix, Tiger. We've done stuff like this lots of times already – it's good for you and Matrix to have some time together."

"Yeah." The boy nodded. As sincere as Bob sounded, he just couldn't shake the guilt at leaving him behind. Stupid! He's got Dot and Mac, and he's told you a million times it's OK… Like he cares if you change servers for a few cycles! Just stop worrying! "You're sure it's OK?"

"Enzo-"

"I know, I know – sorry!"

Bob grinned and playfully tousled the boy's hair. "I never had a brother, Tiger – not really. I want you guys to be close. Just go and have a good time and don't worry about anything else, all right? Remember all the outdoor survival stuff I taught you."

"Always." Enzo nodded. "Not really?" I wonder what-

"Good boy. I expect you to bring back some good stories, you got me?"

"Yes, Sir." The boy grinned. "I always do."

"You do, don't you? It's exhausting."

"Bob!"

"Enzo! Your brother is here!" Dot's voice called from the living room.

"K!" the boy shouted back. "Guess I got everything." Bob hoisted the pack and Enzo slipped his arms through the straps. "Now I kinda wish you were going with us-"

"Stop that now!" the Guardian laughed. "We'll get 'em next time, Pal. This is Matrix' turn. Just be careful and have fun."

"K." Enzo smiled and headed for the living room. He really did wish Bob was going with them now – things were always so much easier with Matrix when Bob was around.

When he saw his big brother standing in the living room – seeming to fill about half the living room – he felt a few doubts start to creep into his processor.

"Hey, Kid." Matrix nodded, unsmiling. His backpack dwarfed the one on Enzo's own slender frame. "You about ready?"

Would it delete him to look like he's glad to see me? "Hey, Bro. I got everything, I think."

"I hope so – I don't wanna have to portal off the system because you forgot your teddy bear or something."

"Log off! That's not funny."

"We're off to a fine start, I see." Dot sighed. She took Enzo by the shoulders with a weary smile. "You be careful, OK? Don't do anything basic."

"Dot! I won't." the teenager mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm almost fourteen – you can trust me."

"That's what I'm worried about – I was almost fourteen once myself! Just have fun. Listen to your brother, all right?"

"Yeah." Enzo could sense it coming, any nano… And there it was – the kiss. He could feel Matrix' eyes and his own cheeks burning. "Geez…"

"See you in a few cycles, Sweetie. Love you."

"Love you." Enzo whispered, kissing his sister quickly on the cheek. "Let's get going, already!"

"Right." Bob suppressed a giggle. "I'll open the portal outside, just in case there's any instabilities."

"Cool." Enzo followed the Guardian quickly out the door and into the diner, his older siblings falling in behind them.

"Have fun." His sister's voice came from behind.

"We'll try." Matrix' gruff reply.

"Enzo… I'm trusting you here, all right? Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"Dot!" Enzo barked, not turning.

"You can, you know." Matrix said pointedly.

There was silence for a few nanos as they walked. "I know." Dot finally answered. "It's just me worrying, that's all." They were outside now, on Baudway. "Have fun, you two. Take some nice .JPEGs, if you think of it."

"Will do." Enzo finally allowed a look at his sister, his anger at her condescension quickly fading. He saw the worry in her face and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be careful, Sis – promise. And Matrix can look after me, no problem." His big brother arched an eyebrow in surprise.

"Here we go, Guys." Bob closed his eyes in concentration, working his hands in front of him. A portal shimmered into the ether in front of him, and the Guardian wearily exhaled. "All set?"

"Yup." Bob stepped into the portal, the two Matrix brothers close behind him.

"One last thing!" Dot called urgently. Her two male siblings turned, warily. "Please try not to delete each other, all right?" Matrix and Enzo shared a quick glance, and older brother disappeared into the portal. "See you in three cycles."

"Bye, Sis!" With a grin and a wave, Enzo followed his brother into the portal.

"Wow." It wasn't much, but judging from Enzo's face it was the most enthusiast sentence the teenager had heard his sibling utter in quite a while.

"Yeah – wow." The landscape confronting them was achingly beautiful. They stood at a junction of two trails, one leading off to a thick forest of green directory trees a stone's throw ahead of them, following the course of a gently gurgling data stream. Beyond it, lush mountains rose into a piercingly blue sky.

"Not a bad spot – Mouse knows her nature, I guess." Bob nodded approvingly. "OK – I'm meeting you guys here in three cycles, right? Twenty-five hundred, right at this junction."

"Right – we'll be here."

"Have fun." He winked and stuck out a hand, pumping each Matrix brother's grip firmly. "And stay frosty." With that, he stepped into the portal and if popped into nothingness, leaving them only the beauty of their surroundings and the burbling of the stream for company.

Enzo and Matrix looked around for a nano, then met each other's glance. A small smile formed above the elder's beard, and Enzo grinned widely in response. "Pixelacious, Dude!"

"Yeah. You ready to wear out those boots?"

"Let's do it!"

"You go first."

"Why?"

"So you can set a comfortable pace for yourself. If I go first I won't know whether I'm going too fast for you to keep up – and I don't trust you to tell me if I am."

Enzo scowled. "Matrix! Spam – that's… I can keep up, no problem."

"Common sense, Little Bro. The slowest member of the party sets the pace and the fastest adjusts downward. Keeps everybody fit for the longest possible time."

"Slowest, huh? Thanks a lot! I haven't been designing Barbie dresses at the Academy for the last hour, you know." With a shake of the head the boy strode off – briskly – towards the forest.

"Don't take it personal, Enzo. It's just physics – my legs are longer than yours so my normal pace is faster. It's not anything you did wrong. Now – slow down!"

"Why?" Enzo called back in sing-song. "Can't keep up?"

"Stop it!" Matrix was about to scold the boy harshly, but caught the words in his throat. He was the big brother, after all – and Enzo was a kid. You had to make allowances. "Enzo – let's not start off the trip like this, OK? I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Just slow down and walk at a normal pace. We're not in a race – we're supposed to have fun."

The younger sprite slowed his pace, incrementally. Neither said anything for several millis as they left the grassy meadowlands near the trail junction and the trees around them slowly thickened into lush forest. Matrix soon found himself caught up in the allure of the place – it was so different from Mainframe. He'd seen forested systems during his travels with AndrAIa, but always with a cloud of worry and guilt shrouding his processor. Now, the green of the trees and the singing of the birds and the stream were there to be appreciated, purely for their own sake. "Sure is nice, huh?"

"Yeah." Enzo replied, craning his neck to stare up at the tall canopy above them. "Definitely cool."

Matrix walked astride the boy and clapped his shoulder, smiling gruffly. "Wanna take a break? That looks like a good spot – those flat boulders near the stream."

"I'm not tired."

"Neither am I. But it looks like a nice spot."

"Yeah." Enzo allowed a smile and lowered his pack onto a large boulder with a grunt. "Very nice."

Matrix doffed his larger pack next to the other and sat on a flattish rock the size of one of the booths at Dot's. Enzo bounded on top of the rock and sat, cross-legged, next to him. "Want something to eat, Kid?"

"Maybe a little. I brought some energy bars – wanna split one?"

"Sure."

The brothers dug into their packs and produced data bottles, and the younger dug through his, pulling out a stack of bars. "Banana?"

"Banana? Yuck." Matrix scowled. "What else you got?"

"You used to like banana!"

"Well, duh! How'dya figure that one out, genius?"

"Shut up!" Enzo growled, punching his shoulder. "How about java-chocolate?"

"Better." The boy unwrapped a bar and snapped it in half, handing the larger section to Matrix. "Thanks."

"NP." Enzo bit off most of his half. "Mmmf. So what happened – why don't you like banana anymore?"

"I dunno. Your tastes evolve, I guess – you try new things and you like some of them, and you don't like some of the old ones anymore."

"D'you still like pizza?"

Matrix smiled. "Some things will never change, Pal – get real." Matrix nibbled thoughtfully on his bar, savoring the bitter tang of the java in his throat and the glittering of the stream at his feet. "Thanks for telling Dot what you did. About me looking after you."

Enzo wiped his mouth with a sleeve and stared at his brother for a nano. "It's cool, Enzo. I don't think I need you to – I've been on my own at the Academy for a whole hour. Dot's such a pain, sometimes… But I know you could, if you had to."

"Well – thanks. Not that Dot believes it – but thanks."

"Welcome." The boy mumbled, blushing a little. Probably not used to me being so nice to him. Matrix thought to himself. "Want another bar?"

"Nah – I'm fine. We can stop for lunch pretty soon, anyway."

"K." Enzo drew his knees up and rested his chin on them, grabbing bare ankles. Both sprites stared out at the silvery data stream and the carpet of green beyond it, the silence between them strangely comfortable. After a while Matrix turned his gaze onto the younger sprite, struck as he occasionally was by the familiarity of what he saw. It was so strange, staring at a memory… The memory of a boy in transition, still a child, but with the promise of manhood beginning to show itself in broadening shoulders and lanky limbs.

The face was a memory too – but a strange one, different, as if seen through a distorted lens. Enzo's face still held a vestige of openness, a gentle compassion that Matrix remembered from the moon-faced boy staring back from the mirror when he was small, but long vanished by the time his face began to take on the handsome adolescent visage that he now saw in Enzo. Suddenly, powerfully, he wanted more than anything for that vestige to remain forever, to never be driven out.

Enzo squirmed, seemingly aware that his older sibling's eyes were turned in his direction. "What?"

"Nothing." Matrix smiled. "Just noticing how tall you were getting, that's all."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Gonna be as tall as Dot soon."

"Not likely." Enzo sighed. "I'm still the shortest guy at Academy, I think. And no matter how much I work the weight machines I still look like a skinny little kid."

"Chill." Matrix patted the boy's shoulder. "You're younger than they are – the height will take care of itself. And you're filling out just fine – you're getting some muscle definition. Just keep working out and don't rush it."

"Easy for you to say! I wanna be strong, like you."

Strong – like me? "Don't drive yourself offline over it, Kid. You don't want your muscles too big when you're still growing like you are. Besides – there's more to being strong than having huge muscles. Being smart and fast is way more important. Look at Bob!"

"Yeah, Bob is alphanumeric." Enzo nodded. "But you're stronger."

"Enzo…" Matrix shook his head and stared back out over the water. "I'm not proud of these muscles. They don't mean anything."

"What?" Enzo protested. "You're lying!"

"No I'm not. Don't get me wrong – I'm glad I can take care of myself if I have to. But all those hours I spent driving myself till I dropped, trying to get stronger and stronger… I was just doing it because it was easier than dealing with my real problems."

"What do you mean?" Matrix felt a small hand on his elbow.

"It's not important."

"Matrix, c'mon! Tell me."

Matrix smiled, sighed. "We've talked about some of this stuff before. Just don't get hung up on big muscles proving how tough you are, that's all you need to know. You should know by now that you don't have to be big to be strong – you of all sprites! Right?"

"I dunno…"

"Enzo – you do. Look at what happened at the Academy, with those bullies. The game, everything else. They could have deleted you, and your little girlfriend. They were bigger and stronger than you, weren't they?"

"Well – yeah, but-"

"But nothing." The bearded sprite clapped Enzo on the back. "You were strong when you had to be, and you didn't need to overpower anybody. You just had to be smart and brave."

"It was easy." The boy whispered. "What they wanted to do to Lisa… I couldn't let them do it. I had to beat them."

"Yeah. So you proved you can take care of yourself. Even if you are a little guy. For now."

"I guess." Enzo picked up a pebble and tossed it into the data. "It's just… I'm really tired of being the smallest. I've always been the smallest at home, you know. Everybody taking care of me and everything. I thought it would be different at the Academy, but it isn't! I'm still the smallest, and everyone still worries about me! Mouse and Ray and Laser and even Quantum."

"Quantum?"

"One of the second-hour guys. He kinda… kinda helped me out a couple times."

Matrix felt a stab of envy, the pettiness of the emotion bothering him as much as the emotion itself. "Must be nice to have so many sprites worry about you. When I was your age, there were no bigger sprites looking out for me – I was on my own."

Enzo blushed. "Sorry, Matrix. I didn't mean – I know it was a lot worse for you-"

"It's OK – I'm just saying, appreciate what you have. You have to work a little harder to convince them you can handle yourself, that's all."

"Yeah." The boy smiled up at him, and Matrix couldn't help but be moved by the honesty of the gesture. "It's nice to have people worry about me and want to take care of me. But you know what I really want?"

"What?"

"To take care of them." Enzo sighed. "I want to be the strong one and make sure everyone else is OK, you know? I want them to look at me and feel safe because I'm around. Like people do with Bob." The boy looked away. "And you."

"Enzo…" Matrix didn't say anything for a few nanos, finding himself falling back into the frustrated loss for words that had been his companion for most of his adolescence and young adulthood. He awkwardly wrapped an arm around Enzo's shoulder. "You will."

"Maybe." The boy stared moodily out over the data and flicked another stone over its surface. "I… I guess that's one of the best things about Lisa. You know – being with her." He blushed a deep crimson. "I feel like I can protect her, even though deep down I know she can take care of herself."

Matrix smiled, then quickly bit down on it, knowing how his brother would interpret the expression. "That I understand. That's exactly how it was with me and AndrAIa."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Still is, I guess. Andri is one tough sprite, Kiddo."

"Yeah." Enzo grinned widely. "Yeah. Lisa is too. Her Dad-… Well - she's tough. But really great."

"Pixelacious." Matrix stood and shouldered his pack. "C'mon – I'm ready to roll, what do you say?"

"Sure." Matrix hoisted Enzo's pack and slipped it over the boy's outstretched arms. "I'll go first."

"Oh really?" Enzo giggled and strode back onto the trail and his brother fell in a pace behind him. "Hey."

"What?"

"I'm always gonna have your back, you know. Watch out for you."

"Great." Enzo growled. "That makes me feel all grown-up. Thanks a lot."

"That's what big brothers are for. When Mac gets to be your age, you'll understand what I mean."

The boy looked back over his shoulder, smiling slightly. "I kinda do, actually. I worry about him, sometimes. And then I think I'd delete anybody that ever tried to hurt him."

"Yeah." Matrix smiled back. They marched on for a few micros, the trail slowly gaining elevation. "Hey – do you have sunscreen on?"

"What?"

"Sunscreen. Are you wearing any?"

"No – I forgot. What's the big?"

"Stop." The bearded sprite said firmly, grabbing Enzo's pack and bringing him to a halt. "You gotta wear some – at least on your face and the backs of your legs. Dot'll delete me if you come back burned to a crisp."

"Matrix – Jeez!" the boy scowled.

"Did you bring any?"

"Yeah. Outside pocket." The elder brother rummaged through the younger's pack and retrieved the lotion. "I would have remembered, you know."

"Sure you would." Matrix held out the tube and Enzo took it with a sigh. "But it was a good thing I was here to help you remember, wasn't it?"

"Smart ASCII." Despite his show of exasperation, Enzo couldn't fight off the beginnings of a grin at the corners of his mouth.