Story: New Heights

Chapter: (1) Opposite Viewpoints

Summary: Seta few years after the end of the series. It seemed only yesterday that Hideki proposed to Chi and they were wed, and they couldn't be happier. But now, Chi wants a child, and for some reason there's no child in any of the orphanages in the city that wants to go with Chi and Hideki. Just as the happy couple is about to give up on ever getting a child, a new medical breakthrough for female persocoms is introduced. Even though Chi might have to undergo some major exterior maintenance because of the location of her "on" switch, her and Hideki are willing to try it. But, what could the consequences be?

Warnings: Some language, possible sexual content, possible character death, possible graphic material (but probably not…)

Disclaimer: I don't own Chobits – unfortunately – CLAMP does. This storyline has little to do with the series – as far as I know – it's completely a product of my own mind…and lots of sugar and caffeine.

Hideki sighed when he saw yet another adoption rejection e-mail from yet another orphanage. He was starting to think that him and Chi were being too lenient when they told the owners of the orphanages that they would allow a child to choose whether or not to go with them, because so far it's gotten them nowhere.

Hideki hung his head and exited out of the Internet window. "What are we gonna do? This 'lenient adoption' angle we're trying isn't working…"

Chi looked over at Hideki and tilted her head to the side innocently. "Chi?"

Hideki shook his head and walked over to where Chi was sitting on the floor in front of the TV. He sat down next to her. "Another child rejected us."

"Oh…" Chi looked at the TV sadly, she'd really been hoping that this child wouldn't let them down like so many others had.

Hideki looked over at his persocom wife with a sad look, though it wasn't nearly as bad as the one Chi was trying to hide. "I did some more research on the lenient adoption we're trying…it seems that it rarely works if there's a persocom involved. Sorry, Chi."

"It's okay, Hideki, I know you're really trying." Even though she'd said it sincerely, she was still clearly upset.

Hideki looked back at the TV, not paying the least bit of attention to it – the news was on, something he rarely watched anymore, even if he had a day off from work – until they mentioned something about persocom pregnancy.

"A new high risk procedure has been introduced from the persocom manufacturers that could, in fact, impregnate a female persocom as if she were human. Reyna Nakamura explains…"

Hideki paid so much attention to the news that he didn't even realize when Chi got up and left for the bakery – still her place of work. He listened as the news anchor explained how exactly the procedure worked and the possibility of it working correctly.

Maybe…Maybe this is what we need to do… Hideki thought before he heard that the percentage of malfunction in the persocom was scarily high because the procedure was experimental.

"I should go ask Chi about this." Hideki stood up and turned for the door.

…

"Thank you, come again!" Chi said in her usually happy and chipper voice as a family with two small children left the bakery with a cake.

Once the family was gone, and the shop empty again except for her, Manager Ueda, and Yumi, Chi let her face drop. Seeing that family had made her think about the six children who'd not wanted to be adopted by her and Hideki, and she was just as sad as she was when Hideki told her that there was yet another rejection.

Manager Ueda, who'd been sweeping the floor walked over to Chi, who was at the cash register. "What's wrong, Chi?"

Chi looked at Manager Ueda for a moment and then hung her head. "Chi and Hideki got another rejection…"

"Oh." Manager Ueda looked around quickly before reaching into his pocket and giving a folded up piece of paper to his distraught worker. "That reminded me, I saw this on the news this morning."

"Chi?" Chi unfolded the paper and quickly read what was written there in sloppy, quickly scrolled down script.

"I know that you and Hideki want a child, and you two can't seem to get a break with the 'lenient adoption' method, so maybe this'll work."

Chi was too stunned to speak once she read what was written. A pregnancy procedure…for persocoms?! She had seen where it was written that the malfunction and ultimate shutdown percent was 90, but was still considering it. Her and Hideki wouldn't have just a child, but their own child. It would be more persocom than human, sure, but it would still be their child. Their real, biological, (if that could even be considered "biological" for a persocom), son or daughter, instead of someone else's flesh and blood.

After a long moment, Chi looked up from the paper and at Manager Ueda. It took another minute for her to find her voice to say, "Thank you."

Manager Ueda simply smiled. "Don't tell Yumi I gave you that. She doesn't like the idea. She said that child bearing should be for human girls, that persocoms are—"

"Hiroyasu…!" Yumi ran in from the backroom as Chi put the paper into a pocket in her uniform. She hugged onto Manager Ueda's arm and looked over at Chi. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing, just about how her and Hideki are still trying to adopt."

"Oh. How's that going, by the way?"

Chi hung her head.

"Another rejection, huh? It's okay, don't give up! One day, you and Hideki will find the perfect child to adopt! Or you could find a young pregnant woman who's going to give her child up, if you want." Oh, yeah, Yumi was definitely against persocom pregnancy. Chi could tell by the way she had emphasized "woman".

About that time, Hideki walked into the bakery. He seemed to have a slightly excited air about him. "Hey, Ueda, Yumi!"

Yumi smiled when she saw Hideki. "Hey Hideki!"

Hideki strolled right passed Yumi and Manager Ueda without so much as another glance at them, walking right up to his persocom wife. "Chi, I saw something on the news not too long ago that I think we ought to try."

"Chi?" Chi didn't even think that Hideki would bring up what he did.

"There's a new procedure out that could make you pregnant. We could have a child of our—"

"That's wrong and sick!" Yumi yelled from behind Hideki, who'd whipped around at the sound of the shrieking voice. "Pregnancy is something a human girl should be the only one to experience! How could a machine truly appreciate it?!"

Manager Ueda rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yumi, honey, please just hol—"

"No! Persocoms are completely replacing humans! It makes me just want to…GAH!" Yumi sharply turned around and ran out of the bakery.

Manager Ueda sighed, and looked at Hideki and Chi. "Sorry about that. You can go home early today, Chi, seeing as that's probably the only way I'll get Yumi to come back."

Chi nodded once, a little sad that her newfound friend probably now hated her again simply because of a newly introduced procedure that could change her life. She walked into the backroom and got dressed back into her long, long-sleeved, low-cut light blue dress before she walked out with Hideki back to their apartment.