I going to tell you right now that I don't know why I started this story. I've never written fan fiction before and I still don't understand why I'm doing so now. I suppose it's for the same reasons that we all write. The story doesn't leave you alone. It's always there when your working, eating, driving. It won't even leave you alone when your trying to sleep. How rude. It beats against the inside of your head and won't stop till you let it out. So I'm hoping that once I finish the story it will finally go away.

Yeah and the legal stuff. I don't own any of these characters. They are the property of Imagi studios and Tezuka productions. But the movie was made a long time ago so they may or may not still own the rights. Whoever it is, it sure the hell isn't me.

Astro looked at Cora as he peeped over the top of the lab table. He had snuck in quietly as she admired the large floral bouquet that had been delivered that morning. There was no card. There didn't need to be. Unaware of his presence, Cora leaned against the table, relaxation in her shoulders, as Astro studied the expanse of her back. As Cora leaned forward to adjust a sprig of baby's breath, Astro spoke.

"Someone must like you a lot, to send you so many flowers."

The baby's breath flew out of the vase as Cora started. A smile played across her face as she delicately put it back in place. She didn't turn around. "Yes, I consider myself lucky to know him. Not only does he remember my birthday every year, but also my favorite flowers" Cora gestured to the entire arrangement. A three-foot high monster towered above her from it's place on the lab counter, contrasting sharply against the aluminum wall behind it. With large-headed blooms of carnation so numerous, that for a moment Astro could imagine a giant pink-eyed alien had just crashed though the lab room wall. Or better yet, was crouched on the counter, poised and ready to strike.

Astro now had his chin on his palms, elbows on table. Admiring her admiring them. Eight years had passed sense they first met. She was now twenty five. She was twenty five and he still had the appearance of a thirteen year old boy. Inwardly he sighed.

When Cora said nothing more, he asked, "So, do you like them?"

Cora pinched her chin thoughtfully. She swayed right to left, a critical expression on her face and in her eyes.

"Actually," then she paused. Her tone was serious.

"Yes?" Astro had clambered onto the table. He was peering over her shoulder now, trying to detect the flaw she had seen.

"GOT YAH!" Cora exclaimed, as she turned and grabbed his arms. She released him as she put her hands on her hips and gave him a sideways look.

"Honestly Astro, you are so predictable." Her tone was mocking but her smile was warm.

Astro smiled up at her as he sat down on the table edge and dangled his boots. Suddenly she leaned down and pulled him into an embrace. The room seemed to spin for a moment, as it always did. He could feel her warmth though her lab coat, and he relaxed into it. She brought her mouth close to his ear and whispered. "I love them." There seemed a lot of meaning said behind those words. Maybe she would have liked to say something else, maybe something more, but she didn't. Then she pulled away, and Astro decided he was hopefully imagining things that weren't there. Again.

Imaginations should not be so painfully overactive, he thought ruefully.

Zane chose that moment to come barreling into the lab. Tall and lanky, Zane had grown into a successful adult. He ran a thriving repair shop next to the Ministry. Zane and a talented team of grease-covered teenagers fixed everything from robots to toasters. Never having the educational degrees to work at the Ministry never stopped him from always BEING at the Ministry. In the early years he was always sneaking in, only to be politely escorted out. His friendship with Astro not withstanding. As this continued though the years Zane's know-how became known though his interactions with the various scientists of the Ministry. The cyberneticists were soon dragging him into their offices for a fresh look on old problems. He was offered a job as a consultant, but he turned it down as he was then gifted the repair shop by his proud yet elderly foster father. That didn't stop the Ministry from issuing him his own ID badge and key card.

Zane's sneakers squeaked on the floor as he came to a stop. Then he resumed his layed-back demeanor. He said nothing for a moment as he looked from the bouquet to Cora and Astro. "Geez Astro, they get bigger every year.", Zane said in his usual lazy drawl. His overlong hair fell into his eyes as he smiled at them both. He held his hand up to one of the blooms to compare the two. "I walked though the consumer question department and they were buzzing about watching the florist bring it in. You should have seen Mark's face."

Astro was confused. "Mark?"

Zane gave Cora a conspiratorial grin.

"Mark Lorrin works in the call department." Cora said. Deadpan.

Zane grin got wider. "He's got a thing for Cora."

"A thing?", Astro said. It came out more a squeak than he would have liked. Nether seemed to notice.

"Blah." Cora said. "NOT interested."

Astro released a breath. She really did look disgusted.

Zane picked up her Vclipboard off the counter and started scrolling though some of Cora's calculations. "Just sayn'", he said. "When was the last time you went on a date?" He mumbled into the Vboard. He knew Cora well enough to know that such a comment would bring ferocity to her eyes. Which was the fun in saying them.

Cora crossed her arms and pursed her lips as she looked at Zane. "I don't have time for such nonsense. If I want to continue working here, which I certainly do, then I need to produce some results."

"This numbers wrong." Zane said, pointing at a figure on the Vboard. Cora snatched it away. Zane spread his now empty hands. "You always make time for me and Astro. Even Sludge and Widget when they aren't in school." He tapped his chin. "Even during your college classes you always made time for us."

Cora was making corrections on the Vboard. Or pretending to. She drew a breath.

"That's because your my friends. My very best friends." Her voice started angry but ended with a embarrassed smile as she looked at them both. She wasn't used to saying anything so heartfelt. "After all these years we have managed to stick together. I want it to stay that way." Her voice was hushed.

Zane took the board away from her and recorrected her corrections. The room was quiet for a moment after Cora's admission. Astro felt he should say something but he settled for touching Cora's arm and offering an encouraging smile. They all felt the same way, Cora was just the first to say it out loud.

Zane finally looked up and said, "Well, someday were all going to find somebody. We're going to get married and have little bitty babies. Just like everyone else. We'll have our own lives to worry about." It was a very depressing thought. Not the kind of thing Zane would normally say. Cora gave him a puzzled look, but said nothing.

Astro didn't like the way this conversation was going. He blamed Zane for bringing it up, even though he knew he was right. His friends were growing up without him. How long till they were too old to want hang out with him? Who wants to hang out with a little kid? He had lots of other friends, many of them his own 'age', but these were his BEST friends. They listened to him. Cared about his feelings. They didn't take advantage of him. He didn't need to put on a show for them or need to do anything to impress them. They talked to him like a person. Not a robot. They helped him feel NORMAL. He couldn't bare the thought of them eventually drifting apart. This truth had been bothering him for years.

That's when Astro dropped off the lab table. Cora and Zane jumped in unison as Astro hit the floor with a loud metallic clunk. He spoke over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. "Well I can see you have work to do so I'll just be on my way.", Astro said as he started to exit. "Happy Birthday,-

The door slammed in his face as Cora loomed over him. Her longer stride beat him to the door.
- Cora.", he finished weakly.

"You agreed to help me today."

"But I got this project with my Dad..."

"Oh, yes. The project you won't tell me about."

"It's, it's-um." Boy she was terrifying.

"Classified? ", Zane suggested.

"UP!UP!UP!" Cora said to Zane. She used her free hand to send him a shushing motion, the other hand continued to bar the door. "Let him do it Zane."

Astro opened and closed his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. In his mind he crashes though the wall and gets away.

"It's really nothing.", was his lame response.

"You've always shared with me before Astro, ESPECIALLY the classified projects. I don't know why you won't let me help."

Astro's voice shook a little. "It's not so much an official project really, it's more of hobby. A pass-time."

"You know why I waded though five years of robotics Astro? So I could spend more time with you."

Oh no. Now she was playing guilt-trip hardball.

"I know. I know Cora." He hadn't known. He had always assumed she had an interest in the subject, not him specifically. He didn't have a heart, but it seemed to flutter nonetheless. "It's just that it's become a kind of father-son...thing."

"Oh." Cora said. Her posture changed. Her shoulders slumped. She released the door. Best of all, her eyes were no longer the slits of interrogation. They now contained a mixture of understanding and disappointment. Astro felt a little guilty for putting it there.

"Sorry Cora."

Astro began to open the door a second time, but Cora slammed it shut again as she leaned in close to him.

"A little hint."

Astro said nothing.

"It's-my-birth-dayy." She said it in a quiet sing-song.

As Astro's face scrunched up Cora started to smile, but then remembered she was supposed to be looking forlorn and a smile would ruin the puppy-dog-eye effect.

Astro closed his eyes to block out the sight and ran a hand over his face.

That's so human, what a human thing to do, she thought with amazement. She'd seen him do things like this hundreds of times before. But every time it took her breath away. No wonder she kept forgetting he was a robot. Astro opened his eyes, and his expression was resigned.

Yes!

Astro looked her right in the eyes so long she felt she would fall into those big brown photo receptors. Or die of anticipation.

"It's an upgrade."

Confusion etched Cora's face.

Zane was leaning forward.

Cora cocked her head. "An upgrade for what?"

Astro paused again. "For...me."

Cora's brow furrowed more. "Like, ah, a software compatibility upgrade?" She knew Astro had had these before.

"Um. No."

"Hardware upgrade?" Because Astro tended to get beat up battling whatever happened to be attacking the city (or surrounding area) that week, weapon upgrades or repairs were common occurrences as well.

"Sort of." Astro was slowly inching the door open. "It's still very experimental. We haven't even started any serious testing yet. I'm not even sure it's worth all the time we're spending on it."

Cora deflated. "So your telling me your not working on anything cool."

"I said it was nothing."

"Well, I know I don't have your father's skills, but I would like to help if I could. I know your schematics top to bottom. So let me know if you need me."

Astro found it both disconcerting and flattering that Cora knew him inside and out. Of course his father couldn't be expected to keep his brilliance all to himself. But the knowledge was limited to only a select few for security reasons. It made Astro feel a little violated. But he supposed it wasn't really any different than having an anatomy poster on a classroom wall.

"Even if we finish it, I'm not sure I'll go though with it."

Cora's eyes widened. "So it's dangerous?" She could always read between the lines.

Astro just looked at her.

"It is!" She exclaimed.

"Gotta go." With that, he slipped quickly out the door. He didn't just run, he jumped up into the air and blasted down the hallway.

"Fine! I don't care what it is anyway!", Cora yelled after him. She turned to slam the door but quickly turned back. "I do care! Don't kill yourself!" She yelled it extra loud but he was already gone.

Dr. Shelber and Dr. Ambrose were peeking around their office doors and looking at Cora. Shelber's look was one of inquiry, Ambrose just looked angry. "Sorry doctors.", Cora said with an apologetic smile. And she quietly closed the door.

"Is that why you opted for one of the older offices? So you could slam the doors?", Zane snickered.

"Oh shush." Cora brushed him off. "Astro wouldn't do anything too dangerous? Would he?"

"What are you talking about? Astro does dangerous stuff all the time." He scoffed at her.

"Can't you ever say anything to make me feel better? Couldn't you just lie to me once in a wile?"

Zane's grin was full of mirth and amusement.

"I wouldn't ever lie to you Cora." The statement was sincere.

The sentiment calmed her for a moment before she fired right up again. "And why did you have to bring up Mark in front of Astro? That was mean."

"Why would that bother Astro? It's not like there's ever been anything going on between the two of you." Zane gestured to the giant floral arrangement. "I've always known why you don't date."

"And I don't HAVE to if I don't WANT to. Geez. You, my parents. It's my choice. And I've dated before, they were all ridiculous."

"Well, yeah, look who you compare them to."

"I do not compare-"

"Yes you do."

Cora was trying to think of a retort, when Zane offered a placating hand gesture. "I know Cora. It's complicated. Between you and Astro it has always been complicated."

At that moment a chime sounded behind the door. It killed the conversation. Cora was still leaning against it so she opened it up. A shiny 0-700 bot stood in the doorway. They were distinguished by their large double-wheel base and glowing eyes.

"Message." The robot said in a tinny voice.

"Recipient?" Cora asked.

"Mr. Arricson."

"Zane, it's for you." Cora said it louder than necessary.

"I know. I'm right here." Cora smirked. Unapologetic. Zane addressed the robot. "Yes?"

"Your presence is requested in blue room on the second floor."

"I'll be right there." He turned to Cora. "That will be Dr. Watterson and that crazy leg design of his. It probably kicked him again." Zane finally handed back her Vboard. "Here."

He started to leave but stopped.

"Oh Cora? Dont be too hard on Astro. I'm sure he'll do what's best for him. He may stay young, but his mind does not."

Zane would do that alot, convince everyone in the room he was a goofball and then say something wise and profound, blowing everyone away. It just made Cora suspicious. He was being more bazaar than usual today. She leaned back to look directly in his eyes as she clasped the Vboard to her chest. "Are you up to something?"

Zane made a half-bow that accompanied his usual sly smile. "I'm always up to something Cora."

"Do tell." She knew he wouldn't. Zane strode out into the hallway, his hands in his pockets. The 0-700 rolling along beside him. "You'll understand when your older." He called back to her.

"I'm older than you Zane!" She called back.

"Happy Birthday Cora!" He said as he strode around the corner, almost out of earshot.

"Men." She mumbled to herself as she reentered the lab. Let them shut her out. Humph. Then she looked at the Vboard and scrolled though the program she'd been working on. Zane had completed it. He'd only been at it for ten minutes and he had completed it. Cora shook her head as she examined it. It was beautiful. It was perfect.

He's not good with his letters but he sure was a wiz with numbers. Her work was done for the day now. She could go home if she really wanted to.

She looked from the board to the flowers. She smiled. Even with as much frustration as they gave her sometimes, they were the best.

Cora placed the board on the counter, and strode up to the flowers. She carefully separated the blossoms down the middle. There, in the back of the arrangement, cut so short that it's base almost touched the lip of the vase, was a single red rose.

Aww. Isn't that sweet. I was tempted to leave it at at that and make it a one-shot story. But I thought it would be pretty insulting to the reader to leave so many threads untied. I go a little into the politics of Metro City in the next chapter, whenever I finally get it up. Will that ruin the story? Let's find out!