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Chapter Twenty-Five
*Acer*
Iraised my silverfist and knocked. Again. For the third time. The first two times I had been informed by a rather mildly annoyed Science Model that he wasbusy. Busy? For two whole days? Daxneverleft his lab this long. Then again he had just found his female and rounds of sex really does start to mess with your circuits. I had graciously not commented on the cloud of sex that invaded the hallway every time Dax had opened the door.
Were Marley and I that bad? I smirked. We had had been worse. Reaper had actually ran for the door on the few occasions when he had tried to check on us. Like he and Aria had been any better. We cyborgs had fallen hard and fast. So much for being superior beings. Love messed up your circuits and altered your programming-in the best possible way.
After Dax had discovered his female hiding in the woods outside headquarters, everyone else in the cyborg rebellion had been up in arms over Dax’s supposedbetrayal. And the fact he had dropped Reaper on his ass.
Me? That shit was funnier than when Theo kicked the Military Model. Man, I really wish I had been there to witness it. The old version of my programming would have jumped with joy. It still had a bone to pick with Reaper over the fact that he had attempted to take Marley from me. My core programming upgrade might have made me nicer, but that didn’t mean I always followed it. Sometimes, the old version of me desperately wanted to come out to play.
Not today though. Today I needed to drag a Science Model away from his female to do a quick check on my female and our daughter. Marley and Ever seemed fine after their traumatic experience, but some parts of me were still paranoid.
Like they could vanish tomorrow, leaving me in the dark again.It was hard for an unfinished prototype to believe he deserved to get a happily ever after. My processors needed to be reassured that the reasons for my existence were alright and thriving under my care.
I knocked harder, banging my metal fist against the door in rapid strokes.
The door swung open. “What do you want?” Dax glared at me, crossing his arms over his chest.
A pissed off Science Model, who would have thought? I kept the smirk off my face. Pissing off cyborgs had been somewhat of a hobby for me before my processor wipe. The programming upgrade took off the edge but the old me added a tally mark to the list in my head.Dax-check.
“Wanna step into the hallway and shut the door, Science Model? I amthrilledyou are getting laid, but I don’t need to bathe in the cloud of sex wafting from your quarters.” If I had a nose it would have wrinkled. The lack of one only made my sense of smell stronger, so Dax was lucky I actually cared about my family more than my need to dip him in a vat of bleach.
Dax’s eyes glittered. “If the scent is so offensive, then maybe you should stop knocking on my door and leave us be.”
I shrugged. “I would but,” I hesitated. I had never uttered these next three words to anyone but Marley. “I need you.” There I said it. And what do you know, the world didn’t end.
He stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. “This I have to hear.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
You can do this.My mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.
Dax’s face softened a tiny bit. God damn him and his caring nature. He was the only cyborg that seemed to be programmed with their heart on their sleeve.
He’s your friend, the kinder side of my programming declared.No, he’s not, I countered. But what if I wanted him to be? Oh god. I wanted Dax to be my friend. The team cyborg side of my personality cheered.
“This is hard for you, I know, “Dax said kindly, “But I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you need me for.”
I took a breath. “Look, I know I have been bugging you by repeatedly showing up at your door, and if you would have done the same when I was first with Marley, I probably would have punched you.” Dax’s lips tipped down into a frown.
Not the right path, cyborg.“Would you believe this is me getting better at this?” The corners of my mouth started to tip upward. I was actually fighting off a smile.
Dax appeared to not suffer from the same struggle and he offered me a broad smile. “Might I advise you don’t admit to those you are asking for help the fact you might have physically assaulted them?”
“Noted, Science Model.” My lips went against my order and had the nerve to smile at him in return.
