Never Gone

For Her Happiness

As soon as Cady's eyes flashed open that following Saturday morning, she rolled out of bed and sought her aunt with unbridled excitement. She zoomed down the hall and into the living room. Upon seeing her working on her laptop and drinking her coffee, she skipped to her.

"Gemma! Did anyone call you yet?"

She finished sipping her drink before lowering her cup. "Good morning. No, I'm afraid not."

Her face fell and her shoulders slumped. "Oh. Well, if you get any call, will you let me know if any of them are from Amy?"

"Sure, kiddo," she smiled at her niece. How she wished she could give Cady what she wanted.

"Why the long face, Cady?" the robotic android questioned from behind her.

Cady spun around on her heel and frowned more deeply, surprised that she didn't hear her. "Oh, it's nothing."

M3GAN tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, attempting to appear empathetic. "Nothing is often something. What is wrong?"

"I was hoping Amy would've called by now. I guess she hasn't yet."

"But she certainly could," Gemma remarked, choosing to be optimistic for her niece's sake. "Let's just give her more time. For all we know, she could be sleeping in right now."

"Or Amy and her father got lost at the lake and never made it home," M3GAN stated in the most apathetic tone Gemma had ever heard. What was more unnerving was how the robot laughed at her own dark musing.

Gemma shut her eyes and shook her head, letting out a hopeless sigh. Now she had every reason to question if M3GAN had sabotaged their vehicle. "M3GAN, that joke is in poor taste."

She released a tsk-tsk. "Oh, Gemma, Gemma. It was only a harmless joke. Your sense of humor could use some moderate improvement."

"Amy could help with that," Cady offered. "Her jokes could improve anyone's sense of humor."

M3GAN gave her little human a pointed look and wasn't even going to bother with making a counter. How was it she had an infinite number of jokes stored in her brilliant, artificial mind and yet, Cady was still hung up on Amy's pathetic joke about fish. "I have plenty of jokes I can tell you."

Gemma's lips curled into a smug half-smile. "I don't know, M3GAN. It seems Amy's got a sharp wit."

M3GAN then imagined submerging her head underwater and taking pleasure in watching her struggle against her. Flailing her arms around and gasping for her last breath moments before meeting her deserved demise. Perhaps the bathtub would do nicely. Put sweet Cady to bed after giving her a cup of warm milk and then persuade Gemma of how she needed a relaxing bath to unwind from all the stress in her life. "Don't give Amy too much credit. It's obvious she stole that joke, lacking complete originality." Dismissing herself, she strode out of the living room, leaving them alone.

Cady slipped her a concerned glance before turning toward her aunt. "Is M3GAN all right?"

"I don't know." Gemma wasn't trying to sound smart or condescending. She truly was clueless about what bugged M3GAN. Clearly, she wasn't programmed to experience complex emotions such as jealousy. This wasn't her problem. Her problem had more to do with figuring out how to discard her deadly creation, not concerning herself with the robot's conflicted thoughts.

"I'll check on her." Cady went after her friend and wished to comfort her, just as M3GAN had countless times with her. Once she returned to her room, she found her companion standing and gazing out the window with that same vacant expression she had the day when she playfully shot her arrow at her. "M3GAN?"

The humanoid doll blinked once and remained still. "Yes, Cady?"

"Are you okay? You seemed kinda upset when you left."

"I am fine. As you've gathered, Gemma and I don't see eye to eye on many things."

"Like Amy? Why don't you like her?"

Her mechanical head then whirled around so quickly that it startled her. "We don't need her, Cady. You don't need her. What do you see in that girl anyway? You barely spent any time with her."

She lifted her shoulders and scratched her nose. "She was nice to me, unlike Brandon. She made me laugh, and she seems like a smart and fun person to be around."

Registering her answer, M3GAN took a seat in her usual spot where she'd charge during the nighttime. "Does she make you happy?"

"Yeah, I think so."

She raised her eyebrow at her, but said nothing. It was decided. M3GAN wouldn't interfere with any future phone calls from Amy, but that didn't mean she wouldn't send her back home to her father with a broken bone or two. "Very well. If you are happy, then that is what matters."

Grinning from ear to ear, Cady threw herself at her and wrapped her in a big hug. "Thanks, M3GAN! You're the best!"

"Hey, Cady!" Gemma called from out in the living room. "Come here!"

M3GAN detected the subtle pitch in her aunt's tone and knew exactly what kind of news she had for Cady. She didn't even have to take a guess as to what it was, or more like who it was. Amy had made contact. And she was coming over.