THE CHASE - Connor x OC (I Am Sequel)

Chapter 17

I watched as Blueberry and Kyle played in the corner with a knotted rope and Connor sat nervously in the corner of the sofa.  His legs were tucked very far up, so there was little room on the couch or next to him.

"So...are you still mad at me?" I asked.

"Yep," Connor said staccato. He was scrolling through his phone a little too aggressively.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Didn't we try that already?"

"Okay. I'm sorry. We're supposed to stay together...through thick and thin. Regardless of whether or not there is a hyperagressive FBI agent telling us not to."

"Try again."

Alright, alright. He's right.

"Connor...I'm sorry. I should not have left you. That's on me. You needed me most when you were vulnerable. I know we don't do things for points, or to owe one another, but you did stay for me for an entire month while I was in a coma. Then you stayed when I didn't even remember you. I owe you at least sticking with you when you accidentally shut down," I explained.

"Alright. I forgive you," Connor said, sticking his phone away, and adjusting his stance, so that there was room next to him.

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yes. Just like that," He smirked. He extended his arms. I immediately laid on the couch and snuggled into them. He held me close and kissed the top of my head. "I love you. We both make mistakes and miss what each other need. I appreciate you no matter what happens."

"I'm a little headstrong," I answered.

"Yes. Yes, you are," Connor chuckled. He tilted my chin up and planted a small kiss on my lips.

"I don't want things to get bad between us," I mumbled. "I know I make a lot of mistakes. I'm still not good at this whole deviant thing."

"I think you just need to remember to be vulnerable," Connor whispered.

"Well, that's difficult."

"It's not supposed to be easy."

I shrugged and got even closer to him. 

"I don't want to have a magic baby," I sighed.

"Magic? We're androids, not wizards," Connor asked, confused.

"No, Connor," I chuckled. "I mean a baby whose supposed to magically fix a marriage."

"Is our marriage broken?"

"No...but I get scared it will be. It's incredibly complex, and marriages end in divorce like...all the time."

"I think you might be exaggerating a little bit," Connor sighed.

"Maybe, but like what is the android divorce rate?"

"Literally irrelevant."

"Fine, fine. I don't know. I'm still scared to have kids, and you're like super into it. I just don't get how you're just so absolutely ready for it. I detest the idea of buying a minivan and a suburban house."

"No one said we have to do that."

"I couldn't," I announced.

At this point, Blueberry had laid down in her dog bed, and Kyle was gently trying to push her off of it despite us having given him one. Blueberry was not entertained and placed her paw on his head. Kyle sadly retreated to his own dog bed. 

Connor leaned his head onto mine and held my hand. "We'll get this all figured out. But we don't have to do it tonight obviously."

"You're right," I sighed. He held me even a little tighter and kissed my head again.

~

Amanda was staring at me.

"He doesn't love you," She said shrugging.

"Why are you still here?" I asked. I looked around at the space. Blank. A void. Slowly though, the garden was peering back in. I could see the cherry blossom tree barely beginning to appear behind Amanda.

"You will never get rid of me," She said shaking her head.

"I can't even get rid of the CR500. I don't expect to get rid of you," I sighed. 

Amanda laughed. Cackled actually.

"Connor and you are Androids. You saw the ones today. You were programmed to work well together. That's not true love. That's coding."

"Back the fuck off."

"It's funny. You've gone from a small, shy girl who's opinions were limited by binary code to a vocal woman whose opinions are still limited by binary code."

The garden was fully visible now. I felt my chest get tight. Would I get stuck here again?

"Oh. Are you nervous? It's so clear that your bravery is just a constant facade," Amanda stated.

"It's not. I've been through more shit-"

"No you haven't.  You've existed through it. Believing that you can experience anything is negligent."

"Why are you still here?"

"To remind you. To remind you that Connor doesn't love you and that you don't love him. You can't even stay married right. Look at you. You fight all the time."

"All the time? Like once. About one thing."

"One thing? Mmm...Ethan seems like more than one thing."

"Ethan is negligible," I sighed. Amanda walked towards me, and put her hand on my shoulder. 

"I still control you," She whispered.

"No you don't."

She quickly took out a pistol and aimed it at my head. I thought back to Connor when we first met. I thought back to the couple that I saw today. 

"I could take you out right now," She whispered. "You're nothing more than a delusional deviant."

"I'm not deviant," I said suddenly. Something I hadn't said in a long time. My confidence was crumbling. My autonomy was crumbling.

"Say it again," Amanda demanded, pressing the pistol into my head.

"I'm not deviant," I whispered. I felt my eyes becoming damp, and I felt my chest getting tight. 

"Who are you?"

"I am Charlotte. CR400 android. I was programmed to end the Red Ice epidemic in Detroit."

"Who. Are. You?" She demanded. The pistol felt like it might damage me with how much pressure she was applying.

"I am a CR400 android," I whispered. I was bawling now. My body was loose but only because my muscle fibers could no longer maintain their tension and had given out. "I was programmed by Christen Lance to work with the RK800 in Detroit Police Departments."

"Good. I told you. I still control you," She said dropping her gun. The garden disappeared, and so did she. I was stuck, bawling in the gray.