***What? Another double update?! Would you look at that!

This chapter is mostly fluff, but the next one has more plot/angst. Anyone want to guess what happens in that chapter? It also occurs in "I Never Knew" 😏

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy <3 ***

***(Zane's POV)***

I shuffle my feet on the doormat. "Father?" I call. "Father, I'm home!"

No answer comes.

"Father?" I ask again, a little concerned. He's probably just taking his afternoon nap, but I always get worried when he won't respond.

I walk into our small living room. My father's lying on our couch – I helped him there this morning. The living room gets much better natural lighting than his bedroom, so he likes to stay out here during the daytime.

"Father?" I ask gently, coming to his side. I sit beside him and take one of his hands in mine.

His eyes slowly open. "Z-Zane," he rasps.

"It is me, father. Are you well?"

"I'm very well," he smiles. "Can you see it?"

"See...what?" I inquire.

"The beauty, Zane. The light. It's the Departed Realm – all my friends and family who've passed on are waiting to take me home."

"I assure you, father, that no one's here." I frown. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital, father?"

"No, Zane. I feel quite all right. The best I have in months." He releases a long breath. "You won't mourn for me long, will you? Soon enough, you'll join me?"

"I – I hope so," I swallow. Do androids go to the Departed Realm when they die?

It's not the time to answer that question.

"Father, you are unwell," I assess. "I will take you to the hospital." I gather his frail form into my arms, wrapping his thin blanket tighter around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Zane," he sighs contentedly. "It's my time. The only thing I regret is not having you with me."

"N-no," I choke out. "Father, you aren't well! Save your strength – don't try to speak." I carry him toward the door.

His breathing is shallow as he looks at me with teary eyes. "Zane, stop holding onto something that's not yours to keep. My life isn't in your hands – it's not in mine, either. Destiny chose this moment for me. Let me just enjoy these last few minutes of passing."

"No," I insist. "I'm going to save you!" I fumble with the doorknob.

"It's not your job to save me," my father says softly. "Let me go, Zane." His eyes drift shut. "Ah, the light. It's so much clearer now. Keep fighting for what's right, son. I love you."

"No," I beg him. "Please, don't leave me!"

"Just for a little while," he whispers. "I love you so, so much."

"No, I – " I do a quick scan of his vital signs.

Activity is coming to a stop.

"Father, I – no!" I wail. I run to our car, throwing open the door and setting him in the passenger side.

I do one last scan of his life functions.

And he's gone.

I draw a shaky breath, gazing out the library window at the gray skies above me.

These memories I now have – they hurt. They hurt more than realizing I'm a robot or finding out that I'm different from my friends.

I need my father, and he's gone.

I know it's not safe to be alone right now, but I need to deal with my grief. And PIXAL will be joining me soon, so I will have protection. All will be well.

I sigh. Why do I think lying to myself will make things any better?

I left my team with dinner and barely a word. Cole was in the kitchen eating his repast, Jay and Nya were curled up on the couch watching a movie, and Lloyd...

He left about an hour and a half ago, not telling anyone where he was headed.

I can feel my team slowly breaking apart. Kai won't leave Skylor's side at the hospital, Sensei Wu left on a journey of unknown length, Lloyd has been incredibly moody the past few days, and I am losing myself.

"Zane?" PIXAL asks quietly from behind me.

I turn to see her caring face, and it's all I can do to fall into her arms. Her touch makes me feel...comforted.

I sob into her hair, nary a tear escaping from my eye. "H-he wanted me t-to wipe my memory," I swallow. "My f-father. So I w-wouldn't have to f-face the pain of l-losing him."

"He loved you, Zane." She squeezes me tight.

"B-but I forgot a-about him! How could I f-forget someone wh-who loved me so m-much?"

"You didn't entirely forget him," she soothes me. "Remember that you were concerned about your parents, even before you regained your memories. This is no different, just...harder now."

"I m-miss him! He always w-wanted me to h-have fr-friends." I pull back from our embrace. "PIXAL, do a-androids go to the D-Departed Realm?"

She closes her eyes. "I don't know, Zane. I don't know. But...wherever we end up, we'll always have each other, right? We're one and the same? Compatible?"

I nod. "Y-yes, but...oh, I m-miss him."

"I know," PIXAL says quietly. "It's okay to miss him. It means you loved him – that you still do love him."

We stay like that for a long while – me wrapped up in her arms, and her whispering words of comfort. I just feel so broken.

I look down at the electric pencil sharpener in front of me, my bottom lip quivering.

My father lifts my chin. "What's wrong, Zane?" he asks.

I point to the contraption. "I – I broke it."

"It's okay," my father quiets me. "There's nothing too broken to be fixed."

"B-but it hurts so bad to be broken," I whimper.

My father sits down beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with hurting, Zane. If we didn't hurt, we'd be very different people – or maybe not people at all."

I stroke the pencil sharpener with my hand. "Is it like me, father? Can it feel the pain? Pain that I inflicted?"

He smiles in that old familiar way. "Zane, you know a lot more about empathy than most humans I know." He covers my hand in his. "We all are in pain sometimes, and we all inflict pain on each other. The best we can do is apologize and go on."

"Have you ever felt pain?"

"Yes, Zane. On many occasions. But as I said, there is nothing too broken to be fixed, just as long as you have all the right pieces." He hands me a screwdriver. "Now let's get to work."

***(PIXAL's POV)***

***Music Cue***

It's a long time before I let go of Zane.

I feel so horrible for him. So many memories hit him at once, and now he has to deal with the grief of his father's death and the fact that he's a robot at the same time. It must be hard.

I look out the window. The February sky has quickly changed from fading light to dark evening. We must have been standing here for around half an hour.

"Zane?" I ask quietly.

"Yes?" he sighs.

"The library is closing soon. Is there somewhere else we could go?"

He shakes his head. "I – I should get back to my team. I'm sure they need me at a time like this. Everything is chaotic now – our sensei left in the middle of this crisis, and I'm afraid our leader is struggling. He is not himself today."

"All right. Do you...want me to come with you?"

He smiles sadly. "I think...I am not quite ready to reveal my memories to my team just yet. It might be better if you...went home for a while. But I deeply appreciate your offer and everything you have done. We connect, PIXAL."

"We do." I take his hands in mine. "You will let me know if you need anything, correct?"

"Yes," he nods adamantly. "And...PIXAL, once my team completes this mission and I have adequately grieved for my father, I should very much like to talk to you about...our relationship."

A taste of happiness weaves its way through me. "Oh. Yes, I...once everything is not such a mess in your life, I should like to speak with you about that, too. You are very special to me, Zane, even though we have not known each other long."

"Indeed. You are just the person I needed to help me navigate my wave of grief. Only...I know I cannot think clearly at a time like this." Zane steps a little closer, bending down to press his forehead to mine. "Thank you."

"No need," I murmur. "I find great joy in supporting you, Zane."

We stay like that for just a moment longer before he pulls back. "I'll, um, walk you to your car?"

I smile and nod. I took one of my creator's – one of my father's – vehicles this evening.

Zane offers me his hand, and we walk out of the library together. He points out different bookshelves as we pass them, telling me what some of his favorite novels and non-fictions are.

Each title seems to lead him to some new memory of his father.

We spend a while reminiscing until the lights shut off and a librarian shoos us out. I don't believe Zane is usually a rulebreaker, but he has a very good excuse tonight.

When we finally leave the building, I realize it's quite cold outside. Not that my body reacts to temperature differences, but my internal thermometer shows a dramatic change in the weather.

A single snowflake drifts down and kisses my nose. I reach up to feel it – it's the first time I've ever experienced the sensation of snow on my face, come to think of it.

"My element is ice," Zane says quietly.

I look over to him. "You have the elemental power of ice?"

He nods. "Yes. Master Wu discovered I had powers when I was living on my own in the outskirts of Ninjago City. He took me in for approximately a year – introduced me to Kai, Cole, and Jay, who were the only team members at that time – and gave my life purpose."

"He sounds like a very good person, Zane."

"He is." He takes a deep breath. "And he's the reason I am encouraged to return to my team and fight alongside them, even though I am different. I believe he knew I was an android all along, and yet he still chose me to be part of his team."

I smile. "According to my calculations, Zane, you're going to be just fine with your android nature. You will let it strengthen you, rather than hold you back."

He offers me one last hug before we depart. "I hope you're right, PIXAL. Have a good evening."

"You, too." I rack my processor for the many different ways to say farewell. "Until tomorrow, take care, sleep well, and...good night, sexy?" I think about that last one. "Did that come out correctly?"

Zane frowns. "I do not know. It sounds very much like something a betrothed couple would say."

"Oh. Well, we are not engaged, so...shall I leave the 'sexy' part off?"

He furrows his forehead. "I believe that fixes the issue, yes. And good night to you, too. Do you dream?"

"No," I confess. "It's a marvel that you do."

"Okay. Uh, well, then...I shall dream of you." He looks at the ground. "May I call you if I cannot rest?"

"Of course, Zane. I will be here for you." I give his fingers a squeeze, then open my car door and climb inside my vehicle. Zane waits until I exit the parking lot to enter his own mode of transportation and drive away.

"I promise you, Zane," I whisper. "I will be there for you."