David's smile slipped though as Alma shook her head and moved towards the door, he frowned then and moved to walk after her. "I do not suggest skipping a meal."

"Yeah, I know, you have mentioned that before." David tilted his head at the sound of her clipped voice. She simply glanced over her shoulder at him before looking forwards at the white long stretching corridor she was walking down.

"You're annoyed." He stated, Alma very rarely seemed to show signs of being annoyed, or angry, or even in a mood. So, when she was in one, or showing any signs of these emotions, it was incredibly easy to notice. Her tone and mannerisms were ones which he had only see once before, and he didn't quite like it that time either.

He was a little confused, he wasn't even going to lie. Nothing in his eyes had particularly happened for her to be annoyed. He looked to the ceiling as he thought over everything. It couldn't have been what happened between them, as he stated – and would state again if it got her to see sense – she didn't stop him and seemed even more encouraging for it. Was it his earlier spoken words? David frowned, he might've been a little blunt. But he was only being blunt to her for her to see that really, what transpired didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. So, what, the platonic relationship he had suggested to her had changed to something more. Did that honestly matter to her that much. Evidently it did, and David wasn't quite sure why. His feelings towards her and this matter were nothing but positive, though that may be slowly changing now that she was shutting him out.

David walked quickly forwards and grasped onto her arm, Alma naturally pulled back not liking being suddenly clutched onto. "Why?" He asked simply, he didn't understand and would very much like to know why he was suddenly being shunned. Alma if anything just continued to pull and tug at her arm, his grip remained tight. There was no way she was getting free unless he wished it. Which meant that right now she had no option but to talk to him.

Alma on the other hand had other ideas, she suddenly lurched forwards which caused him to move backwards, she placed her spare hand to his chest and pushed at him too. David didn't falter much from the sudden outburst but his grip loosened enough that she snatched her arm free and walked down the corridor quickly away from him.

With an angry look on his face, he walked quickly after her. She wasn't going to just shut him out with no explanation given as to why. "This stems a lot more than just mere embarrassment on your behalf." He deduced.

Alma turned and looked at him fiercely. "I am not embarrassed; I am slightly disturbed." David looked a little less annoyed at her admittance of not being embarrassed, only for the expression to come back with the latter part of her sentence. "Let's break it down, yes? You are essentially in existence to aid humans, when I say this, I do not mean in any sexual way. I did not even begin to think for one moment that those thoughts would even enter your mind. But then again, I also did not think you would be capable of murder."

"I have not murdered anyone."

"You took 6 apart!"

"He didn't exactly fight back." David said in a low voice as he narrowed his eyes down at her. "And may I add, you were annoyed over that happening for about an hour then got over it. So, don't even pretend to be upset over him being decommissioned. You said it yourself, 6 was going to be taken down sooner or later. I just happened to intervene with that one a little sooner than planned."

Alma starred up at him with wide eyes and a concerned expression. "That's not how you're meant to think!"

David stepped forwards, she stepped back. "And you are to tell me how to think? Why not totally take over and tell me how to feel too? You do realise, if you listened to your boss and rewired parts of my...for the better word, mind, like they wanted you to, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation?" David said smirking down at her. "It seems to all be coming back to you being the root of the problem, Miss. I am very sorry to have to state this, but it does."

Alma just stared at him, completely at a loss. "You're a spiteful thing, David." She said while eyeing him up and down slowly while turning away.

"I am not a thing."

"You are! You're a spiteful, hurtful, thing. I did not make you like that...this, whoever this is," Alma said while scrunching her nose up and waving her hands at him. "I don't know who you are."

"I am not a thing." David repeated through gritted teeth while glaring even more down at her.

Alma just stared at him, "Manmade objects are technically a thing, in simple terms."

"Now who's the spiteful, hurtful thing?"

"It's not so nice, is it? When it's aimed back at you." Alma shook her head and groaned. Running a hand down her face she looked at him sadly. "Maybe us separating was for the best? I definitely shouldn't have come here." She looked around the quiet corridor and nodded her head slowly.

"You're here now."

"And with no way to get home." She flicked her eyes up at him, "I'm going to get dressed now, and then I'll come have breakfast, okay?" She asked slowly.

"I'll have it waiting for you." David said with a small smile, hoping that now she had ranted off a lot of hurtful words, and how she felt, she'd be better. He wasn't going to lie, what she said to him did cut deep. But it if made her feel better then he'd take it. He wouldn't forget, but he'd accept those words for the sake of getting her back to normal. He stood and watched as she walked away.

Once she turned the corner, David turned and made his way back to the kitchen. He took to making her something to eat and slowly sat down to wait for her return. When at least half an hour trickled by, he looked around with a small frown. From experiences, he knew full well she never took that long to get a shower and dressed. Standing up, he walked down the corridor and towards her room. Reaching the door, he frowned when it didn't automatically open. There were locks on all doors, and he suddenly hated the fact that he was shut out. So, she had locked herself within her room and was refusing to come out? She had hurt his feelings, lied to him and now shut herself away.

David lifted a hand up and knocked on the door. "Alma, shutting yourself away won't do anything. Keep in mind you have another two months before anyone else is meant to wake up. You can't hide away for two months, you'll starve. It'd be different if it were a day. Humans can survive without food for a small amount of time, but two months may be pushing your luck. Open the door." David said while listening for any sounds, there was none. "Ignoring me too won't do anything. As stated, no one else will be awake for another two months. I am the only other sentient thing onboard other than yourself." He knocked again a little more impatiently, just like his tone. He was becoming more agitated by the moment. He didn't like being ignored. Yet even through his urgent knocking there was still nothing from the room beyond. He wouldn't think that Alma was so childish that she would do this.

He looked over the door, frowning at the control pad next to it, he leaned down. Reaching up he ran a finger across the panel which kept the important parts hidden and away from any interference. It appeared someone had got in. The only person who could do that, was the one person who David believed was hiding away. Evidently not...

Pushing the panel fully open he looked over the small buttons and wires. Reconnecting and changing some over he watched as the door opened. He couldn't help but smile, she was a clever person indeed. He peeked his head in and could see she wasn't here. He was fully prepared to go and look for her but something caught his attention on the table. He walked over and picked up the small silver ring that he had made for her.

David turned the cold metal over in his hands and turned with a concerned look on his face. "Alma?" He called out and walked quickly out of the room. She had worn this, and hadn't taken it off since he gave it to her. What did suddenly taking it off and abandoning it here mean? He was confused, he walked through the corridors and looked in the kitchen. Alma wasn't there. He turned and walked to the main living space, he looked over the sofa and was met by nothing.

David was starting to feel anxious, this was a big ship but there was only so many places she would be. The more obvious places she wasn't, and where were the less obvious ones? Everywhere was like this. He paused and looked slowly to the side when he heard a noise. Turning on his heels he stalked quietly and slowly forwards. He was met with an empty room, well, empty of life other than those sleeping away.

David frowned and walked passed the chambers, "You would return back to sleep for two months just to avoid me? I do not know which is the worse prospect; hypersleep, or locking yourself in your room. May I say that both would end the same? You would still have to be in contact with me when everyone else wakes. It's not a solution, Alma." He looked over her chamber and narrowed his eyes. She had been here, and she had tried accessing it and reprogramming it. "Can you stop hiding? It's a bit childish, isn't it?" David stood and looked about, "I know this ship inside and out, anywhere you hide I will know of. It's only a matter of time before I find you. And once I do we can perhaps have a proper discussion about this. Because this is a bit ridiculous, I have to say my perceptions of you are wavering slightly." David turned and looked curiously to the side when he distinctly heard the pattering of feet. "Hide and seek is it, Miss?" He smiled and walked after the sounds. "Even though you know you'll lose? I can't fault you for your efforts." He placed his hands in his pockets and just idly walked along. He didn't get far before stopping and looking to where she stood in the middle of the corridor looking at him uncertainly. "You didn't get very far." David shrugged, "That or you just saw how fruitless this all was."

"Who are you, David?" Alma asked quietly while he picked up walking again and stopped a few paces away.

"I am whoever you need me to be, Alma." He responded. She looked up at him with hard eyes, and he simply looked down at her in return. "I am here to undertake missions, tasks, and anything else that cannot be done by humans. I am to blend in with those around me, and to input where and if needed."

"But who are you, David?" She implored while stepping forwards and looking up at him with sad eyes.

"I am yours." She made him, and bought him to life. He was hers. Even if she denied that, or chose not to accept and register it, it was the truth. "And you are my creator, you are mine. But only because you are, it does not give you the right to try and convey how I should feel, or act. I have some form of free will, and with that free will I can do whatever I want, and what I wanted to do with the free will I had when and where you're involved, is to make you happy. Because I have never seen you happy with your fellows. I make you happy, and I don't think you can rightfully deny that. Especially now, I would call you a hypocrite if you did, Alma. And I don't want to call you anything which would likely hurt you. I think we've said enough to each other to hurt ourselves, don't you? So, why don't we start again?" David said calmly and in a quiet voice, she still looked half in mind to bolt away from him. He didn't mean to scare her, or unnerve her in any way. She rubbed her arms up and down, "Did I hurt you earlier? I am sorry if I did. I just didn't like you walking away from me when all I wanted was answers. May I look at your arm? I might be able to help you." David asked in a kind voice while going to take her arm in his hands. He frowned though when she shook her head and took a step back. David sighed, "I just want to help you, Alma." He said, though this could be considered in more than one way. He wanted to help her realise that what they had wasn't bad, and though it may be seen as unnatural to some as long as they were happy – and David was, Alma he wasn't certain on – what did it honestly matter?

"You are right." She spoke up after a few minutes of silence. David looked at her with a confused expression. Alma nodded slowly and looked at him uncertainly. "You are your own person, I think I've said that before; I can't sway you in any which way, I can't tell you what to say, or how to act. You are self-evolving...so as such it'd make sense that like us humans, you'd develop emotions and feelings and wants." Alma said while pushing a hand through her hair. "It's not our fault that these things are confusing."

"Even to you?"

"Even to me."

David nodded his head and looked to the floor. "Would you ignore what you wanted, even more so if it makes you unhappy? It might allow you to have some semblance of normality amongst the others...but ultimately would you be happy?" He looked back up at her to see her looking rather teary eyed. This seemed to be a lot harder than David initially ever thought for her. "You're not losing any sense of humanity, Alma. You're the best human I know, and you could never lose who you are." He reached up and paused, he had intended to place his hand against her cheek.

Whether she realised it or not, but she had started crying. He didn't like it. She looked so conflicted, so pained. He never even thought for a moment that it would be like this, like all of this would have this effect on her. He was partially lost in his happiness and the appearance of new thoughts, feelings and sensations that he never properly paused to muse over how she was. He automatically presumed that she felt the same. But from all of this it was clear she was somewhere in between.

"You asked me to look at things from your perspective, can you look at it from mine, David? I made you, we were friends, we parted ways to work on separate things and have come back together. I taught you all you needed to know, or at least I believed I did; and honestly, through those times I did find myself becoming quite fond of you. I told you that I loved you, like I love all things I create...but this was different, this is different, because you are...you. You are so unlike anything else I have come across. I watch you, and how you act and react...you are truly more human than you even realise." Alma said while placing a hand over the one that was against her cheek. "But it throws me off. Because you're not, and I am, and I still dwell over what'll happen when the time comes where I sadly die. What'll become of you? You say not to think too much on it, but I can't help it because I don't want to think over you being sad when I am no longer here." She said while lifting her arms up and wrapping them around his middle when he finally stepped forwards and wrapped her up in his arms. He moved his hand to the back of her head and kept it tucked under his own, while his other arm rested around her. She buried her face against his chest and sniffled quietly. "I have never found myself feeling like this about a human. You do something, David, just by being you. And...and, I find myself loving you just a little bit for it." David tightened his hold on her when she did the same to him. He smiled slowly and buried his face against her hair. He was feeling quite pleased that at long last her sense of denial had gone. "Do you feel love, David?" Alma's voice came out muffled from still being hidden against his grey shirt.

"I believe I do."

She leaned away and smiled up at him. "You have a concept of love. There's no believing there, David. You do."

"Then why ask a question you already know the answer to?" David asked with a gentle smile, he reached up and tucked hair behind her ears.

Alma smiled, "Just so that I could hear what I wanted to, just like you."

David tilted his head, "That's extremely sneaky of you, Miss."

"Don't pick up my bad habits!" She laughed quietly and wiped a hand under her eyes, her cheeks were still a bit damp, and his shirt was slightly stained with her tears; but he didn't seem to care at all as he just looked down at her with a content look on his face. "What?" She asked when he looked like he wanted to voice something but stopped himself.

"Can I kiss you now, Alma? It's been increasingly hard to ignore wanting to especially since you started crying." David said while looking her over, he didn't see any signs of her disagreeing or even signs of dissuading. So, he leaned down while cupping her face and tilting it up until her lips met his.

——

(Edited: 1/March/2021)