Six months, eleven days, and a couple hours later, Lane stood between the two giant turret columns on Towers on the Crest's front portico. With a small bouquet of wildflowers in one hand, he pondered the long days gone by. He mumbled to himself, "It's been more than six months. I wonder what's changed..." Before he could knock or ring, the great main door swung open. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and glanced ruefully at his mussed clothes: jeans, denim shirt, and his well-worn boots.

A middle-aged woman in ironed shorts inquired, "May I help you?"

"Is Ayla home?"

"No," she replied bluntly. She added as an afterthought, "We don't expect her either."

Taken aback by her seeming rudeness, and deeply disappointed, he inquired, "Oh, okay. May I leave a message? Please tell her that Lane called on her."

There was a scuffle behind the door, and two gentlemen, one young, one older, appeared and jostled the lady out of the way. "Lane? Lane Crawford?"

"Yes."

Another scuffle... Airen peeped from behind the men. "Master Lane? Oh, Master Lane, it is so good to see you." After leaning out the door and looking right and left, the older gentleman motioned Lane into the house. As soon as he had cleared the doorway, Airen waddled over and hugged Lane around the waist, rubbing his face against Lane's belly. Lane patted Airen's little back.

"Good to see you, too, old son." The others watched this exchange with mixed feelings: the woman with obvious distaste. the older guy, petulantly. They thought wildly different thoughts about Airen's actions. The older guy mused petulantly, "He never hugged me."  And the younger dude wondered, "WTF?"

Airen took the flowers from Lane's hand and murmured, "I shall have these prepared for the Little Miss." Catching, Lane's eye, he backed away, begging forgiveness for the interruption. Lane followed his progress for a moment, with one brow raised. He thought curiously, "What was that about?"

Reluctantly, the lady introduced herself, "I'm Lisa, Ayla's sister-in-law." ...And you are too good-looking.

The young guy introduced the elder man as "Wright, Ayla's uncle. I'm Ted, her nephew."

Lane bowed his head slightly. "Nice to meet you all."

Wright indicated a nearby sofa. "Please be seated, Mr. Crawford."

"Lane."

"Lane," Uncle Wright corrected.

Moving to the sofa, Lane seated himself on the edge, and leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. He glanced around at each of the people watching him. Uncle Wright decided to dive in first. He asked, "When did you last see Ayla?"

"It's been awhile... more than six months." ...Damn. It has been a long time...

"How often did you get to call... or write?"

"I didn't."

"Why not? She pined for you every day that she didn't hear from you, y'know." Wright sounded accusingly petulant.

"She understood the reasons." ...At least, I thought she did...

"Couldn't someone have delivered a message for you?"

Lane sat upright. Emphatically he declared, "No... What is this all about?

"Well..." He glanced at Lisa and Ted before continuing. Biting his lower lip, he explained, "Ayla was arrested by Colonel Varda and questioned to determine your whereabouts."

"She had no idea where I was. We had agreed before I left that no one could know for their own safety. He was wasting his time."

"That's what she kept telling them for the whole two weeks."

"What?" Lane jumped up and paced back and forth a few steps. "She couldn't tell them anything. She didn't know anything. Wait. Two weeks? Two weeks?" He whirled on them and took one step forward. Wright looked frightened, and the other two instinctively leaned back. With fists tightly closing and unclosing, Lane ground out between clenched teeth, "Where is this going?"

"They questioned her for two weeks. Then someone reported to them that you had been killed." Lane's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. "Colonel Varda believed it, and he convinced Ayla as well. She thinks you're dead."

"My God." He looked around wildly. "Wait... She's here, isn't she? Where is she? I've got to see her."

Ted and Lisa made calming gestures with their hands. "Take it easy." They glanced at each with a "What-do-I-do-now?" look. "You'll just upset her."

"Upset her? If she thinks I'm dead, what could be worse than that?" ...My God... My poor darlin'...

Ted explained, "They questioned her... uh... forcefully." Lane looked like he could kill someone.

Uncle Wright mused that he wouldn't want this man to be angry at him. Sighing, Wright stated flatly, "She's in her rooms."

Lane took off for the stairs at a run. "Lane, wait." It was Lisa trying to slow him. "She was tortured and dumped on our doorstep when they decided she was no longer useful to them... She was in bad shape physically... and worse mentally... And she really does believe that you're dead. Do be careful how you handle this... Please." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, glanced back at the group, nodded, and then bounded up the stairs two at-a-time.

Lisa marveled, "No wonder she's crazy about the man. I think I'm jealous." The two gentlemen looked at her and shook their heads, dismissing her comments as irrelevant. Lisa just looked thoughtful.

As Lane reached Ayla's apartment door, Airen emerged from an alcove. "Master Lane, a word, please?" Lane paused and dropped to one knee to bring his face level with Airen's "head." Airen positively beamed. How a robot can portray emotion is beyond me...

"What is it?"

"I monitor everything... everything. I see much that does not go into the public record. Do you understand what I am saying, sir?"

"Yes." Note to self. Interrogate Airen.

"There are things that I think you may want to know, but I don't want to worry you until Miss Ayla is better."

"'Kay. I'll get back to you about this as soon as it's feasible. Is that all right?"

"Aye, sir... If something non-public but urgent or "Eyes only" comes up, I'll bring it to you right away. He looked like he wanted to say something else on the subject. If a robot can bite his lip, Airen would have...

"Spit it out, Airen. Speak freely."

"Yes, sir. I do not disparage the family. Their care is still my responsibility, but I do not think that they are capable of handling any, uh, conflict." Lane understood and nodded.

"You are right not to involve them in anything out of the ordinary. I'm home now, ...Sotto voce, he added,"... and plan to be here a long time...", so I'll handle anything that comes up. Thank you for your diligence." He patted Airen on the shoulder. "I appreciate it." Airen still looked anxious.

"What else?"

"Also, Miss is very fragile. You will be kind?"

"Airen, I love her."

"Sir?"

"I don't know how to make sense for you... It means her well being is more important to me than my own. Do a thorough research on "true love" between a man and a woman. You may come to understand some things."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and continue full monitor. Add alpha lock override for Ayla and myself."

"Done. Is that all?"

Lane stood and placed his hand on the top of Airen's screen. "I think so... for now..."

Airen touched Lane's sleeve. "Sir?" Lane nodded and waited for Airen's next pronouncement. "I placed the flowers in a vase on her side table. Wildflowers seem to mean something to her. She will see them and surely think of you. " Lane closed his eyes for a second, remembering, and then wondered "How does Airen know?" ...Damn. He does see everything....

"And thank you for taking care of her, of us." Lane gave Airen a quick nod and would have sworn that Airen blushed.