Strange Source of Understanding

No illustration this time, since I have nothing ready and I would just sneeze all over the paper... Damn you flu, for getting the better hand on me again! On an author's note, I really liked how this piece turned out. I managed to carry out some fine motives and a twist, even? I dunno, tell me what you liked.

***

Audrye had left soon after, banging doors this way and that. Once she cooled down, Nigel probably would have to remind her the loud noises were most likely disturbing the neighbours and that he wanted his doors functional. If she cooled. He was sure she had somehow misunderstood him, but he didn't know where to even start fixing this, since every time he opened his mouth, he risked more misunderstanding. Being silent also didn't help since she just kept getting angrier and angrier every moment.

The Mexican had come by, looking for her, apparently Audrye had contacted him. Figures. But maybe a friend was what she needed now? Someone who could really understand her. He needed someone to understand him as well, but Emma had not answered his call. Was she now mad at him as well? For dragging her into their fight? Bloody hell all this real life relationship crap was getting on his nerves. Things were so much easier over the net. Blocking, liking and emoticons to show what you felt. Easy. But had Emma now blocked him? And was Audrye flaming him or just trolling around?



He had to keep his focus somewhere or his head would explode. He again stared at Rei's screen.

Steps have been taken to reconfigure the Knights London. Mr. Byron has been given the suggestion to retire at the shortest notice. Considering his record, I motion the highest scoring pension settlement.

It was in motion. This was a report from lord Zaphikel himself directly to lord Michael. Well, not that directly, he had to stay in the scoop. Now he just had to send in his resume to New York and hope for the best.

He had just clicked Send when a phone call interrupted. And after the call ended, he couldn't remember what he had been doing. The world had just ended, terminated by the message delivered by the Mexican, who had located Audrye. She had broke it off. They were done. History.

Rage was piling up. It wasn't because he was alone again, he had at times thought it was a dream after all, it was too good to be true that a girl like her would really love a guy like him. It wasn't for all the things she had made him do or change, he could embrace them and saw that they probably were for the better. She hadn't had the decency to tell him herself! What was this crap!? Was she back in high school? Or never left? And what the hell was he now supposed to do?!

He found it hard to breathe. Stepping out to the balcony he grasped for cold night air. Wind ruffled his black hair around and tugged at his loose shirt. Something warm fell down his cheeks, although instantly chilling. Tears? He squeezed his eyes shut trying to stop the flow. Wasn't working, all he could see was her. Fading away. Finally he collapsed against the rail, burying his face on his arms.

"Nuu?" he heard from the doorway. Raising his head just enough to see the pink-haired girl from the corner of his eye, he saw it pointing at the laptop, which had been left by the couch. He was pathetic. For a while there he had thought the robot had come to try to comfort him, seeing its master so upset. But no, it wasn't what it had been programmed to do. It was alerting him that he had incoming mail. It was acting according to programming and nothing else.

He couldn't care less about the mail. Turning around, he slid his back down along the rail until he was crouched on the balcony floor, hugging his knees. The robot was still looking at him, with its constant quizzical expression.

"Come here."

The robot complied. It always did exactly as he wanted, understood his every command. It actually did things before he ordered them, because it was programmed to perform certain functions if different pre-set premises were met. Nothing was as easy to understand than binary. Sure, this thing was not all binary, but it was something he fully understood, every fraction of it. And it could understand him. Even if it hadn't been programmed to respond accordingly.

"Sit down and listen. I have just lost the thing most precious to me. I know I didn't deserve her in the first place, but it still hurts like hell. Had I gotten used to her being here? Perhaps. I had been in heaven, surrounded by this marvellous angel and all had been good and light and good God, I loved her. I do love her. She's the most amazing thing that I ever came into contact with. She's the most amazing person, most beautiful, most kind, most... everything..." his voice trailed off as the robot silently listened.

"Well, now it's just you and me, Nuu. Like old times. Except I don't think she'll come around to meet us any more."

"Nuu?"

"We'll manage it somehow." He just didn't yet know how.

A little hand was tugging at his sleeve. The girl was gesturing that he get inside. Yeah, he was feeling a bit cold. It was good to get that all out though. She -it!- was a good listener, that girl. Taking his hand, it led him across the apartment and upstairs.

"To the guest bedroom", he ordered quietly. He could smell her perfume from here. He couldn't sleep in that same bed, not now.

He awoke to the smell of freshly cooked breakfast. A tray was laid on the side table, with plates filled with eggs, bacon, toast and sliced fruit on the side. A large cup of coffee was steaming invitingly. After staring it for a few moments, Nigel hoisted himself up from the bed. Before even reaching the bottom of the stairs he asked venomously:

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The man scrubbing the pans turned around with the most deceiving guilty face he had ever seen.

"I gotta ask, how did you know it would be me?" Matt grinned.

"You're the only one who ever drinks coffee in this house. Nuu is programmed to bring me a coke and Emma would have known as well", Nigel revealed his process of elimination, "Also since you're friends with Audrye I'd have assumed that she's told you all about it. I must confess that I allowed a small percentage of probability to you being one of the musketeers, but it wouldn't have had changed my line."

"You're a true Sherlock, you know. Now if only we could get you to utilise that brain on something more important, like people skills. Although, if I remember my literature correctly, neither did Mr. Holmes", Matt said conversationally, while sipping from his own cup.

"How did you get in here? I don't think Nuu would let you in without permission."

Matt looked insulted.

"I'm a thief. Getting into places I'm not actually welcome to is my expertise", he replied with a tone full of fake hurt, "But again, the more important question here would have been: why."

"Why then."

"You see, Willoby, I like ladies. A lot."

"Is this going somewhere?" Nigel interrupted. Matt however carried on, ignoring him.

"The thing is, I like smiling ladies. Laughing ladies to laugh with. Fun ladies, to have fun with. I don't like tear-eyed ladies bawling their eyes out or on-the-edge ladies so tense that you could bend a pipe around them", he explained, with his expression growing more and more serious, "On one hand I have Ads, who's devastated. There's actually reason enough right there to kick your ass back to sheep land. And on the other there's Uniform, who's somehow blaming herself, while both worried sick of you and too afraid to contact you."

The thief paused, letting all this sink into Nigel's head.

"It was the latter who pleaded that I come and see how you were doing. You have friends in high places, I give you that."

"I have a friend", was all Nigel managed to say. But he was glad. If the thief could be trusted in this matter, Emma hadn't blocked him. And he saw no hint of a lie on his face. It was what? Pity? Jealousy? He couldn't tell.

"So if coffee's not your cup of tea -ha!- what is?"

"Toss me a can from the fridge." Coolness of the aluminium was soothing. Water started forming drops on its surface, reminding him of tears. He quickly wiped the can on his shirt, the same he had had on yesterday and gone to sleep with.

"So I couldn't get much out of Ads, the girl's not making much sense. Uni had a bit more to tell, but not enough to draw the big picture. So tell me, what happened?"

Nigel sighed. What could he tell? He had no bigger picture either. Maybe best to start from the beginning.

"Audrye first got upset at the Weston-Pryce party. I thought she had had too much to drink, the way she snapped at me. But she kept on holding a grudge. And as Emma was here, bringing souvenirs from their trip, she got really mad. After she had driven Emma off, she started interrogating me whether this was what I really wanted!"

Matt listened silently, frowning as he was analysing this report.

"With ladies it never starts where you think it does. They let things boil for a long time until they burst. What happened before the party?"

"You were here yourself", Nigel shrugged, "She was all cheerful, dressing Emma up like a life-size doll."

"You didn't criticise this though? Girls don't like it when their hobbies are being belittled. This one time I was hooking up with this girl who did... well, never mind, it's a story for another day."

"I didn't criticise. I was working and I didn't care what they'd be wearing for the party. I could have protested for Emma, but as she actually seemed grateful for it, I didn't have to. Seems she wants to please the snob more than she admits."

"Interesting. But there's your first mistake right there. Women will always expect you to care about what they wear. How much do you compliment Ads on her wardrobe choices?"

"Does she need a pat on the back for putting socks on the right way?" Nigel snapped. This time it was definitely pity on Matt's face.

"Oh the poor girl. All right, teaching you some compliment phrases is on our to-do list. What more?"

"What does this matter? She broke up with me! It's over!"

"Oh, and you're just going to stay celibate for the rest of your life since she's the only girl in the world for you", Matt teased. He was given the iciest stare the hacker could summon.

"Oh, dear... She really is the one for you, hm?"

Nigel looked defeated. The man was right. No one could ever replace her. The full devastating impact of his loss choked on his heart and he had to lower his eyes, staring at the floor.

"Then it might come as good news that Addy didn't break up with you. Actually she seems to think that you've broken off with her."

The thief was pouring himself another cup as if he was just recounting the news on the weather.

"Why would she think that?"

"How should I know? But it appears that this has been one epic misunderstanding and those can sometimes be fixed. Now we just have to get to work."

Nigel stared at the man, all sorts of questions bombarding his mind.

"Why? Why are you helping me?"

The man sneered at him, almost triumphantly.

"Ah, you're a fast learner! I expected nothing less from you! No, actually, I didn't, although I should have", Matt babbled, "As I said, I can't stand crying women."

"So you're doing this for Audrye."

"Yes. Since against all odds, she thinks that you're the only man in the world for her."