Thursday Morning

"Should I go out there?"

Everyone looked at Walt like he was nuts except for Penny. Neo grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"But..." she raised an eyebrow and he nodded. "I should stay out of it and let them work it out. Understood. I... just hope it's not my fault. I don't want to ruin their relationship and don't know what to do."

Neo patted his arm and dragged him over to the stairs going down. Walt sighed and signed, 'ok'. He could go work on projects and stay out of the way until it was time to leave.

Walt went down the stairs and then down into the upper levels of bellow that where things became extremely high-tech. "Friday. Which lab has our new guests?"

(("Robotics 3 seemed the most fitting choice, Boss."))

Walt nodded and made his way there. Sure enough there were all the droids and robots as well as the others.

He started combing through all the reports on them from his top minds. There had indeed been some suspicious chips and other programming but they'd been removed checked, double checked and triple checked. The data on those things was being analyzed now but, other than the state of disrepair, they were all fine.

"Status on the replacement parts and repairs?"

((We actually already had most of the parts you'd need for the droids and robots. What few we didn't have I ordered priority and we have now or I machined new ones, Boss."))

"Outstanding, Friday... and the synthetic parts?"

(("Also in stock but I had to grow a few. Thankfully, though she looks terminated, that wasn't the case. Merely shutdown in a coma like state. Someone did do some "exploratory surgery" though just to look inside her body. It was the same with the Penny units. Someone was trying to figure out what made them unique."))

Walt nodded. "Someone very carefully disassembled them is what you mean trying to figure out what made them tick."

(("No. They carefully AND skillfully disassembled them. Whoever did it was an expert at such things. What they didn't know as they took them apart, they studied and learned increasing their knowledge."))

Walt nodded. "Which sounds like another player in this game we need to be careful about." He pursed his lips. "Until further notice I want you to increase 3S and our own Cybersecurity as well as that of any and all robots, droids, androids, synthetics and cyborgs to a standing level 2 protocol and be ready to move to security levels 3 and beyond."

(("Understood, Boss."))

Walt looked at the new additions. "Well we might as well start putting some of them together... also schedule me a meeting with RealDreams HQ. I'm coming for a visit. It's time for a 3S security review. Personally."

(("Understood, Boss. I assume you don't mean the corporate head quarters."))

Walt nodded. "That's right. I'll want to see them too of course, but it's not the daily operation of the business side that concerns me. Any good detective knows you need to look at the scene of the crime. It's time to return to our old stomping grounds and get to the bottom of somethings."

((Understood. I would recommend starting with either the two droids T3-M4 and HK-47 as they'll be relatively easy to fix and T3-M4 can assist you and I, along with our other droids, with the others or you start with the "hardest" ones."))

Walt sighed. "You don't mean the most heavily damaged ones, do you?"

(("Correct. You're a sentimental person, Walt. All of these will be hard for you. But two will be particularly difficult."))

Walt nodded. "That's true. I... I see your point. Let's split the difference. Let's do the two droids first." Walt sighed but smiled. "Guess I'll have to get used to HK's mouth, again... then we'll do one of the hardest emotionally, Curie. You said she was in relatively good shape?"

(("Yes, Walter... you're not going to start the Penny units?"))

Walt shook his head. "No. Get all of them started. I want all of them layed out for reassembly... but I need sometime to prepare for the Penny units. I should talk to her about them too. Before hand."

Walt and Friday began working on putting pieces together and reassembling them.

"So you decided you want to date him?" Kali asked.

They'd already had a long talk. Blake had been predictably upset. But Kali was firm and resolute. She had decided to tell her daughter... and while Blake's admission was a surprise, it didn't change her own feelings on the matter.

Blake nodded where she had her arms crossed. "I did... do!" She sighed. *Her mother had to go and complicate this!* Blake shook her head. *No,* she thought. *That's not right. It's obvious in retrospect! She's been flirty with him since near the beginning and friendlier with him since before even that. I'm the one complicating things. She's been so happy lately and now I know why. If anything my muddled feelings are complicating her happiness that she's found like the others have. Be mature, Blake!* "I'm sorry if that complicates things, mother."

Kali blinked. She was surprised by that. She had expected Blake to continue her justifiably being upset, like earlier. But now that she had told her daughter everything she was acting with far more maturity than she had expected but...

Kali drooped her ears. "No, Blake. I am the one who's sorry. If I had had even inkling you might find yourself attracted to him, I would have... stayed-"

"No," Blake interrupted shaking her head. "You're happy. Happier than I've seen you in a longtime. I don't want and wouldn't want otherwise! Infact I recently asked Walt as a favor to make you happy... I didn't realize that... well, you know... but that doesn't change that I want you to be happy. I'm just... confused? Did you and dad just never..."

Kali shakes her head smiling and hugged her daughter. "We loved each other very much! But things changed after the accident. Do you remember when you were little and..."

Blake listened to the story she never knew the whole of. Her father's sterility after the White Fang protest that went wrong and then impotence. Her mother's frustration. They stayed married because they did care, for their daughter and each other like best friends, but the romance had died long ago.

"I never knew," Blake said. "You both always seemed so close but now certain things make sense. That's why I am an only child!"

Her mother nodded. Kali smiled sadly. "That's why you have no siblings." *Yet,* she mentally added remembering what Walt told her yesterday. Someday... she might have some half-sisters or half-brothers!

Blake nodded. "Then I should back off-"

"No!" Kali told her surprising them both! *No?* Kali thought but nodded seeing her daughter's face.

Blake had been so mature lately. Growing up. Still figuring out what she wanted. She hadn't made the same sacrifices Kali had at her age yet. She still had opportunities.

"No. I don't want that for you either. I want you to be happy as your mother! I don't care if it's with Ilya, that Sun boy, your friends from team RWBY or Walt-" Blake blushed furiously and started stammering but Kali shook her head and took her daughter's hand. "Listen to me, Blake. I know. I'm not a fool. When I was your age and younger and I was adventurous and bold! Attracted to men and women! If it's the same for you; then I want you to be free to follow your heart, figure out what you want... and while that would certainly be embaressing for both of us, I can assure you men like your father or Walter that will treat you respect and decency aren't exactly common. And you'll find few men like Walter anywhere. Even you don't have sex with him, he has my complete trust to be a positive model for you of what a good man as a mate, as a partner, should be!" She hugged her daughter. "As long as whoever you choose treats you right and with love is all I want for you. And you will always, ALWAYS, have my support and love!"

Blake blinked and whispered, "Mom." Then hugged her mother back. "Thank you, Mom... for everything! And I want to always support you too!" She cried a couple happy tears. She felt her mother crying too! "I love you!"

Kali smiled and nodded. "And I love you!"

They continued to have a long, honest chat on the porch until it was time to go.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Nora Valkyrie Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana and Mission Vao

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