Together (Vicky and Emmet Valentine's Day Part 3)

>It was Valentine's Day, and love was in the air at the Winslow household
>Most families don't make a big deal out of the holiday, but the Winslows try to make it an important day
>Even Gloria, the Winslows' oldest daughter who had been moved out for a couple of years now, makes time to come visit for the day
>This year the holiday happened to fall on a weekend, allowing the family to spend the morning together
>After a lovely breakfast of heart shaped pancakes, and thick, heart-stopping bacon, the family gathers in the den to exchange cards, treats, kind words, and smooches on the cheek
>You'd almost think it was Christmas morning with how they treated the affair
>Even the family's service androids, Vicky and Emmet, got thoughtful cards and plenty of hugs

>Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Winslow prepared their gifts for one another
>Their gifts for each other were very similar each year, but personalized in a way that means something special to them
>Mrs. Winslow's gift for her husband was a collection of home made chocolate treats, presented in a simple but sentimental heart shaped box
>Every treat has a meaning, and the way she arranged them conveyed her feelings
>"Happy Valentine's Day, Hector. You've been so wonderful to me this past year, so I hope these chocolates show you even just HALF of how much I appreciate you and your love."
>Opening the box, Mr. Winslow is overcome by emotion, holding back tears. His hands shook as he looked over the treats. To anyone else, it was just a box of chocolates, but to Hector it was a confession of his wife's feelings for him
>Vicky was impressed by how much the chocolates seemed to move Mr. Winslow
>"Oh Jeanette..." Hector whispered out as he set the box down
>"Honey. You are such a gem. I wish I could express my love for you as well as you can for me. But, hopefully..."
>Hector produced his own gift, a large bouquet of carnations, lillies, and a prominent display of bellflowers
>"...These flowers can tell you just how I feel about you. Happy Valentine's day, Jeanette."
>Jeanette covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped. Tears welled up in her eyes
>"Oh Hector, sweetheart!" She belted out as she moved her hands to her heart
>Emmet was rather surprised by Mrs. Winslow's reaction to the flowers
>"Dear, I can read those flowers like an open book, and they tell me JUST how you feel!"
>The couple comes together as Jeanette takes the flowers. With a tight hug and a loving kiss, the last gifts had been exchanged

>After a moment of quiet embrace, and their children and androids standing there, watching awkwardly, the parents manage to pull away from each other and wipe away their tears
>Hector tries to compose himself and break the silence
>"AHEM! Alright, well. Hey! How about we all go out for a nice lunch? And maybe spend some time at the park afterward?"
>Emmet interjected. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, sir! However, I think it's best if Vicky and I stayed home."
>"Yes, yes!" Vicky added. "The kitchen's a mess from breakfast, it'd be a shame for you to come back to that after a nice day out."
>Jeanette nods, seemingly disappointed. "Okay, but we'll miss you two today!"
>Emmet wagged his finger as he steps forward. "No no, ma'am. Don't worry about us. Please, just enjoy yourselves today."
>"And don't forget your scarves! It's rather cold out!" Vicky adds, popping out from behind Emmet

>Soon enough the Winslows were all packed into the family car, and waved to Vicky and Emmet before driving off to enjoy their family outing
>The service androids did exactly as they said and got to cleaning up the morning's festivities
>Sterling Robotics teaches their androids about holidays, but each family has a slightly different approach to them. The Winslows took Valentine's Day far more seriously than most families
>However, this was Vicky and Emmet's third rodeo, so it wasn't too surprising to them at this point. It's certainly out of the ordinary nonetheless!
>After the kitchen was made spotless and the cards and gifts were laid out on each family member's night stand, Vicky and Emmet both exited a bedroom as if in sync, and found each other in the upstairs hall

>"Vicky, do you have a moment?"
>"Of course Emmet. Do you need something?"
>Emmet adjusted his vest as he tried to find his words
>"Today is Valentine's Day, of course, and after seeing the Winslows' display this morning, I was hoping you might allow me to..."
>He stopped as he grabbed the roses he had picked out from the vase he had strategically placed there in the hall
>"...Confess that I find you to be quite a wonderful Nandroid, and that I feel very lucky to be your partner here in the Winslows' home."
>Her cheeks red as a stop light, Vicky clasps her hands at her chest
>"Oh wow, Emmet. That's so sweet of you!"
>Emmet felt an odd twinge of... SOMETHING that he never felt before from Vicky's response. He shyly slumped his head forward and began gently digging his foot into the carpet
>"...But why did you steal the roses from that vase?"
>Emmet's processor practically caught fire
>"No, no! I picked these out the other day when I was with Mr. Winslow! I put them there to hide them in plain sight for today!"
>With a hand coyly placed over her mouth, Vicky giggled. "I'm just kidding, Emmet. That was very clever!"
>Emmet makes an attempt to compose himself before continuing
>"I'm... sure you know that roses are quite, well, cliche when it comes to expressing love. But, I really have grown quite fond of you over these past 3 years, and I couldn't think of a better flower to show how I feel."
>"Cliche or not, it's very sweet of you, Emmet. I love them."
>Emmet sighed with relief
>"You really are a lovely android, Vicky. I'm so thankful to be here with you."
>Vicky looked to her side nervously. "I'd like to show you something as well, if you don't mind waiting here a moment."
>Emmet smiled wide as he responded. "I don't mind at all, Vicky."

>Vicky quickly darted off to one of the upstairs closets, rifling through a heap of organized junk
>Emmet kept his eyes closed and began nervously running his foot into the carpet again as he waited
>Vicky soon returned from her rummaging. "Alright Emmet."
>Opening his eyes, Emmet was shocked to see what Vicky brought out
>Vicky had crafted what must have been a 3 foot tall heart shaped box with an enormous ribbon on it, and she was "hiding it" behind her back
>"I would also like to take today's opportunity to express how I feel about you."
>She almost cartoonishly presented the box, which totally obscured her upper body
>"I know we can't exactly eat chocolates, so I... Well... Would you please open it?"
>"O-of course, Vicky! I'd love to!" Emmet stammered out
>The androids exchanged their gifts. Vicky hugged the roses close as Emmet placed the box on the ground to get better leverage to untie its ribbon and open it
>What was inside was unorthodox, but left Emmet speechless
>It was Vicky's spare parts. Various nuts, bolts, washers, shafts, plate coverings and a spare ear, among a host of other emergency pieces, arranged in the shape of hearts
>Emmet, dumbfounded, slowly looked up at Vicky, who was shyly averting her eyes
>"I know that we're only just starting this little 'love' experiment, but..."
>Vicky knelt down to point to the parts
>"We've already been together for 3 years, and I trust you. And, I wanted to show that trust by ENTRUSTING you with my own spare parts."
>Vicky finally makes eye contact with Emmet again
>"You're the only android I'd ever trust with my backups, Emmet. I'm so happy that we're here together."
>Emmet's cheeks turned as red as Vicky's had as he still struggles to find any words from his usually lengthy vocabulary to say

>After Emmet replaced the box's lid, the two androids slowly rose
>They shared a smile and a glance for a moment, before something overtook them both
>As if like magnets, the two quickly came together in a sweet, if not slightly awkward embrace
>Their heads over one another's shoulder and their hands on one another's back, they both had the same thought
>"Why am I doing this?"
>It's not that they didn't want to hug, but they really didn't understand what drove them to it
>But neither of them paid too much attention to the thought, and simply enjoyed the squeeze
>After a moment of silence, just like their first time discussing romance, Vicky was the first to break that silence
>"Happy Valentine's Day, Emmet."
>"Happy Valentine's Day, Vicky."

>The Winslows returned home from their day out late in the afternoon, greeted by Emmet and Vicky at the door, both parties happy to see each other
>After a few minutes of chit chat and some last minute hugs and "I love you's," the family went off to do their own thing for the rest of the day
>Gloria left to return to her apartment
>The Winslows' youngest child and only son Valen scampered up stairs to play in his room
>The younger daughter Chloe sauntered into her room to write in her diary
>The Mr. and Mrs. settled down to watch TV
>And meanwhile, Vicky and Emmet began preparing dinner, and in their usual efficiency, came to a point where the only thing left to do was wait as a delicious meal cooked in the oven
>And there they stood, in front of the oven, waiting for either the timer to go off, or for one of the Winslows to call on them, about a foot apart from each other
>Then Vicky gently slid a couple of inches closer to Emmet
>And Emmet slid just a couple of inches closer to Vicky
>Just a bit closer as they waited

>Together