"I think that does it," Metis said, closing the hatch on the front of the blue robot. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. They'd been up for hours working on this newest robot, eager to give Ponco someone to play with.

"What will we name it?" Ponco asked with more excitement than most would expect a robot to be able to express. She was practically giddy, bouncing around the room. Metis chuckled.

Aura coughed. "Ponco, we can't give him a name until we're sure he works." That had always been the policy with any of their creations, in order to prevent them from getting too attached to something that may not work. Ponco, or Psychological Observation and Navigation Companion, had been their biggest and best creation yet, and had given Metis's daughter, Athena, several hours of enjoyment. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that Aura had taken it upon herself to make her a necklace with Ponco's face. Athena named it Widget.

"Wake him up! Wake him up!" Ponco was being insufferable. Could robots get lonely for their own kind, just as humans do?

Metis laughed, always patient. Aura loved that about her; Aura's own temper was much shorter. Metis opened another, smaller hatch, and flipped a switch, closing the hatch afterward.

They sat in silence.

Slowly, whirring noises began within the robot's body. Ponco appeared frigid, as if she were holding her breath. Aura glanced over at Metis, who simply smiled back. Aura felt her face get warm, and she looked back at the robot. A light flickered on and the robot "blinked."

Aura leaned over the robot. "Hey. You awake?"

"Ma...ma...?" The robot held its arms out.

Metis laughed, clearly amused with how taken aback Aura seemed to be. Aura frowned, confused, but picked the robot up and placed it on the ground in a standing position. "What was that about?"

"Well, I know you have a way with children-" Aura scoffed, but Metis continued. "-so I programmed him to think of you as his mother moreso than me. Not that we aren't both his mothers, so to speak."

"A brother! A brother! What is his name?!" Ponco was whizzing around the room, throwing her arms in the air.

"My name? Yes, what is my name?" Clonco threw his arms around Aura's leg and buried his face in it.

"Seriously, Metis?" Aura asked her companion, but Metis only smiled. "Well, you seem kind of clingy, so why not Clingy Observation and Navigation Companion?"

"Clonco!" Ponco repeated several times, whizzing to Clonco and hugging him. Clonco seemed pleased with the name, so Metis urged the two of them to go meet Athena, their "sister." The two gleefully obliged.

A pleased silence fell over the room. They had created life again. They had done something amazing, something very few people could believe in. And the things they made were always beautiful, in one way or another.

"Why, Aura, are you smiling?" Metis teased, placing her hand on Aura's back. Aura blushed, but continued to stare at the table Clonco had been on.

"I just... I like this." She could tell, without looking at Aura, that she had raised an eyebrow. "I like creating things with you. I like... being with you." Am I really doing this right now?

"I enjoy working with you as well," Metis responded, smiling.

"I... don't mean working. I mean, I don't mean just working." She turned to Metis and held Metis's hands in her own. "Metis, you... ugh, I hate this kind of stuff, but... You're the best person I know. You're patient. With me, with Simon, Athena, Ponco, and now I'm sure you'll be patient with Clonco. You're kind, intelligent, and... you're beautiful, inside and out." Wow, that was cheesy as hell.

"What are you saying, Aura?"

"I'm saying... I love working with you. I love that we're friends. I... I love you." Aura was trying not to panic, but here she was, doing what she said she would not do. Doing what Simon had told her she needed to do. She knew she would rue the day she followed Simon's advice, but here she was, following it anyway.

"I love you too, Aura."

"No," Aura responded, flustered. "I mean-"

"I know exactly what you mean, Aura." Metis leaned in and gently placed her lips on Aura's, then pulled away. "I chose you as my work partner, and as my friend. I am choosing you again, now that I am sure of how you feel about me."

Aura choked back... something. Tears, perhaps? She closed her eyes and smiled the most genuine smile she'd probably ever managed. When she opened her eyes again, Metis was kissing her again. Aura let Metis's hands drop and wrapped her own arms around Metis's waist.

This was something they'd created that would never die.