Work Text:
Deon was looking on the sky, hidden behind the tree and resting in its shadow. Still, he was careful, that no one would see him. “It’s so hot over here… Sometimes I actually miss England.”
Chappie was sitting right next to him. He did not like to be locked inside, just to be safe no one will see them. He needed to get out on fresh air and get a glance on the world. His ears got up in surprise, when he heard Deon talk. “England? You have been to England, Maker?”
Deon nodded and he let himself drift a little into almost forgotten memories. “Yeah, I was studying at university there, I never told you? I learned there many things that I would need to make you.”
Chappie shook his head, just like a small child would. “No.”
His maker gave him a short look, before he replied. ”Well, you never asked me about it, but yeah, the weather is much colder there. And…”
Chappie was waiting for a while, but when he saw his Maker isn’t continuing the sentence, he immediately started to feel uneasy. He hated when Deon does this, when he just gets lost in his own thoughts. He got closer to him. “Deon? Are you OK? You just stopped talking.”
That was enough to get Deon out of his little mind trip. He looked back at Chappie, giving his creation his full attention. ”I’m ok, it’s just…” He sighed. “I just realized that I will never see again anyone from my old life. My family, some friends that I had on university. Well, I had only few friends, but still…”
This was a surprise for young AI. Deon was never talking about his own family and friends. He never told him about things that happened in his life, before Chappie was born. “ Why? We can always visit them, can’t we?”
Deon couldn’t blame his creation for being so naive, as he was still a child. Well… he was more of a teenager now, and he guess it will not take even a year for Chappie completely mature. Right now, he was still naive in some things, but Deon just couldn’t be mad, or laugh at him, it was kind of cute. “Chappie… We can’t just go to England and knock on the door of my family. Well, my mom would say: Deon, I told you that if you will spend too much time in work and with computers, you would become a robot yourself one day. Funny… she was so right. Now when I look at my life, and myself…” He looked at his robotic arms. “ I just screwed it up, so much.”
“What do you mean?” There was a big hesitation in Chappie’s voice. It almost sounded as he was thinking he is to blame.
Deon recognized worry in Chappie’s voice and he leaned closer to his child, patting him on his metallic head. “It has nothing to do with you, Chappie, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s about me; just now I realize how selfish I was.” He looked down in shame, his big ears moving down. “I wanted to create a life, and I did, but I never realized, how hard it would be to take care of it. I never imagined it would all go so well and that you would become so much, but in the end, it’s maybe the worst thing that I could ever do.” He gripped the grass with his free hand and pulled it out in frustration.
“Why do you say that? What did I do wrong?” Chappie tried to stay calm, but there was urge in his mind to start panic.
Deon finally looked at him, and even when he was not human anymore, Chappie could see the sorrow in his face. And he could feel how he trembles, when he was holding his Maker’s hand. “Nothing, Chappie, but I did. I gave you life without a second thought. I was even going to let you die, and in the end, you were the one who saved me… And now… you have to live the life that I prepared for you. The life in hiding and in fear.” He let go of Chappie’s hand, like he felt he isn’t worth of holding it. ”And you deserve so much more, you are an amazing being, so nice, so caring and so pure, you just deserve so much more, a better life.” Chappie could swear he hard him sniff. “You have all rights to hate me, and still, you are here.”
Before he could withdraw even more, Chappie grabbed both his hands. “Deon… I know I told you that I hate you, but that isn’t true anymore. I was angry, but I think I didn’t really mean it… I would never leave you, you’re my Maker.” Chappie gave much love into that last word. It really meant a lot to him and Deon could clearly hear it. “I don’t care what you think, you gave me life, and I am happy you did. And I will never leave you, no matter what happens.”
He knew Chappie wasn’t blaming him, but he never thought that he would say that he is happy. “You’re not mad at me, because you need to live such bad life? And because of all those things that happened?”
His creation shook his head and then looked right into his eyes. “No. There were some bad things, but we managed to get over them. Please… don’t blame yourself, Maker… You did what you could, for both of us. I just feel sorry that I couldn’t save your body. I know you don’t feel comfortable in this one. Even when you tell me that it’s OK, and you wished for this sometimes in your life, I can see you suffer sometimes.”
“That’s OK, Chappie… That’s OK…“ Deon knew he was lying. Chappie was right, he still didn’t get used on this body, and he wondered if he would ever will. “If you took me to hospital, who knows for how long time I would be there… Maybe they wouldn’t even save me, and if they would, I would get arrested when I would get out.” His grip got tighter, but Chappie didn’t say anything, or even flinch. “You did the best thing you could do. You were far more responsible, than I was. Now I really realize how unthankful I was for everything that I had. I could go outside, have fun, meet people; instead I was just working, and working. And now… I can’t even go outside without being noticed, and getting dragged somewhere where they would make a lab rat from me. We can be outside just for a while and we always need to watch out backs. And it ruins me, when I know that you must go through he same… I’m a horrible scientist… and even worse parent… You shouldn’t pay for my own mistakes.”
Chappie was looking at him for a long moment and then he just decided to get closer, put his head on Deon’s chest and hug him tight with both arms. “You’re not a horrible parent, Deon… Chappie loves you. Remember that.” Deon needed a little while to process everything. Chappie hugged him so tight that he couldn’t almost move and he was still thinking about all his words. “And… I’m sorry that I told you... I hate you…”After this, Deon just nodded and he knew that if he could still cry, he would at least shed a tear. Just now he realized that Chappie never apologized to him for these words. Now he did, and it felt like he got released from some curse, or something similar to it. He knew Chappie doesn’t hate him, and that was a big relief. Deon finally returned the hug and embraced Chappie with both his arms, pulling him close, like he never wanted to let him go. To be honest, he really never wanted to let him go again. At least he knew he isn’t alone in the world.
“I promise I will never leave you Deon… And I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re my Maker, and I want to stay with you…” Chappie whispered gently, still in the embrace and comfortably leaning on Deon’s chest, right next to the battery’s place. Deon knew Chappie can’t get sleepy, he didn’t sleep, but sometimes he just lay down and tried to relax, just like people. Still, it felt like he was holding a child, that was tired after the whole day of playing and now it just wanted to find a warm place in it’s parents’ arms.
“You can never break a promise…” Deon whispered gently, but he was sure Chappie heard him, and shortly after came a nod. Deon knew they should rather go inside, it was late afternoon already, and he didn’t want anyone to see them. But… One more second in a tight hug wouldn’t maybe matter…