Boy Toy

Walking to the car Sam’s mind races but no quicker than her heart. Her memory came back but she still has a few holes. She did not remember her and Steven having a physical relationship. She recalls feelings of desire but his kiss surprised her to the point her toes curled for more.

Turning her head she catches Steven staring at her and wink. Biting her bottom lip as the familiar tingling sensation travels from her chest down to her nether regions.

“I can’t wait to hear all about your friend and how you came to be so - close.” Steven said as he reaches around the back of Sam and opens her door.

“Oh, I guess now that you know of him I can talk about it,” Sam smiles a thank you as she slides into her seat. She waits for Steven to get behind the wheel and new Steven to awkwardly climb into the back seat.

“A couple months ago I received a giant package from my former boss, it was,” Sam pauses turning her eyes to Steven watching his reaction as she says, “Steven”.

He turns at the sound of His name. She can see the question in his eyes. “I I can’t give you a good reason why I gave him your name other than I never thought we’d have this conversation.” Sam’s face heating up. “He’s a human companion and he came along at the moment I realized I was having feelings, but not in a position to act upon them.”

Steven reaches for her hand giving it gentle squeeze but didn’t let go. Sam stares at his hand trying to remember how to breathe. No matter how good a human companion new Steven was nothing compares to this connection. The electricity shot through his hand piercing her entire body.

“Your former boss sent him. Did he give instructions?” Steven spurns the conversation forward.

“Yes,” Sam shakes her head away from staring at his hand covering hers. “He wanted me to test him out and take him everywhere I went. I told him I couldn’t take him to work. How was I supposed to explain ‘take your human companion to work day’?” Sam’s chuckle sounds more nervous than she intends. “He constantly learns from his surroundings. Richard wanted to see how adaptable he could be and how fast he could progress.”

“He wanted you to bring him to work, huh?” Steven looks in his rear view mirror to the red eyed threat in the back seat. “Looks like you’re going to get that opportunity.”

Steven starts squeezing her hand again but this time it’s different. Sam looks at his hand as he gives it a long squeeze followed by two short squeezes. Her eyebrow raise as she looks at Steven to ask him what he’s doing. Catching her eye before the words come out of her mouth he slowly shakes his head while mouthing for her to be quiet. He continues squeezing her hand. Sam pulls out her phone and looks up Morse code. Trying to follow the squeezes and match it to the letter takes awhile. Patiently Steven keeps spelling it out until recognition creeps up to her deciphering eyes. Looking at him terror fills her body. Steven clamps down on her shaking hand before she can question him. He bobs his head toward the backseat. Sam is so confused she turns around searching the backseat. Looking past new Steven concerned for him being close to danger. She looks at the floor and can’t find anything. Steven pulls her attention back around but not before new Steven is on to the subterfuge.

“You shouldn’t have done that Steven,” New Steven’s voice didn’t sound the same as Sam was used to. She turns around and looks him in the glowing red eyes.

Before she can scream Steven pulls her attention back to the front and pushes her back in her seat before slamming on the brakes. New Steven comes flying past the front seat and half way out the windshield before the car comes to a complete stop. Steven jumps out, runs around the car ripping Sam’s door open and attempts to yank her out. Her seatbelt release tucked under the robots bottom half keeps her secured in place.

In shock Sam desperately tries to process what is going on. Looking down at her throbbing broken arm then up at the body lying on the hood of the car. Steven’s yells for her to run brought her confused glare out the car and toward him coming at her wielding a knife. Sam screams kicking her legs trying to climb backwards away from the knife. He reaches down and cut the seat belt and yanks her good arm again, this time she sprang out of the car and onto her feet. Steven put one hand on each side of her face getting her to focus on him. Softly he said, “Samantha, I know you’re confused and scared but I need you to run with me.” Sliding his hand down to hers. “We need to run now.” Turning around hopping over a stone fence surrounding a field turns around and helps Sam over. Grabbing Sam’s hand they run putting as much distance between them and the walking bomb.

Sam is trying to stay up right as she trips over clumps of dirt on the uneven ground. “What is going on? What is going on?” Frustrated at the chaos she stops yanking her hand away from Steven. “What the bloody hell is going on?”

“I don’t have time to explain everything right now.” Huffing Steven tries to urge her on. “Your bed buddy is a giant bomb that is being used to extort a piece of software from me. The same people who gave you that broke arm. The same people you used to work for.”

Sam squatted down putting her elbows on her knees and her hands over her head. “I don’t understand” she said to herself.

“We have to keep going. I’m sure I didn’t kill the robot and I don’t know what his next command is going to be now that I’ve defied them for a second time. I’m pretty sure these people don’t give third chances.”

In the distance a train horn rippled across the sound waves. Steven turned towards the noise. Reaching down to help Sam up he says “we need to get to that train.

She stood, refused to take his hand and ran past him. Coming to the tracks there wasn’t a train. In sight. “What do we do now?”

Steven kept looking up and down the tracks. A horn blew as the train came around the bend slowly moving towards them.

Steven turned to Sam, “we need to jump on this train.”

She looks down at her arm, “I can’t catch a train with one arm.”

“I’ll help you. It’ll be fine it’s going slow.”

The train closing in on them. “Oh my God oh my God oh my God.”

An open car appeared as they were running along side the train to match the speed. Steven jumped into the car hurriedly turning to grab Sam. She tried to keep up with the increasing speed but kept falling further behind.

“Jump,” he yelled. “I’ll catch you.”

Sam knew that wasn’t going to be possible. Panic striken as she watches Steven get further away. Looking over at the car she sees one last opportunity and leaps for the ladder on the side of the car. Hooking her good arm around the highest rung she could reach left her feet dangerously close to the wheels. Scrambling to get a foot hold on the bottom rung her arm
burns from the strain.

“Steven,” she screamed. “I can’t hold on much longer.”

Steven scrambled to the roof. Between the rocking and the increasing wind, keeping balance proved to be difficult. Making it to the ladder he shimmies down and grabs Sam’s shirt and pulling her up till she is completely upright with both feet firmly on the rung.

Shaky she looks up to Steven. “I can’t, I can’t make it up this ladder with one arm.”

“I got you.” Steven manages to pull her up by her shirt above her broken arm helping her to balance her climb to the roof. Having someone else to lean on made the stumbling back to the rooftop vent a quick trip. Steven lowers Sam then jumps down to join her.

Slumping down hugging her knees burying her head in her arms, her body quivers with her sobs. Sinking down next to her Steven wraps her in his arms.

The soothing rocking of the car and Stevens embrace Sam melts into his chest not understand why this chaos is happening. Suddenly the train lurches to one side causing Steven to fall over backwards pulling Sam on top of him.

“This is a familiar scenario,” he chuckles looking down at her confused moist eyes. “The picnic at Buckingham?” Worried the day is lost in one of Sam’s black holes.

With eyebrows pinched together she looks away then back at Steven. “Were we running from Scotland Yard?”

Throwing his head back laughing, “not exactly but close,” relieved parts were still there. Stroking her hair he regaled her with the day that was a turning point in their adventure. She laid her head on his chest listening to his rendition of running from royal guards. Relaxing more and more as the familiar feelings of the day crept back into her body she fell asleep to the soothing vibrations of his voice.

Sam woke to voices. The train had stopped and there were people walking around outside the car. She looks down to discover she is lying on her side with Steven’s firm bicep as her pillow. His other arm wrapped around her and his hand cupping her breast. A smile slides across her lips as she taps his arm softly jostling him awake.

“Steven,” she didn’t want to startle him. “Steven we’ve come to a stop.”

Groaning he slowly pulls his arm off her and rolls onto his back. “I am way to old for long train rides. Next time you want to travel I need more amenities.”

She pushes herself up holding out a hand helping him to his feet. Stretching working out all the kinks he walks over to the side of the car and peaks out a crack. Jumping back he looks at Sam.

“Did you teach your boy toy how to drive?”

Her eyes were the size of silver dollars. “Yes, we used to go on Sunday drives through the country side.”

“I don’t get it,” running his hands through his hair. “How did he find us so quickly?”