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Ben was withdrawn into stillness.

Positronic Neural Nets. Nanite Fibers. Plush Companions.

He didn't remember anything like that, but he remembered nothing before the Store and the plush pile. It could be true. It might not be. Did it really matter?

Luke mattered. Ben had to be there for Luke. That mattered.

What about Luke's friend? He seemed to care. He'd persuaded Luke to cool off. Luke seemed to trust him and liked being near him. His touch made Luke relax, too.

But he made Ben uneasy. Nathan didn't always say everything. Often he seemed to mean one thing, then surprised with something quite different. Could he really be trusted? He did do tickles well, though. They'd made Ben want to squirm.

"What other ways are there, though?" Luke asked.

Nathan removed his hand from Luke's shoulder and leaned back.

"Well, I was thinking something like ultrasound, but that probably won't work well through fibers. Maybe a bright light would shine through?"

"Gee. It'd have to be really bright, though." Luke sounded dubious.

"And an extremely sensitive detector, too. Hmmpf. What aren't we thinking of, I wonder?"

They both stared at the cat.

"Do you still have the papers that came with him?"

"They're in the desk. Lemme clean off the table first."

Holding Ben again, Nathan watched Luke put the trash in the kitchen area and then get the paperwork. Shoulders touching, they both chuckled over the pedigree. It was a long one.

"Somebody certainly had fun with this. 'Fireside name' indeed. I bet they include the same one with all their tigers, but still... This packing slip doesn't say much, does it? Just your address. Hmm. Did you keep the box?"

"I asked the apartment manager to store it. It was really sturdy and I figured I'd want to use it when I move out. I didn't see any writing on it at all, though, just the packing slip. Do you want to look at it?"

"Could I? Maybe you overlooked something. Or maybe there's a clue buried in it somewhere."

"OK, I'll have the manager get it back tomorrow."

For some reason, that made Ben feel good. He wasn't sure why. How could he be missing a box he'd never seen? He didn't remember anything between falling asleep at the store and waking up here.

"Tomorrow." Nathan frowned. "Would you mind holding on to it until the weekend? I'll have more free time to look at it then."

"Sure. When could you come by?"

Nathan stared down at Ben for a while before answering. "How about two on Saturday? I don't want to keep you from your studies, though. I'll bet you'll have lots of homework by then."

"You know it," Luke responded glumly. "Some of the profs really like to pile it on, like they each think their course is the only one I'm taking. Two should be OK, though. I'll be ready to take a break by then."

"Two it is. Call me if something comes up, though. I don't have any other commitments yet, so it should be easy to come some other time."

He glanced at his watch. "Oh, jeez. Look at the time, it's getting late. I've gotta get up early in the morning, even if you don't."

Luke looked slightly crestfallen and Nathan must have noticed.

"Was there something else? I mean, I could stay a little longer if you want."

"Well, yeah, but it might take a while and it's not particularly urgent. It can wait 'til Saturday."

"If you're sure..."

"I am. Don't worry about it."

"Well, OK." He stood up, leaving Ben on the sofa. Luke just sat there for a bit, looking up at him solemnly, then got up to get Nathan's coat out of the closet.

At the door, he offered his hand to Nathan. They shook a little awkwardly. "Thanks a lot for coming by, Nathan. I really appreciate your help with this puzzle. I'll see you on Saturday, then?"

"Yup, Saturday. Bye."

Luke watched from the doorway until the elevator arrived, then waved and closed the door.

He held Ben close that night.