Learning Curve
by: SLWatson

Disclaimer: Owned by BBI, loved by fans everywhere.

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Since activating the two robots known as Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, Joel had learned to sleep lightly. In fact, it was often a wonder that he managed to get any sleep at all; when the simulated day started on the Satellite of Love, it was all he could do to keep his eyes open.

His original plan had been to give Crow a brother, and hopefully divert some of the 'bot's pranking tendencies away from himself. But only a week after activating Servo, he was heavily beginning to rethink this.

Not that he didn't love them. But fatherhood was new to him; he was twenty-eight, and hadn't even had a younger brother or sister to pick up some insight from while he was growing up. Gypsy and Cambot didn't seem to need the same level of guidance, or patience. But being something of a father to Tom and Crow?

Needless to say, it was a hefty learning curve to overcome. Being the butt of numerous practical jokes didn't make it easier.

That was why, when he heard the soft, telltale whir of Servo's hoverskirt outside of his door, he prepared for an inevitable assault, even as he ran over in his mind the next round of upgrades he planned to do on the would-be prankster.

But the assault never came. Instead, he heard Tom's voice ask, "Joel? You awake?"

"Yeah," Joel answered, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes, kind of surprised that nothing wicked had befallen him yet. "What's on your mind, Servo?"

"Oh, I was just making the rounds. You know, this night watchman bit keeps me busy."

Joel glanced over at the silver 'bot, hovering just outside the cracked hatchway. He was still learning how to interpret Tom's personality and mannerisms, but aside from those wondrous moments after he was activated, Tom had never sounded quite so uncertain. "You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah." Servo made to hover away, then came back. And after a long pause, he asked tentatively, "Joel, there aren't really monsters on the satellite, right?"

"Of course not," Joel said, getting out of bed finally. "Who told you that?"

"Crow did. He said that there's a monster hiding on the cargo decks and it's gonna come up one night and eat me while I'm offlined." For the first time in his admittedly short life, the 'bot sniffled, "I don't wanna be eaten by a monster!"

Joel winced. That sniffle hit him right in the chest, and before he could stop himself, he was pulling the 'bot into a hug. "I promise, there are no monsters. Crow was just... well, you know, he was just being Crow."

"I dreamt about monsters, too, though. What if I'm dreaming about the future?" Tom asked, all traces of bravado and sarcasm completely gone.

Joel stood again, still holding the 'bot, and started walking him back to his own room. "I don't think precog's part of your program. But you wanna hear something?"

"Will it make me feel better?" Servo asked, making absolutely no attempt to wiggle away from his creator.

"I don't know. Maybe." Joel glanced down at him, then smiled a little and looked back along the corridor. "See, when I was little, I used to be scared of thunderstorms. You know, how the sky got all black and stuff. I used to think there were monsters hiding in the clouds, and I was more scared of the thunder than the lightning."

"Really?"

"Really. And I would go hide under my bed."

Tom seemed to think about this for a moment, as they made their way along the darkened Satellite's hallways, then asked, "What made you not scared?"

"Oh, at first? Nothing. My Mom and Dad tried to tell me that there was nothing to be scared of, but I didn't believe 'em."

"Why not?"

Joel shook his head, inevitably being pulled into the past even as he was comforting his 'bot in the present. "They were grown-ups. What did they know?"

That got a snicker out of Servo. "Does that mean you don't know anything?"

"I don't know a lot of things, but I'm learning." Truer words were never spoken, and he knew it. "But anyway, I started getting older and then I noticed that even though the clouds came out of no where, and were all black and angry, they always went away again. And after they went away, the sky turned really blue and everything smelled nice and clean."

Tom didn't reply to that, but he was undoubtedly listening, even as they went through the hatch to his bedroom.

"I guess what I mean is, that just 'cause the sky turns all dark and scary, it'll be okay. Because when it's over, there's something special about the world that wasn't there before." Joel sat down on the edge of Servo's makeshift bed, carefully setting the 'bot down on it before covering him over.

"What's that have to do with monsters?" Tom asked, though he seemed to have calmed down.

Joel chuckled, shaking his head as he tucked the 'bot it. Really, he supposed that it didn't have much at all to do with monsters, and he likewise supposed that someone with actual fatherhood experience would have had a moral to the story all ready to go. Instead, though, he just did the best he knew how and let the 'bot figure this part out. "You tell me."

After almost two whole minutes of contemplation, Tom gave his theory, "Maybe if I don't wake up and get all scared when I dream about monsters, then something good will happen at the end of the dream? And Crow's a meanie."

It was hard not to laugh at Crow being branded a meanie, but Joel managed to keep a straight face. "Maybe. Maybe you get to beat all the monsters up and have a happy ending."

"Yeah?"

"Sure. You're Tom Servo! 'Course you can."

This seemed to be enough. Tom nestled deeper into his bed, yawning, his voice taking on the confidence it had been lacking through this minor crisis, "Then I can tease Crow about not being able to beat up the monsters I could."

Joel didn't 'yea' or 'nay' that. He just figured that when Crow came to him sniffling about Tom's teasing, he would deal with it then. Until that point, though, he had gotten past another hurdle in this fatherhood thing. "Sleep well, Tom."

"Night, Joel."

Joel checked one last time to make sure the 'bot was tucked in and comfortable, then stood and made his way back for his own room. Even when he laid down, though, he wasn't able to fall right to sleep -- despite that this might be one night he could sleep unaccosted. Instead, he found himself thinking about thunder and monsters, and childhood fears.

And childhood hopes.

For a moment, as he had tucked his 'bot in, he had stood in his own father's shoes.

It was a timeless feeling, almost overwhelming even though it was so very brief; of fathers, and sons, and what it meant to be both of those... not just for one generation, but for all of the generations before his, and all of those that would come after. Tomorrow, of course, he would be back on his learning curve, making his way along as best as he could manage.

But tonight, he understood.