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“Daaaaad,” young Sam Flynn whined, “he took my bed again.”
With a sigh, Flynn rose and walked down the hall, his son close behind him. Already the sound of springs creaking under the weight of a too-heavy program resonated from Sam's room. "Oh, CLU," he mumbled as he paused the doorway to watch his program squirm and rub against all of Sam’s stuffed animals and sheets.
He was just about to comment on how ridiculous the Administrator looked, when CLU declared, “I need this,” and held aloft the User boy’s baby blanket.
"You want a baby blanket?" Flynn asked.
"No. I need this."
"That's a baby blanket, CLU. I got it for Sam when he was born."
At this response, the program sat up, his pupils blown out to the point that Flynn no longer saw the blue in his eyes. "Why didn't I get one?"
"Are you high, man?"
CLU's hair fell out of its slicked-back grip as he furrowed his brow, fists still gripping into the worn piece of fabric. "Why didn't I get one?" he repeated, insistent.
"That’s ‘cause you're not a baby."
"Neither is Sam."
"I'm not too old for my blanket!" the boy blurted out, glancing between his father and his father's duplicate.
"Aha!" Gesturing towards him in a short See? motion, the duplicate continued, "And I'm only a few months older than him. I should have a blanket. I should have gotten one originally."
Flynn groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you really want a baby blanket, kiddo?"
"No." His digital copy sniffed slightly. "I want this blanket."
"He's not getting my blanket!"
"You're not getting his blanket, CLU."
"It's not his. It's mine now."
"No, CLU, it's Sam's."
"But it's so soft!"
The User strode into the room and clapped both hands onto CLU's shoulders. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow we will go to the Bon Marche, and we'll go into the Baby's section and find you the absolute softest damn baby blanket you ever felt and it will be all yours."
CLU's face brightened.
"But you've gotta give Sam his blanket back and go back to your room tonight."
The scowl returned.
"CLU."
Grumbling, the program rose and dropped the blanket at arm's length away from himself. "Fine," he muttered, storming out. Sam swooped into bed, pulling his blanket close to his chest and glancing back over his shoulder. Once Flynn kissed Sam's temple, he followed after his program.
He found the copy curled up on top of his sheets, pillow over his head. "Hey, CLU."
A noncommittal grunt.
"Buddy."
"What?"
Flynn gestured awkwardly, trying to find an appropriate thing to say. "Um--I didn't think to get you a baby blanket at the time. When you got rezzed in. So sorry."
"… forgiven." CLU lifted his pillow enough that the User could see his pupils returning to normal, then dropped it back onto his face. "But I better get one tomorrow."
"You will, CLU. I promise." Flynn reached over to rub his copy's back, then gave him a quick pat. "Sleep tight."
"You too," CLU mumbled. His hand hand lifted to brush against his User's before it flopped back onto the bed. "G'night."
Pausing one last time at the door, Flynn replied, "G'night," smiled, and then flicked the light off, leaving his program in the dark of his room.
-
CLU waited a full minute before he reached under the bed to grab a stuffed lion from under the bed. "Sam'll never miss you," he whispered, then buried his face into its mane to hide his laughter.