Opportunities

A Battle of the Planets Fanfiction in Three Parts

Part 1 -- Opportunity Lost

Mark switched on the autopilot of the small plane and sat back. "Well, that's the last of them."

Princess finished combing out her hair.

They were returning from Keyop's wedding on the coast, chasing the spring sunset as they flew west. Tiny had married almost immediately after the war was over. Jason had found someone along the way. And now, eleven years after their freedom, Keyop had finally tied the knot.

He looked over at his friend and asked, "Whatever happened to us?"

"Us?"

"Yeah. Everyone always assumed we'd get together."

"Life." Her two failed marriages. His live-in girlfriends. Although it had been two years since either one of them had had anyone special.

"But what happened?" he persisted. He turned to face her, questioning.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes. You just stopped spending time with me. It's not like you to hold a grudge."

"It was ten years ago, Mark."

"Humour me."

"It's not so much what happened, but that you didn't even ask me why I was upset."

"So what did happen?" He paused. "I'm asking you now."

She put her comb away. "Remember our last date?"

"At LaFontanna's. You wore a red velvet dress."

"So you do remember."

He grinned. "There wasn't much of that dress to remember."

"And what happened after?" she prompted, watching him in the light from the console, hands kept motionless in her lap.

"I drove you home, let you off at the door -- like always."

"You 'let me off at the door, like always.' I told you Keyop was out for the weekend and invited you in. You told me you had work to do."

"I was testing a new plane on Monday, had to go over the specs."

She let him think about it.

"Oh."

"And it took you ten years to ask me why I was upset."

Credits and Disclaimer:

Thanks to Nancy for her comments on Part 1 when it was first published, Yuki for the encouragement, and Dei for betaing the whole thing. April 12, 2003

Also thanks to Flick Flick and Fitz for comments on the first general release. March 24, 2004

Any remaining problems are my own fault. If you find any, let me know. If you don't, they will be inflicted upon you again.

Sandy Frank owns Battle of the Planets. This piece is written by a fan, for fans, so that we can continue to enjoy the story.