A/N: Here be the brief introductory chapter. Give it a shot and in time, everything will be illuminated.

On Beyond Z

"Is that him?" The little girl stretches to her full height - tall for her age, but still not tall enough to see over the railing. Sandy curls bounce on her shoulders as she tries to pull herself higher.

"Not yet, sweetie."

"When will it be him?"

"Any minute now. The plane's already landed. See, these people were all on the same flight."

"Is that him?"

Addison laughs and holds out her arms. "Not quite. How about a lift so you can see better?"

Piper jumps eagerly and Addison catches her, lifting her to her hip. "How's that?" she inquires. Her daughter's bright blue eyes light up.

"Now I can see everyone!" she cries gleefully. "Except him."

"He'll be here any minute, Pipes. You keep an eye out."

Piper turns in her arms with the lightning-quick attention span that comes with the approach of her fourth year. "Can we go swimming? When he gets here?"

"Yes, you can swim this afternoon as long as it doesn't rain."

"I can swim in the rain."

"We'll see, you little mermaid," and she tickles her, making her squeal.

"There are too many people here," Piper sighs. "I can't see him."

"You'll see him. He'll be looking for you too." Surreptitiously she checks the time on her blackberry, angles her neck to scan the crowd. "Any minute now, sandpiper."

Piper winds an arm around Addison's neck as she studies the people filing through arrivals and Addison hoists her a little higher.

"I see him, I see him!" Piper wriggles in her arms and Addison sets her down, keeping a close eye on her bright head as she darts and weaves her way through the other waiting people.

"Daddy!"

"Piper! There's my little beach bunny," and he squats to catch her, then stands and lifts her over his head. "Look at you. You're huge."

Addison smiles slightly as she approaches. "It hasn't been long enough for noticeable growth and you know it."

Familiar lips leave a dry kiss on Addison's inclined cheek.

"Well, she's definitely bigger. I can tell. What do you say, Pipes, are you growing like a weed? Are you going to be as tall as your mom soon?"

Piper rests her hands companionably on either side of her father's face. "Yes. I am very, very big."

"Two against one, Addie. Sorry."

She rolls her eyes a little in response. "Not the first time."

He hefts Piper higher in her arms, turns to Addison. "You didn't have to come pick me up, you know."

"It was your daughter's idea."

"Well, that explains it." He kisses Piper's cheek, purposely tickling her with his stubble to make her laugh.

As they approach the car he frees a palm and holds it out to Addison. "I'll drive."

"My car? What is this, a caveman impulse?"

"You used to like those."

She flinches slightly.

"Addie, you fought the traffic all the way here," he says in a milder tone. "I'm just trying to do my part."

"That's why you're here."

"That's why I'm here," he repeats, still holding out his hand.

She fishes her keys out of her purse and drops them into his still-outstretched hand. "You need to take the 405 to-"

"Addison. I know where I'm going. And at this time of day you'll have an hour to backseat drive me."

They stand at the car for a moment until Addison reaches for Piper, breaking the silence. "Let's get you in your carseat, Pipes."

"Will you sit in the back with me, Mommy?"

"Yes," Addison says, another voice saying "No" at the same time.

"I'm sitting in the back," Addison says quietly, Piper on her hip, leaning away as much as she can in an attempt to keep the conversation adults only.

"You're sitting in the front. We need to talk."

"Now's not the time."

"When, then?"

"You just got here. We have plenty of time."

"Somehow, it never quite works out that way."

"I'm sitting in the back."

"Addison, when you wanted to-"

"I'm sitting in the back," she interrupts firmly. She eases open the back door and settles Piper in her carseat, buckling her in securely.

"Addison-"

"Will you swim with me, Daddy?" Piper chirps. "It is not raining."

"Of course I'll swim with you, buddy."

Piper bounces as much as her seat belt allows. "Mommy, we're going to swim!"

Addison strokes dark-blond bangs from her daughter's forehead. "Looks like it." She slides in next to Piper and buckles her own seatbelt. "We're all set."

"Addison..."

"Do you want to drive or don't you?"

He sighs and she inclines her chin slightly as he starts the ignition, trying to catch her eye in the rearview mirror. "Yes. I want to drive. I also want to talk."

"When you get to the right on Lincoln Boulevard-"

"Addison, I said I know where I'm going."

"Fine." She turns to her daughter, who is clutching a favorite Dr. Seuss book. "How about some music, sweetie?"

"Yes music!" Piper says enthusiastically.

"If you just turn on the stereo, there's-" but he's already doing it.

"It's not exactly punk," she apologizes. "But Piper likes it."

"I know that." He sounds tired, probably from traveling.

"Mommy!" Piper shoves her book closer to Addison. "Read to me?"

"Sure." Addison takes the book from her. "Where should I start?" she asks, well used to Piper's favored reading style.

"Ummm..." Piper tugs at the pages, crumpling them slightly, a look of concentration on her small face. "Here!"

"In the middle of the story?" she confirms with a smile.

"Yup!"

Well, why not.

"'In the places I go there are things that I see that I never could spell if I stopped with the Z,'" she reads. "I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends. My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends."

"You're going to get carsick if you read back there," a voice warns from the front seat.

Addison swallows hard as he veers toward the airport exit. "I'm fine," she says coolly.

"Obviously."

"Listen, Mark-"

Piper tugs at her sleeve. "Mommy, why did you stop?"

"Sorry, Pipes. Let's read." She draws a long breath, refocuses on the book. "'So on beyond Z! It's high time you were shown that you really don't know all there is to be known.'"

A/N: What? When? Who? What's happening? Next up: lots of answers to various questions, a (hopefully) interesting ride, and more opportunities for me to entertain myself (and hopefully you) over the impending hiatus... If you want to improve my day, tell me I'm not the only person who liked this (but only if it's true).

Title and excerpts from Dr. Seuss, On Beyond Zebra! (1955)