Love and Forgiveness

by William Raymer

Four years after the incident with Yivo, things start to get back to normal for the Planet Express gang! Pairings: Kif/Amy, Fry/Leela spoilers for The Beast with a Billion Backs

Love & Forgiveness

by William Raymer

Based on the 30th (I mean, 20th)Century Fox television series Futurama

Created by Matt Groening

Developed by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen

Historian's Note: This story takes place three years after the 2007 direct-to-video motion picture Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs. This places our story in the year 3011.

What Has Passed Before

(Prologue)

"FonFon Smizmar Ru." Literally translated from the Amphibiosian, it means "one who does not sleep with my superior officer." Amy Wong, FonFon Smizmar Ru of EarthFleet officer Kif Kroker, was unaware of that translation at the time it happened.

Three years before, after Kif had apparently been killed in an universe-to-universe missile accident while fighting the tentacled life-form known as Yivo, Amy and Zapp Brannigan, Kif's commanding officer, slept together. After Yivo revived Kip as a show of good faith, Kif learned of what happened.

Three years have passed, and Kip has still not forgiven Amy for her indiscretion. Every day, Amy has tried to convince Kif of her faith and loyalty, but Kif has continued to ignore her. In that time, Kif has been promoted to commander of the ESS Nimbus after Zapp had been promoted to commander of EarthFleet by President Nixon.

Our story begins as a newly-commissioned officer named James Grayson arrives for his first day at Kif's old position on the Nimbus.

Aboard Earth Starship Nimbus

Docked at New New York Naval Yards

Commander Kif Kroker was preparing to go on duty when his door chime rang. "Enter," he said. The doors slid open, revealing his new aide-de-camp. "4th Lieutenant James Carter Grayson, reporting for duty, sir," James said. "At ease, Lieutenant," Kif said. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, sir," James said as he sat down in the chair Kif offered him. "Commander, I promise you that I will never let you or this ship down." "I know you won't," Kif said. James looked over at Kif's desk and noticed a darkened holo-frame picture viewer.

"If you don't mind me asking, Commander," James said, "Why isn't your holo-frame on?" Kif turned from the mirror he stood at. "Lieutenant Grayson, I do not want to lay down the law your first day on the job, but I do not want to talk about it," he said.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" James said. "Granted," Kif said. "Sir, I signed on to this ship as your aide-de-camp, to assist you in all matters relating to the safe operation of this vessel and the completion of its missions. Part of that mandate is to serve as a counselor. So, Commander, either you tell me what is wrong with you, or I'll have to relieve you of duty," James said.

Kif sighed, then moved over to the holo-frame and turned it on. On its display was an image of him in his dress uniform and an Asian girl in a wedding dress. Both were covered in a mud-like substance. "Is that...your wife?" James asked.

"Estranged wife," Kip corrected. "Amy Wong, my FonFon Smizmar Ru. In actuality, I have been estranged from her for three years, since the Yivo Incident." James shuddered at the mentioning of the creature dubbed the "Beast with a Billion Backs." Like the entire population of the universe, he too felt the "love of the tentacle."

"What happened?" James asked. "Well, after the accident which killed me, I found out that Amy and Fleet Commander Brannigan had slept together," Kif said. "I resolved to never forgive her for that." "Commander, it's been three years, as you said. Don't you think it's time to hear her side of the story?"

James asked.

"Perhaps," Kif said after a moment's thought. "All right, Lieutenant. You win. Go pick her up and bring her back here. She can be found at the Planet Express building on East 1,000,000th Street. Here is her most recent photo."

Kif handed a data chit to James, who slipped it into the tactical headset he wore. The photo was of Amy in her customary pink, midriff-baring, sweat suit. Switching off the headset, James looked at Kif. "As I said earlier, you can count on me," James said. "Very well. Dismissed, and good luck," Kif said. James stood up, saluted Kif, then left his quarters.

James got in his hover-car and drove to the Planet Express building. He walked up to the door and rang the bell. Professor Hubert Farnsworth answered. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Professor Farnsworth, I am 4th Lieutenant James Grayson of the ESS Nimbus, and I have been sent here by my commander to speak to Ms. Amy Wong," James said. Farnsworth tapped a control on the wall where he stood.

Elsewhere in the building, Amy and Turanga Leela were playing Pac-Checkers. Farnsworth's voice came on the P.A. "Amy, come down here for a moment. Someone from EarthFleet is here to see you," he said. "He says he is here on orders from his commanding officer."

Amy stood up and moved to the wall-comm switch. "Ask him who his commander is," she said. Farnsworth did. "Commander Kif Kroker of the ESS Nimbus" was the officer's response. Amy gasped. She turned to Leela.

"I can't believe it," Amy said. "Kif wants to talk to me! Could this be the day when my FonFon Ru finally forgives me?" Leela smiled. "It's possible, Amy," she said. "After all, it's impossible to hold a grudge against the one you love for a lifetime."

"Referring to Fry, of course?" Amy said. This sent Leela into a blushing spell. "Oh, it's all right," Amy said as she began to change into a dress. She wanted to look nice for her FonFon Ru. "I know Fry is weird, but deep down, he is a caring and sensitive soul. You couldn't stay mad at him forever. After all, the last girl he dated besides you is living with that tentacled freak now."

Leela nodded as the red in her cheeks began to subside. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Amy. Now, go see Kif," Leela said. "And I want to know if he forgives you."

"We're best friends, Leela," Amy said. "I have every intention to tell you." She walked out of the room.

Down in the lobby, Amy saw James. "Ms. Wong, please come with me," he said. "Good luck," Farnsworth said as Amy and James left.

Back on the Nimbus, James led Amy to Kif's quarters then pressed the door chime. "Enter," Kif said. James led Amy into Kif's room. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Dismissed," Kif said. James nodded, then left.

Kif then turned to Amy. "You're looking well, Amy," he said.

"Thank you, Kif. And congratulations on making Commander. It is well deserved," Amy responded. "But that is not the reason you asked your Lieutenant to bring me here." "No, it is not," Kif said. "I have had three years to think about what happened during the incident with Yivo. And I finally understand what drove you and Zapp to do what you did."

"You do?" Amy said. "Yes," Kif said. "And as it turns out, I would have done the same thing if you were killed on a delivery mission. Only I would have waited longer." Kif walked over and sat across from Amy on the couch. "Amy, my FonFon Ru, I was irresponsible to you ever since the incident three years ago. Will you take me back?"

Amy started to cry. "Kif, I was going to ask you to take me back! I love you," she said as she leaned in and kissed Kif.

An hour later, on the Bridge, James was in the command chair when Kif's voice came on the comm. "4th Lieutenant Grayson, please report to my cabin. I'll need you to transport my FonFon Ru back to the Planet Express building." "On my way, sir," James said. "Bolton, you have the Bridge until Commander Kroker returns." "Aye, sir," Ensign Selena Bolton said in taking the command chair as James walked off the Bridge.

As James drove Amy back to the Planet Express building, he looked at his passenger. "Ms. Wong, may I ask you a question?" he said. Amy sniffed back her tears and smiled at James. "You can call me Amy, and yes, you may ask," she said.

"Well, I'm looking to tell a girl that I love her. What would you advise I do?" James said. "Well, I've only had romantic experience with an Amphibiosian-Commander Kroker, of course-but I'm sure that if you tell that woman that you love her, then anything can happen. So tell her you love her and take it from there," Amy said.

"Thanks, Amy," James said as he landed his air-car in front of the Planet Express building. "See you later." As James' air-car took back off, Amy walked into the lobby, where Phillip J. Fry was sitting on a couch, watching the latest episode of All My Circuits. "Amy, I heard Kif called you. What happened?" Fry said.

"Kif took me back!" Amy said, running to hug Fry. As the embrace broke, Fry smiled. "Amy, I have a plan to propose to Leela. I need your help, as Leela's best friend, to decide what to do," he said. "It doesn't feel right to keep Leela in the dark like this, but I'll help you," Amy said.

::TBC::