Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 36th cycle. Now cycle 37!

A/N: Yes yes now it has been over a year since I've ventured in the land of Matt/Sasha, so it's possible some of you here have never read about them. If that's the case, or if you want to refresh your memory, here is the list of past installments:

1. The Fourth Bird's Call - 2. You Keep Calling Me Back To Your Heart - 3. Waves of Joy - 4. Leap the Ocean - 5. Liverpool Escapade - 6. By the Distance
7. 531 Miles - 8. Home Stretch - 9. At Number 2106 - 10. Comparing Notes - 11. Down Memory Lane - 12. Only the Beginning

"The Pondskipper Chronicles"
Matt/Sasha
1. Two Years Later

There was once a time when it would have been her waiting in this airport, for a plane that would have carried him from America. For two years now though, it was the other way around. Matt Rutherford, of Lima, Ohio, had been living in Manchester since his father's work had taken him there. It had taken some getting used to… his life was different there, so different. He would have felt completely misplaced if it hadn't been for knowing her… Sasha Wilcox of Liverpool, who met the boy at the indoor pool of a New York Hotel, had followed her heart to live in that very city, to a school for the arts… She had cut the distance between them, only to have him get taken right back, distance re-established. But they were both well accustomed to this physical distance between them; they had fallen in love despite of it, maybe even made stronger for it. They had survived it for over a year; they could survive it a little while longer… they knew what stood on the other side would be worth it.

They would both work toward enabling their visits to one another. Holidays, birthdays… Summers were best, both times. The first year, Matt had gone to stay at the Wilcox summer home with her, and the second had been spent equal parts between his home in Manchester and her parents' in Liverpool. The first summer, he just remembered so many days at the beach, swimming, running, dancing, laughing…

They already knew it was only a matter of time, that they would get married someday, but they didn't want to do it now, when school and location kept them apart… also they were still seventeen. That was also the summer they thought they might have been pregnant, but it had ended up being a false alarm. It wasn't a 'scare;' they would have been happy. But they knew it was better off this way. They wouldn't have been able to take care of a child, especially if he had to fly back to England at the end of the summer. At least they were more sure than ever that this was the future they wanted, the two of them.

The second summer, they called it 'the summer of plans.' They knew the next summer would be the one where Sasha came home for good, and they could start their life together… no more interruptions, no more distance. They would live together… it was the one thought that spurred them on as they counted down the days. So they had to decide. Where would they live? They had decided Manchester, since Matt did have his life there now, went to school, had a job… They could have lived with the Rutherfords, but they wanted their own place. He'd have to look on his own, sending her the information as he visited one place and the next. At least they knew that when he started looking for places, for furniture and the likes, it would mean she was almost home.

The place was ready now, ready to welcome them both. All it needed was her. He hadn't slept, the night before she was flying in… apparently neither had she. They'd spent the night texting, as she packed up the rest of her things, took the taxi to the airport, waited for her flight… When she had to turn off her phone, he could practically feel the excitement in her words… she was coming. Only that knowledge got him to sleep, just for a few hours, and then he was driving to the airport. He wasn't sure what to have for her, but he knew he wanted to give her something. In the end, he figured it out… there was just one thing that would say it all.

Her flight had landed ahead of time, like it knew they couldn't bear to be apart that much longer. He stood at the gate, scanned the crowds… they were both experts now, they could spot each other in a group of travellers in an instant. He knew she'd be crying, and he couldn't blame her… he was kind of crying too… okay, he was really crying… She saw him, and her feet slowed, a rush of emotion grabbing her. He couldn't breathe either, he was so filled with happiness, joy, and about a hundred other words… He took a step forward, and finally she was moving again, slowly and then faster, until she was cleared of the line and she in one dash she had all but leapt into his arms, clamped on, and he wasn't letting go either.

He'd known, from the very first day, he was sure of it… He knew from the moment he'd seen her, by the window at the indoor pool… All she'd had to do was look at him with those grey-eyes, the crooked smile that made her freckles hop… and there was no turning back. Then she'd laughed and it was all over… he was a man sold.

"Tell me it's real, please?" she pulled back, face streaked with the happy tears. He kissed her… had to… then he looked down, reaching in his pocket to pull out a key chain, with two keys dangling from it. He pulled her hand out, palm facing up, placed the chain there… the keys to their home. Feeling them in her palm, she breathed in; it was real…

The drive – which she had to refer to as 'the drive home' a few times to let it really sink in – had gone by in a flash as she regained her energy and told him about her flight. She had never been to the house, but knowing her she would have looked into it, and when they reached the street her voice grew quiet, eyes scanning the street until she saw it. And she smiled. When they got out, he gave her a look as though to say 'go for it.' The keys were still in her hand, and she looked at them. "The little one first," he pointed, and she nodded, moving to open the door.

The next few hours were spent unpacking. Her belongings had been shipped ahead of time, leaving just a few suitcases with her, but he'd left the boxes for her to take care of, as she'd asked. He had some boxes left as well, and by the end of it, their home did look like that… their home.

He could tell she was exhausted, and he was too, and before he knew it she was crawling under the blankets, hiding from the still shining sun of mid-afternoon, but he had to take care of one more thing before then, all part of making this day memorable to them both. He tilted his head, looking at the bump in the blankets. "Can I get in there?" he asked, and the blankets lifted. He laid down next to her, found her eyes staring back at him. "One more thing?" he told her, reaching in his other pocket, this time pulling out a small box. She blinked, knowing instantly what it was. "I know we did this, unofficially, two years ago, but… I think it's time we made it official, right?"

"Right…" she gave a small nod. He wasn't exactly unmoved either… he'd been looking forward to this point in time for longer than he could recall, and now it had arrived. He opened the box, revealing the ring. This time the sunlight was entirely welcomed…

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)