Stuff: I'm going to post this fic in chapters because I think it maybe easier for me to cope with (although the jury's still out on that one.) This first part's a bit short and not much happens, but it gets more exciting! I've put it in the "humor" category, although since not everybody gets my humour, that's another one for the jury to consider.

Thanks go to Wei, for it was my inability to do your assignment that led to the creation of this fic; and to Jon for suddenly turning up while I was at work and putting me in a weird state of mind (in a good way!)

Have fun, Drifty.

Simple Tasks

Finding Fry slouched in his typical spot on the couch in front of the TV wasn't surprising, but still elicited a sigh from Leela. It was only as she walked past that she realized there was no light or sound coming from the TV set. In fact, it wasn't even on.

"Fry? What are you doing?" she asked, but her question got no response. Fry continued to stare at the blank screen.

"Fry?" she repeated his name, this time with the addition of a wave of her hand in front of his face. This approach worked. Fry's gaze shifted from the TV set and settled on her. His brain slowly registered her presence.

"Oh, hi!"

"What's going on?" Leela asked, still wondering what he was doing. "Is the TV broken?"

"No," Fry replied. "At least not that I know of." He glanced at the set suspiciously. "Why? What's Bender been doing?"

"Nothing," Leela reassured him. "Well, probably something, but nothing with the TV." As she said it, she knew that there was a high probability that the robot had, in fact, done something with the TV, but that wasn't important right now. "What I meant was why are you sitting here watching a blank screen?"

"Ah. Well, the Professor gave me some task to do," Fry said as if this explained all the mysteries of the Universe.

"And...?" Leela prompted.

"And I forgot what it was."

"Huh? How could you forget?"

"It wasn't difficult. See, I wasn't really listening when he was telling me what to do."

Leela nodded, unsurprised.

"So," Fry continued. "I thought I'd watch some TV in the hope it'd come back to me, but after I'd sat down I realized I didn't have the remote and I couldn't see it anywhere. Getting up to search for it seemed like pointless expenditure of energy that I could use to do something more interesting."

"Ookay..." Leela said, exasperated by the stupidity of that explanation. "So have you remembered?"

"Remembered what?"

Leela sighed. She was beginning to wish she had never initiated this conversation.

"How would you like to do something for me instead?" she offered.

"Yeah, sure," Fry immediately agreed. "Hold on," he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Like what?"

"A delivery."

"Hmm..." Fry considered this. "I'm not sure that would count as a more interesting expenditure of the energy I saved by not looking for the remote."

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Leela asked.

"However," Fry continued. "That is what I do, so it shouldn't be too difficult. What is it?"

Leela fetched a small package from the table. "I need this package delivered to the address written on the front." She handed him the parcel that was about the size of a book.

Fry studied that address. "But that's all the way across the city!" he exclaimed.

"You can take a tube," Leela said. "Besides, like you said, it's your job. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Of course I can handle it," Fry said indignantly as he got up clutching the package. "And maybe when I get back I could take you out for dinner-"

"Fry," Leela warned. "This job does not require you to hit on me."

"Aw, but that would be a more interesting-and way more fun-use of energy."

"Just go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be out of my hair-I mean, the sooner you'll get back. And don't forget to bring back what they give you in return."

"You mean, like a receipt?" Fry enquired, having completely missed Leela's point about him getting out of her hair.

"Not really, but sure...kinda. Bye." She practically pushed him out of the door, looking forward to getting some peace-something she realized she'd had before she'd brought him out of his stupor.

"I'll be back soon," Fry said by way of a farewell as he found himself outside.

"Lovely," Leela muttered as she closed the door.

As she found herself alone, with nothing urgent to be done, she decided she could take a few minutes to relax. Maybe I'll watch some TV, she thought, taking the seat vacated by Fry. She cast around for the remote. Where the hell is that thing? Bender..!