With heavy feet, and even heavier hearts, Phil and Keely walked side by side across the lawn towards the time machine.
Her throat felt parched. She forced words out. "It's really fixed this time? You're really leaving?" Me?
Phil looked at her. "I really think so," he said grimly.
There's no chance of it breaking down again?"
"I think we're out of chances in that department," he replied sadly.
She put her arm through his. "I'm really going to miss you."
"Yeah," he said, exhaling, and could not look at her.
They stood still together for a while, feeling the tension in and emotion pressing upon them from all around.
She inhaled, said, "Phil," hastily, and when he turned to face her, she put her hands on his arms, stood on her toes, and kissed him.
He rocked on his heels, steadied himself, and pulled her into his arms.
She felt giddiness bubble up within her, like the effervescence of champagne, and love seemed to literally gush from her heart.
Phil felt as though he was finally drinking in cold clear air after months of holding his breath. He felt as though his very heart was swelling and filling with love for his Kelly, and that it might fill to bursting. It was the dread of an eternally shattered heart that sat in his stomach like a lead weight.
At first he thought she was laughing, but then he realized that she was crying and kissing him. He tasted her salt tears.
"Keel," he said gently. He gazed at her say face and pulled her against his shoulder. She cried and he held her, and as he rubbed her back he stared at the moon and curse fate for what it was doing to him.
"Phil, I'm going to miss you so much," she gasped, shaking her head at him. "I love you, I'm so in love with you! —This hurts so much!"
"I'm in love with you, and I can't have you. It's so cruel that just as I'm falling for you more every day that I'm being ripped away from you. I don't want to let you go."
"I'm so upset!" she said hysterically. "I swear I'm gonna vom—I already miss you."
"I know," he said dully. "I've been trying to tell myself that I'll get used to it—to you not being there—but I'll only miss you more every hour, every minute, every second. I can't even remember what was so great about the future, anyway. Any century without you is a waste of time."
"You have to stop saying sweet things to me," she said softly, "you're making this even harder."
"It's not going to get any easier."
"Do you love me?" she asked.
He reached out to her tentatively, touché her cheek, took her hand. "I love you more now than I did when I woke up this morning. I love your kisses, I love your smile, your laugh."
She smiled.
He sat against the tree and she sat against him.
"Do you love me?"
"More and more with each new day, with every word you say."
"We're either the luckiest people in the universe, or the unluckiest."
"Happiest and the saddest."
"Closest and the furthest apart."
She tilted her head back to look at him. "Will you fall in love with some girl from the future and marry her?"
"Never," he vowed. "I don't want anything to do with those robots. You? Any present day dream boys on the horizon?"
"I think you're the only one for me, Philly-Willy." He tightened his arms around her and smiled. "How will we go on?" she mused.
"Not easily. Let's not talk about the future; it's the biggest trouble-causer presently. Let's talk about all our fun times."
"Dancing together."
"Laughing."
"Shopping."
"Ugh. Secret missions."
"Fighting and making up."
"Singing together."
"Meeting."
"Kissing."
And suddenly that's what they were doing again. Fun, desperate, desiring kisses. And suddenly it was time to go.
Keely clung tightly to his arm as he retreated to the time machine.
"Ready, Phil?" his parents asked.
"No," he wanted to answer waspishly, but instead he said, "Almost."
He turned to Keely, who was crying silently again.
"You're beautiful. I'll think of you every morning and night. I'll always stay true to you.. I love you with all my heart, and I'll be in love with you until I die. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and leaving you is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do. This is the cruelest way imaginable for my heart to be broken."
She was crying too hard, and she shook her head vehemently.
"You've shown me love like I could never imagine it. You never wuit on me. Yu set me on fire. No one could ever live up to you, so I won't even try. No one but you could make me happy. I so love you, Philly."
He swept her up in a tight embrace and kissed her. When he let go, he said "bye" in a low voice and stepped away.
"Don't go!" she cried suddenly.
"I have to," he said heavily, and felt his heart slowly shattering.
"Don't leave me," she wept.
"I have to go. I'm so sorry. I can't believe this. I'm so sorry, Keely."
"I love you. Don't leave me."
"Forgive me," he said, taking her in his arms for the last time. "I love you."
"Phil," said his father, clearly uncomfortable with having to break him away.
"Forgive me," he said again, kidding her face lightly.
He stepped aboard and sat down. "I want to die," he said to no one in particular.
Keely felt her heart breaking, and watched blurrily as the yard filled with smoke, Phil waved to her from a porthole and wiped his eyes. She was surrounded by blinding orange light.
Then they were gone, and she was alone, and then her sorrow truly set in.
Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue.