Disclaimer: Saban and Disney's, not mine
Notes: Takes place post-series, spoilers apply
--
"... And that makes ten."
Katie had seen shooting stars before, but ten in one night (in a row, no less), was something new. She shifted a little, trying to get as comfortable as she could while on the ground with nothing but a blanket and Trip next to her for warmth. "Is it always like this at night on Xybria?"
He nodded. "Yep. There's a way you're supposed to be able to predict what the next year will be like by watching them."
It was always a bad idea to ask Trip about anything Xybrian (even when he was on Xybria), but her curiosity got the best of her. "I don't suppose you can?"
His eyes were thoughtful as he looked up to the sky. "Let's see if I can remember what my grandfather taught me... the harvest will be smaller than last year, but it's a good year for anyone planning to get married."
There was no way she couldn't have grinned at that. "Really?"
Trip didn't return her smile. "I'm afraid it's gonna take more than a few meteors for us," he murmured as his head fell against her shoulder. Katie didn't say anything in reply, she just let her fingers run through his bright green hair as her mind drifted back to what had brought the two of them to the starry sky in the first place.
--
She thought her first meeting with Trip's parents was going well-- especially considering it was also her first time on the planet. They had come just in time for dinner, Trip's father explained to them in thickly accented, stuttering Standard: "W-we usually just think around here," he had told her. "The last time I used my voice to say something was probably a month ago." Trip's mother was... quiet, but so was Trip and she was so busy comparing Xybrian and Earth cuisine with her future father-in-law that she didn't realize that something was wrong until it happened.
"Well, nobody asked you!" Trip burst out at his mother before storming out. Katie sat there lost for a moment, and then chased after him, leaving behind his apologizing father and silent mother. The blanket had been grabbed more as a legitimate excuse to intrude on his privacy than to keep them warm.
--
"Well, it's not like I'm the first person to be disliked by her husband's mother." It was the first thing either of them had said in awhile, so her voice seemed louder than usual. "And I'm sure with my charming personality I'll worm my way into her heart eventually."
She'd meant it as a joke, hoping to get him to at least smile, but no luck. "It's not just that." Trip stared up helplessly at the sky. "First off, I'm not sure if my mother even has a heart sometimes. Second..."
"Second?"
"When I met your family, they were great. They made me feel like I'm part of your family now. And then I bring you here, and this happens."
"Hey..." Gently, she turned his face from the stars to her. "Trip, we changed history. I think we can handle this."
Finally, finally he smiled back at her. It wasn't much of one, but it gave her hope that there would be more in the future... among other things. "Anyways, I'm getting kind of bored." She shifted again so that she was hovering over him. "So I'm thinking ten kisses for ten shooting stars?"
"Eleven, if you want to be exact. There's another one, see?" She looked over her shoulder, and sure enough Trip was right.
"I am perfectly fine with eleven..."
At some point they would have to go back and deal with what had happened, and anything else that come with their decision. But for now they were too busy enjoying just being a young couple kissing under the stars to care.